Recent investigations by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News in Texas, USA, have revealed that in the past 20 years, “a disturbing number of Southern Baptists with formal church roles have engaged in sexual misconduct.” About 380 people, including pastors, deacons, youth pastors, other assorted church leaders and volunteers have, “left behind more than 700 victims.” As if that were not bad enough, it is reported the Southern Baptist Convention declined to keep a list of those convicted of their crimes. Thanks to the Houston Chronicle however, a data base of names has been compiled.
I’m of the opinion there will be more victims than the 700-plus mentioned. For example, if we divide 780 victims by 380 sex predators, that amounts to only 2 victims per predator. Sexual predators don’t stop with 2 people; they go to all extremes to cover up their evil and move to the next victim. And when Church leaders and administrators go to equal extremes to cover up, overlook or deny such criminality, who knows the true number of victims? What about those who have not and will not come forward? Quote: “Some victims as young as 3 were molested or raped inside pastors’ studies and Sunday school classrooms. A few were adults — women and men who sought pastoral guidance and instead say they were seduced or sexually assaulted.”
The comment of one man who years earlier was molested by his youth pastor and hated God for a time as a result of it: “So many people’s faith is murdered. I mean, their faith is slaughtered by these predators.” How very true! No wonder so many young people turn away from the church. No wonder some of them turn to drugs, prostitution and crime. After all, can those practices be considered any more harmful to them than that which they experienced when in their churches? The very people they trusted to guide and teach them about the Lord Jesus Christ and all things biblical turned out to be more vile and evil than these practices, in my opinion. At least druggies, prostitutes and criminals (for the most part) don’t pretend to be someone they are not.
Not so, these church pastors, deacons, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers and volunteers; not so, these leaders and administrators who have for years rejected every proposed reform. I am suggesting for some, their lives have been a sham and a pretense and they knew it to be such. Perhaps spiritually discerning Christians there knew it too but lacked the courage to call out these hypocrites. Why was this not nipped in the bud long before things progressed regressed to the low levels they now have? As it is now, the so-called godly reputation of these offending leaders has forever been tarnished; especially as far as the unbelieving world is concerned. But along with it, the reputations of godly, righteous people have been tarnished too even though being in the dark about all this.
But worse than that, the reputation of Jesus Christ has been tarnished. When cowardly church leaders fail to act in their Christ-given mandate regarding childhood sex abuse in their churches the unbelieving world has its on-going faulty concept of Jesus Christ confirmed yet again. “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” they scoff. “Where is this Jesus you keep going on about?” they ask. “Why does your Jesus allow this world-wide evil against innocent children to continue?” But, a more honest question to ask is why does humanity allow it? Be assured however, innocent children will see justice done by the Lord Jesus one day. Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven Matthew 19:14.
Comment from one imprisoned predator: “All I did was touch and that was it. She wasn’t going to tell anybody. I’m the one who told the detective. Stupid me. It didn’t matter that I had brought 400 or 500 people to a saving faith or that I had worked in the church for so many years…….. I just feel like I was the victim.” Doing good is never compensation for doing evil! According to the 7 year old girl being interviewed regarding this predator, when asked how many times she was touched she replied, “Every single time he comes.” How many sexual predators were once themselves victims I don’t know, but if any of these church people were, surely there must have been ministers somewhere, capable of exercising spiritual authority to release the demonic strongholds gripping them.
Important note: it is not simply the Southern Baptists who are being exposed, or indeed simply church denominations in the USA. Church leadership across the globe continually failing to weed out sexual predators among them are going to meet with the same exposure plus the same shame and disgrace. God is most patient with His people. It can be years before He will divinely intervene. First God personally convicts the predator and tells him or her to repent and turn back to Christ. When that warning fails to get the correct response He sends one tor two people with the same warning, spoken in private. When that warning fails it is then brought to the attention of the entire church. When the church fails, God’s final step is to expose the predator/s plus the church publicly.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to the flesh will reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life Galatians 6:7-8. Christ-believer or non-believer, this truth applies to all. Sad it is though just how many church people there are everywhere who overlook that this applies to them. In their twisted thinking they make their weekly church attendance, their Scripture-memorizing, their money-giving and their do-gooding to compensate for other shortfalls they have. On the other hand, there are people in churches who are not really there for God’s purposes; they’re there for purposes of self-gain; in this case sexual predatory opportunities.
Years ago a professional bank robber was asked why he robbed banks. “Because that’s where the money is,” he replied. Ask sexual predators why they “go to church” or why they work in church ministries and one may get all sorts of answers but, “Because that’s where the children are,” is the correct one even though that may be vigorously denied. That’s also the reason many sexual predators become foster parents, child daycare minders, kindergarten and school teachers and scout masters. Wherever the most vulnerable people are, sexual predators lurk in the shadows awaiting an opportune time to pounce. However, I consider church predators to be the most culpable. They hear and read Bible Scriptures, they pray, they listen to the word of God being sung and preached.
In other words, they’re without excuse. They know what they’re doing is not only evil it is destructive; they know they destroy the children. Do they know they destroy themselves plus their families? They know the truth of Christ; they know His word about all things immoral. Don’t they know that if they humbly and honestly acknowledge this sin to the Lord and seek forgiveness and release from it they will receive it? The truth will set them free! John 8:32. Yes, they will still have to pay the penalty the laws of the land (at this stage!) demand for such a heinous crime but free they will be spiritually, mentally and morally. In jail they will experience the presence of the Lord with them at all times as He is with other Christian prisoners.
Warning to church sexual predators: Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven Matthew 7:21. You may think you have pulled the wool over the eyes of your fellow believers and leaders, but you have not done so with the Lord. He knows your every thought, intention, word and act. As it is presently, in your unrepentant state you are a criminal! Do you sincerely believe unrepentant criminals will enter the kingdom of heaven? Your plastic smile, your phony Christian-speak, your false, hypocritical Christian witness – having a form of godliness but denying its power 2 Timothy 3:5! God speaks to you as you read this. You would be most wise to re-read the above paragraph and act on it.
Encouragement to victims of sexual predators: You may have asked why God allowed this to happen to you. In doing so, you probably have received no satisfactory answer. Evil is a fact of life. It didn’t start out that way, and on the day of the Lord Jesus’ return it will cease being that way. All evil Jesus took to the cross and died for. When He rose again, the power of evil was declared powerless in His name, but only if one believed in His finished work and took their evil to Him to get released. Most people won’t do that and because God is not a tyrant He doesn’t force them to. That’s why you are a victim of this particular evil. However, Jesus makes those who turn to Him victors. I pray that’s your experience; but if not, will you make it so today? For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world – our (your) faith 1 John 5:4.