Category Archives: Sex Abuse

Predatory Grooming in Our Churches

April 1, 2013 By in Impropriety, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse, Warnings! 32 Comments

I have been involved in dealing with a number of cases involving sexual predation and exploitation by church leaders – in all kinds of churches (including “organic” or “simple” churches which naively think they are immune from this kind of abuse).

liesMy wife and I have also done pastoral counseling, over the years, with literally hundreds of sex abuse survivors – as well as many abusers who seek help after truly confessing and openly repenting.

One thing I see over and over – especially by predatory church leaders – is the same kind of initial “grooming” behavior. It is amazing how sexually exploitive men in “ministry” all seem to use the same methods.

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The Sin of Silence

March 18, 2013 By in Frank Viola, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse, Warnings! 26 Comments

Leaders who stand conveniently silent – or willfully ignorant – regarding the abuse and exploitation of God’s people by another leader, are idolaters.

shame

Your Silence Abuses The Abused

They sacrifice innocent men, women and children on the altar of their own ease and self interest, which they often justify by their own warped concept of unity and misguided sense of friendship.

Understand that eventually you will be forced to give an account of your silence – not only to God, but in the “here and now” to His people whom you profess to serve.

When that happens, don’t get mad at me for doing what you were unwilling – but obligated – to do as one entrusted to protect His people.

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Exposing Abusive Church Leaders

March 14, 2013 By in Christ Chapel, Frank Viola, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse 13 Comments

Into the Light: A Series on Abuse and the Church looks like it will be a good series by Rachel Evans on the need to expose abusive church leaders and those who hide the abuse. We need more such voices of courage and resolve.

The recent situation with Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) illustrates this need. Over the years, Marianne and I have seen lives destroyed by one of their churches near us. We tried to raise warnings locally, but they were lost among the outward images of “success” by that church and the charisma of its leading “apostle” and popular author and conference speaker.

Yet behind the scenes, the arrogance of leadership there, and their attitude of being untouchable, was astounding. Fortunately, however, God has a way of protecting His people by eventually exposing such sin, after all opportunities to first confess and repent have been ignored.

I’ve been involved in way too many of these kinds of cases – as a friend, a counselor, a church leader, and even as an attorney. Each one has deeply affected me as I had to come beside the victims and be strong for them, while also unflinchingly standing up to some narcissistic – but always charming yet manipulative – exploitive church leader.

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Frank Viola: Feed the Need

March 13, 2013 By in Frank Viola, Postmodern, Predatory Leaders, Repentance, Sex Abuse 1 Comment

Sorry, Frank Viola, but when your “revelation” of Jesus looks a lot like your own sensibilities, I’m not impressed.

And when “deeper life” merely reinforces your own postmodern proclivities, I’m likewise not impressed.

Nor do I find a persistent failure to be a functional part of any healthy, local fellowship – despite all your books and blogs on organic church – to be a virtue.

Really, didn’t you get the memo? Postmodernism and existential angst just ain’t that compelling or counter-cultural anymore.

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Christ Chapel Sexual Abuse: An Update

January 28, 2013 By in Christ Chapel, Judgment, Justice, Sex Abuse 5 Comments

shameLast Friday, a Federal judge rejected Christ Chapel’s claim that under the First Amendment its pastors could, in essence, sexually abuse others with legal impunity – and no court had authority to stop them.

As a result, the court ruled that a Federal lawsuit may proceed against Christ Chapel, which alleges a pervasive pattern of sex abuse at the church.

That suit was filed on behalf of one victim and her husband, and alleges employment discrimination through sexual abuse, exploitation, harassment and a hostile work environment directed against women in general and victims of abuse in particular.

Although many victims of abuse, at the hands of several men on staff at Christ Chapel, are alleged in the lawsuit, Virginia has a two year statute of limitations. Thus, not all of the victims could actually join in the lawsuit (some of the abuse happened as long a six years ago) as actual plaintiffs asserting claims against all of the alleged abusers.

Nonetheless, the one named plaintiff and her husband were able to set forth in the complaint the history of abuse against multiple women by multiple men on staff at Christ Chapel – based on an alleged overall pattern of sexual exploitation and overall hostile environment at the church – on behalf of all the victims.

Addendum:

After failing to get the sex abuse allegations dismissed, Christ Chapel Assembly of God – a large church in Woodbridge, Virginia – agreed to come to satisfactory terms with the plaintiffs and settled the lawsuit.

