Some church leaders expressed that they wanted the story to go away, so the community could move on. We call for a fresh and thorough independent investigation not because we believe those accused are guilty of every one of its critics charges. A story in Washingtonian Magazine, by Tiffany Stanley, dated February 14, 2016, highlights three families who were plaintiffs in the lawsuit and their involvement with Sovereign Grace Ministries. With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal. But Maryland limits when you can sue over child sexual abuse; you can be no older than 25. The first church adoption was in Cleveland Ohio. Leaders of the Fairfax, Virginia, church accused in the lawsuit have "acknowledged the stories of abuse and issued a tearful apology to the families. senior pastor Mark Mullery blamed the churchs model of reconciliation. WebAt Grace Community we sing about, celebrate, preach and endeavor to live in the good of that gospel (I Corinthians 15:3). Perhaps there are reasons the report failed to disclose a number of disturbing facts. 7) Questions harassed us: Could we lose everything financing a defense? Evangelical ministries are now facing their own abuse crises. WebMahaney resigned from the presidency of Sovereign Grace Ministries in 2013 in order to plant Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. Third, said Denhollander, Failure to get expert help, or commissioning a poor investigation (as RZIM did in 2017) crushes and silences victims, and leaves abusers in power, while giving a false sense of security. In 2017, Zacharias settled a lawsuit with a woman named Lori Anne Thompson, who said that Zacharias had used his spiritual authority to groom her for a sexual relationship. Our interaction with civil authorities has been instrumental in shaping our policies and procedures for the protection and care of children. Pam Palmer was at a barbecue when she heard the news. The churches, for the most part, declined to cooperate. By Tiffany Stanley. This is a serious problem that damages the gospel and pushes the most vulnerable away from hope and refuge. Emphasizing that Christians must grieve with and comfort victims of sexual abuse, he also emphasized that we denyin the strongest terms possiblethat any Sovereign Grace leaders conspired to cover up abuse as alleged in this lawsuit.. North Coast Church formerly called Crossroads Christian Community was founded in 1980. Pastors are not mandatory reporters in the State of Maryland. They did the same with the crimes committed by Suzanne against her sister, Shannon. [11], The organization of over 80 member churches grew out of the charismatic renewal of the 1970s under the leadership of Larry Tomczak. Moreover, there is not a single instance of a Sovereign Grace pastor or staff member ever being charged withmuch less convicted ofsexual abuse or covering up abuse in our 35+ year history.. [21][22], Although reconciled with C. J. Mahaney in 2011,[23][24] Tomczak earlier described the parting of ways with Sovereign Grace Ministries as "an unbelievable nightmare" during which his family "were threatened in various ways if [they] did not cooperate with [PDI/SGM] A letter was circulated in an attempt to discredit me and to distort the events surrounding my departure. Unfortunately, other evangelical churches are the objects of similar charges from time to time. Mahaney reinstated at Sovereign Grace", "Controversial church with Southern Baptist ties moves headquarters to Louisville", "Sovereign Grace Ministries Relocating Headquarters to Kentucky", "Maryland megachurch secedes from Sovereign grace ministries", "Flagship Church Votes to Leave C.J. All of the others who were named in the lawsuit, including Covenant Life Church pastors in Maryland, Sovereign Grace employees, and Fairfax Church in Virginia, were also investigated by law enforcement and no charges were brought. "[27] Mahaney announced "that he would step down as president of SGM's beleaguered network of churches. [56] An appeal of the lower court's decision was heard by the Maryland appellate court in May 2014, and the lawsuit was again dismissed when the court found that the Plaintiff's attorney had filed the appeal too early. How does the legal system currently help or hurt victims of child sex abuse? One of them, Kings Cross Church, since sending its letter. Documentation was found showing the family of one plaintiff was immediately advised to notify authorities. And for the sake of SGC and for the integrity of evangelical churches everywhere. Your investigation focuses on sexual abuse in one evangelical network, but it begs the question: how widespread is sexual abuse in evangelical churches more broadly? Worshipers fill the Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Md. She has always had a passion for the written word and has been writing professionally for the past five years. RZIM issued a public apology following the report, but has yet to announce any changes in leadership. But it seems to me that a workable compromise would be to do what states like Texas and West Virginia and North Carolina do: Clergy-penitent privilege exists, but not in