The factual case against Christ Chapel primarily was investigated and assembled by Nathan’s Voice, a ministry created several years by our local fellowships to help church abuse victims.

I want to personally thank and acknowledge the help of countless people, as well as the courage of the many victims, in helping with the investigation and eventual successful outcome of this case. I believe that because of this case, it is highly unlikely that sexual abuse will ever be tolerated again at Christ Chapel.

There were times I was moved to tears as I got to know many of the victims and their families, and witnessed their compassion and resolve. It gave me the strength needed to devote over a year to this case before finally handing it over to a litigation law firm for final prosecution.

If any further issues or questions surface regarding Christ Chapel, the complaint (Todd v. Christ Chapel, with all the factual background) and related documents are a matter of pubic record and can be obtained from the Federal District Court in Alexandria, Virginia. You also can open the full complaint here.

See Christ Chapel: Pastoral Sex Abuse for more information.

~ Jim Wright

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About Justice

December 8, 2011 By in Abuse, Christ Chapel, Compassion, Courage, Justice, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse 5 Comments
About Justice

Jesus comforted the afflicted, and afflicted the comfortable.

Compassion for the Afflicted or for Evildoers?

When, through your silence or denial, the afflicted pay the price to maintain your comfort zones – in your personal life, your church, your community or your nation – watch out!

Justice, in its most basic terms, is making sure that evildoers – rather than their victims – bear the cost of their evil.

Injustice is when we impose those costs on the victims, often because we are unwilling to be discomforted by admitting to – or dealing with – the evil among us.

Jesus, because He is love, is also about justice.

And so, even today, He comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.

~ Jim Wright

Christ Chapel: Pastoral Sex Abuse

December 2, 2011 By in Abusive Pastor, Christ Chapel, Justice, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse

Eventually, the truth comes out as people see with their own eyes see the arrogance, victim-blaming and lies that surface when a church and its senior leadership desperately try to deny responsibility for repeated instances of clergy sexual abuse.

Christ Chapel in Woodbridge, Virginia

Eventually, people – who may have been hesitant before – become very motivated to step forward and bear witness against the evil that occurred.

Eventually, tyrants through their own arrogance dig their own graves.

Just like what we’re seeing in the sports world and in the political world – where sexual predators and the institutions that supported them are becoming exposed despite initial denials – so it’s starting to happen with Christ Chapel Assembly of God, a large local church in Woodbridge, Virginia.

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Herman Cain

November 9, 2011 By in America, Culture, Politics, Sex Abuse, Society 6 Comments
Herman Cain

I’m a generally conservative Republican, so it pains me to see presidential candidate Herman Cain stumble. But even more so, I am appalled at the blogs and comments supporting Mr. Cain from folks who, I suspect, were on President Clinton like white on rice when allegations first surfaced about him.

Herman Cain

As Christians, we must speak truth to power, but with integrity and without applying double standards!

I’ve seen this same phenomena in pastoral sex abuse cases that I’ve handled. Folks will defend a pastor who – under the Biblical standard of two or three witnesses like we now have with Mr. Cain – is a confirmed sexual predator, simply because they like him or he helped them in the past. The fact is, sexual predators of all stripes are the most charming, charismatic, and capable people I’ve ever met!

Let me repeat that: Sexual predators are the MOST CHARMING, CHARISMATIC AND CAPABLE PEOPLE you, too, will ever meet.

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Silence = Death

October 21, 2011 By in Brokenness, Christ Chapel, Courage, Sex Abuse 1 Comment
Silence = Death

To those who have been violated, and to those who know, may God give you the grace to find the voice they took from you.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KQ9xG3yWfw%5D

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

For help, or to offer help, I urge you to contact Nathan’s Voice.

Hypocrisy and Courage

September 10, 2011 By in Abusive Pastor, Christ Chapel, Courage, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse Leave a comment

Why is it that folks who condone sexual abuse by refusing to bear witness against sexual predators in our churches, often seem so concerned about young people otherwise staying sexually pure?

Condoning Abuse and Predation

If those folks don’t care enough about the sexuality integrity of our young to protect them from sexually exploitive church leaders, then why do they think our young will listen to their messages about sexual purity?

What stark hypocrisy!

I must add, however, how grateful I am for all who did come forward to bear witness against the evil that occurred over the last several years at Christ Chapel, a large Assembly of God church in the area. Thank you!

Your willingness to step forward, even though it was difficult and it took lots of courage, is making a difference. You have shown the world that there yet remains men and women of integrity in our churches.

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