cases of child abuse. False criminal charges can result in a jail term or hefty fine, however.". Actually, she was charged and imprisoned by state and federal authorities for crimes of fraud, theft, drug possession, drug trafficking, and weapons concerns. North Coast thrived and grew until its ultimate demise decades later. Its difficult and rare to criminally prosecute religious leaders who covered up abuse, so lawsuits are an avenue to get transparency and justice from the institution, not just the abuser. This Is a Revival Season Sean Feucht Announces 7 Days of Prayer on Capitol Hill, The Chosen, Candace Cameron Bure, Dolly Parton Win at This Years Movieguide Awards, Christian High School Girls Basketball Team Forfeits Tourney Spot Due to Trans Opponent, Tickets for SatanCon 2023, The Largest Satanic Gathering in History, Sell Out. KingsWay These survivors are women and men in their twenties, thirties, and forties, whose marriages have been affected, who have been in psychiatric inpatient treatment, who live in terror of their own kids going to a sleepover. The apologists version of events was that Thompson and her husband were trying to extort money from him. Mahaney Takes Leave Over 'Serious' Charges", "Sovereign Grace Ministries Reinstates C.J. Montgomery County police investigated and filed no charges. When the denomination came under scrutiny in 2019 following revelations of abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention, SGC refused again, saying. WebThe April 12-14 gathering held at the KFC Yum! Web12914 Shelbyville Rd Louisville, KY 40243 Sovereign Grace Susan Burke, the lawyer for the victims, has said she wants to file another lawsuit in Virginia. It is for this reason that I have repeatedly recommended that Sovereign Grace Churches, Institute in Basic Life Principles, and several other organizations, welcome this same process, and provided recommendations of ways this can be done without violating principles of church autonomy. Above all, I think many of the families want Sovereign Grace to acknowledge publicly that mistakes were made. And especially for the sake of the gospel. So it would likely involve only two of the survivors from my story. Whats worse, these unseemly events reverberate outward, mixing with the #ChurchToo discussion and lingering anger over the Roman Catholic Church abuse scandal. 4) Minor children, suffocated by public reaction, suffered horribly. That was a first for me. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. HB 642, the first bill of its kind to be supported by the Catholic Church in Maryland, extended the statute of limitations to 20 years after the age of majority, but makes it much more difficult to implicate a church or civic organization in a child sex abuse civil suit after the plaintiff turns 25. We are simply unable to perform what some people are demanding., The SGC leaders also wrote that Sovereign Grace has a detailed, well-defined polity with clear avenues to pursue biblical justice, saying that an outside investigation would set aside the biblical principles underlying all these polity provisions and structures and submit all our churches and their leaderships to the processes and judgment of a single, functionally unaccountable organization or individual, who would be empowered to pass judgment on every SGC church without recourse., Back in 2013, faced with the lawsuit, SGM took a First Amendment defense, saying courts shouldnt second guess pastoral guidance.. To put it simply: Sovereign Grace Churches (SGC; formerly Sovereign Grace Ministries) and its individual churches and leaders, present and former, who have been accused of failing to adequately respond to past incidents of child and sexual abuse should submit to a thorough, truly independent investigation. Mayo testified that her husband was one of the accused in the Sovereign Grace lawsuit and that "she and her husband had experienced the nightmare of false accusations." A few qualifications are in order. "[25] Other notable charismatic figures, such as Lou Engle, founder of The Call prayer concerts, and Ch Ahn, pastor of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, CA, also ceased to be formally associated with PDI during this period. The allegations against CLC co-founder Larry Tomczak bring to mind his bizarrely titled 1982 book God , But Denhollander argues that the resulting Thaler-Liebeler report: was conducted by a firm and an attorney with no known or recorded experience in criminal law or investigative work. Rather, the firm specialized in various forms of business litigation and business law, as did the attorney hired to investigate, Mr. Liebeler. Antonio Santarsiero / EyeEm / Getty Images. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. In the initial months, the accused were labeled child sex offenders and the story of the abuse, truth be damned, was aggressively promoted in news, radio and social media. SGC has also posted its full statement regarding this editorial.]. Rachael Denhollander: Will Sovereign Grace Take the Ravi Scandal to Heart? Second, if there are credible claims of sexual misconduct within a ministry, it is usually the tip of the iceberg.. The current statute gives survivors sufficient time for litigation, and a lifetime to bring charges to criminal court. Child sex abuse in the Catholic Church is now widely knownSpotlight, a film about the Boston Globe journalists who documented the massive child molestation scandal and cover-up in the Catholic Church, is up for Best Picture at this years Oscarsbut similar abuses in evangelical communities have not received the same public scrutiny. Image: A subsequent examination of the case, conducted by an independent investigator, found that the allegations of child sex abuse detailed in the lawsuit "likely never happened at all" (except for the two which had been promptly reported and prosecuted several decades earlier). In 1982, shortly after planting a church in Cleveland, Mahaney, Tomczak and Detweiler formed People of Destiny International as an umbrella organization for their various ministries. In her Feb.12 statement, Denhollander listed three SGC churches that have sent letters calling on SGC leaders to conduct an investigation. Mahaney are still revered, still headlining conferences, and still running churches, with powerful evangelical allies on their side. The truth of sin that leads to repentance is one of the most glorious moments in our life in Christ. He was in the hospital because his back was so bad he couldn't walk. However, its history of being fired or not rehired by some ministriesas well as Tchividjians past public statements on SGM, which SGC says have prejudged and publicly indicted the ministrycould make a church understandably balk. Ennis said, during her Senate Committee testimony, that she was in favor of extending the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, but that the proposed 2016 bill, SB 69, did not have "enough teeth" to prevent lawsuits based on false accusations against individuals or organizations. On May 14, a second amendment was filed to the suit: [The suit] adds three new plaintiffs, making a total of 11. At the same time, if the many charges prove to be true to a larger extent than they currently acknowledge, it would be sad and troublingbut not without hope if it leads to truth-telling and repentance. Denhollanders fourth and final point was that expert investigations should not be feared, but welcomed. She said. The actual victim did not participate in that lawsuit. Yes, we have been the target of misinformed critique in both the secular and Christian media, and more will likely come, he stated. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Stanley shares some insights from her investigation with TIME. Last year, she called the SGC saga one of the worst, if not the worst, instances of evangelical cover-up of sexual abuse and has since detailed objections to their previous investigations and defenses. WebMaryland's Court of Special Appeals has dismissed a case which alleged that leaders of Sovereign Grace Ministries had attempted to cover up a sex abuse scandal at the In many cases alleged perpetrators or those who covered up, are still in leadership. ", Mayo said, at the close of her Senate Committee testimony, "I was burned by sexual abuse in the early 70s; were being burned by the false accusation of it now. Covenant Life Church former pastor Grant Layman admitted on Tuesday while testifying about allegations against Nathaniel Morales that he withheld incriminating information from the police about the abuse. Its time for healing to begin. The actual teacher was the accuser's own mother. What Happens Now? [9][10] Besides the North American congregations, there are also congregations in Australia, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Great Britain, Germany and Mexico. When the denomination came under scrutiny in 2019 following revelations of abuse within the. We call for this on behalf of potential victims who may have yet to be heard. Most importantly, as far as were able to discern, we believe this course, the theological capitulation it would represent, and the precedent it would set, would ultimately dishonor Christ and harm the cause of the gospel. [65], In a different case in 2014, Nathaniel Morales, a youth mentor at Covenant Life Church, who "led youth bible studies, directed worship teams, and even attended sleepovers,"[66] was convicted of abusing four boys between 1983 and 1991. As Denhollander and other experts have noted. Search firm Vanderbloemen reviewed texts, emails, and videos but did not talk to former staffer who made accusations against Andy Wood. The plaintiffs claimed that Its extremely difficult to respond to false accusations without appearing unsympathetic to victims of abuse. (CTs sister publication, Church Law & Tax, also offers resources to help churches reduce the risk.). Indeed, Covenant Life Church (which left SGM in 2012 amid the allegations) did commission an independent investigation to look into how sexual abuse reports were handled at its church. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital In this case, it is not a tough call at all. Virginia. So many of the leaders applauding the step RZIM took today, were silent in urging that this step be taken, and remain silent regarding an organization still co-laboring alongside them or in their communities, wrote Denhollander in a, Denhollander was referring to the independent investigation Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (, ) commissioned in September of last year. Every institution that desires to pursue truth and accountability must sift through these questions, and numerous Christian experts are available to help properly exegete Biblical standards of justice and accountability, she wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. TIME: How did you decide to investigate the sexual abuse in Sovereign Grace Ministries? Underpinning much of these teachings is a patriarchal understanding of Christianity, where men are in charge. Most importantly, as far as were able to discern, we believe this course, the theological capitulation it would represent, and the precedent it would set, would ultimately dishonor Christ and harm the cause of the gospel.. Or who earnestly felt, as a matter of religious freedom, that secular authorities and courts shouldnt second-guess pastoral counseling decisions. What challenges did you face getting the reporting? That puts this proposal squarely in the category of more-harm-than-good.". Fourth, we recognize and applaud the steps Sovereign Grace and its churches have taken since this controversy first erupted. By March, 2013 approximately 20 churches had left Sovereign Grace Ministries. For the church? January 2013: A First Amended Complaint is filed, adding five more plaintiffs alleging abuse and adding CLC and other defendants. As of January 2018, two years later, no new lawsuit has been filed. "[38], In January 2015, Joshua Harris, leader of SGM's former flagship church, Covenant Life Church resigned as lead pastor, saying he planned to attend Seminary to pursue more formal education and connection to other branches of Christianity. The investigations findings, which were published Feb. 9, revealed that the initial allegations, shocking as they were, pale in comparison to Zacharias actual proficiency as a sexual predator. R. Albert Mohler Jr., a leading evangelical and Christian conservative, said for the first time that he regrets his embrace of C.J. Al Mohler, a leading figure in the Southern Baptist church, is publicly apologizing for supporting C.J. It was a growing fellowship of 200 people but lacked the apostolic oversight for greater growth. According to Ennis, the lawsuit originally asked for $50 million in damages, but as the deposition and discovery process went on, "the plaintiffs tried hard to settle out of court for a much lower sum". Ennis went on to testify that an "extensive and undoubtedly expensive" investigation was conducted by the Montgomery County Police Department but no charges were ever filed. We have no authority over those churches, no right to their pastoral records, and no access to their internal reports or investigations, the leaders write. On July 6, 2011, Mahaney announced that he would be taking a leave of absence as a team reviewed charges brought against him of "pride, unentreatability, deceit, sinful judgment, and hypocrisy." [Basically, the two plaintiffs whose claims were not time-barred had sued in the wrong state and could refile in Virginia.]. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. If true, perhaps there are reasons these people werent contacted. Experiencing the Spirit The dynamic power of the Holy The experts I spoke to didnt say these statistics are worse in evangelical churches, but they did say that abusers could prey on trusting religious communities, which give them access to children. Addressing this issue is not damaging the Gospel, it is instead seeking to restore the Gospel and Christ to their rightful authority and priority over institutions and mishandled theology. Fast forward to January 31, 2018, when Rachael Denhollander, an attorney and advocate for victims of sexual abuse, was interviewed by Morgan Lee for Christianity Today. First, we have to be careful about harshly criticizing pastors who, in the 1980s and even into the 1990s, were confused and/or merely ignorant about the best way forward regarding such matters. Abstinence is too. In a perfect world, those power dynamics would not be abused, but as Christians teach: Were not living in a perfect world. Both Tomczak and Mahaney spoke at New Frontiers' Bible Weeks and Stoneleigh Conference. Jessica is a content editor for ChurchLeaders.com and the producer of The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast. At the same Senate hearing another individual, Terry Mayo, also testified. Again, we are deeply concerned about this matter in part because we want to make sure justice is done for all the alleged victims. We are as bewildered as anyone and simply dont have enough information to make a confident judgment on the matter. The case was dismissed by a lower court with prejudice since the statute of limitations for a civil suit in Maryland had passed. Third, said Denhollander, Failure to get expert help, or commissioning a poor investigation (as RZIM did in 2017) crushes and silences victims, and leaves abusers in power, while giving a false sense of security. In 2017. settled a lawsuit with a woman named Lori Anne Thompson, who said that Zacharias had used his spiritual authority to groom her for a sexual relationship. [14], In 1981, Brent Detweiler, pastor of Indiana Christian Fellowship in Indiana, Pennsylvania, asked Mahaney and Tomczak to provide oversight and accountability for his church. She went on: When you support an organization that has been embroiled in a horrific 30-year cover-up of sexual assault, you know what that communicates to the world and what it communicates to other enablers and abusers within your own church. A number of developments in the lawsuit against Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) have taken place since I first covered it for RD back in early March. So too the despicable acts carried out by Loftness and Ricucci. [36] The Indiana church, as mentioned above, was one of the charter members of SGM. During the hearing, Judge Burrell referred to an affidavit filed by Brent Detwiler supporting the claims of the plaintiffs as "vague and irrelevant". Books like I Kissed Dating Goodbye promote courtship. That means reporting suspected abuse to authorities immediately, instead of handling it internally. This brought her faith into prominence; so naturally, we at CT wanted to interview her. The decision followed multiple new allegations of sexual abuse against Zacharias (the first known accusation dates back to a lawsuit Zacharias settled in 2017). , says victims advocate Rachael Denhollander. 6) People withdrew from us, or fell silent. Given the prominence of Sovereign Grace, especially in Reformed evangelical circles, this puts the gospel we preach under a cloud. They are fully prepared to provide factual and ethical reasons why the church should be removed from the SBC Presidents list and to have its good name cleared of the public suspicion created by being placed on this list, the leadership team said. I had seen some local news reports about Sovereign Grace, and I approached Burke, asking if she would put me in touch with any of the plaintiffs she represented. "[30][31], Early in 2012, Sovereign Grace Ministries announced their intention to relocate their headquarters from Gaithersburg, Maryland to Louisville, Kentucky, citing Louisville's lower cost of living as well as the growing connection with the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in town. This does not mean we can verify every word Denhollander has written; only that she has so carefully documented so many of the disputed matters that we have concluded that this whole affair needs a fresh, independent investigation to clear the air. Some of these allegations confront abuse that is decades old. If I were a defendant, absolutely convinced of my innocence, I would be frustrated by this outcome, wrote TWW. SGC refused. The Catholic Church has been taken to task over abuse for decades now. This year, as evangelicals ramp up their response to abuse, top leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention have joined the scrutiny over Mahaney and his current congregation, SGC Louisville, which is also affiliated with the SBC. SGC, a network of 72 evangelical churches with headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, said the decision was made in consult with fellow pastors, Christian leaders, and attorneys. "And you didn't?" Subscribers receive full access to the archives. The following month RC Jr announced that Sovereign Grace Fellowship was a 501 (c) (3) church and donations are tax-deductible.2 Later he announced Sunday church services would begin in his Fort Ravi Zacharias Hid Hundreds of Pictures of Women, Abuse During Massages, and a Rape Allegation, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. Private devotion, community service, and entertainment arent what the local congregation is for. Mahaney's Sovereign Grace Ministries", "Up to 20 Churches Leaving SGM; Mahaney Response Compared to Watergate Scandal", "C. J. Mahaney, Joshua Harris Resign from Gospel Coalition after SGM Abuse Conviction", "Pastor Joshua Harris, an evangelical outlier, heads to mainstream seminary", "Transitioning to Sovereign Grace Churches", "What's Happening with Sovereign Grace Music", "Sovereign Grace Music | Biography & History", "Sovereign Grace Music | WeAreWorship USA", "Suit accuses Sovereign Grace Ministries of covering up alleged child sexual abuse", "Tennessee Pastor Accused of Abuse in Lawsuit", "Charismatic Leader Explains Corporal Punishment Abuse Charges", "Evangelical leaders stand by pastor accused of abuse cover-up", "Sovereign Grace Ministries, Class-Action Civil Lawsuit involving Child Sex Abuse", "sovereign-grace-sex-abuse-case-appeal-dismissed-by-marylands-court-of-special-appeals", "DOE v. SOVEREIGN GRACE MINISTRIES INC | FindLaw", "Maryland Judiciary Case Search Disclaimer", "dismissed with prejudice related claims - Bing", "Inside the Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse at Sovereign Grace Ministries", http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/970485/22706864/1368737527397/Doc+1+-+Original+Class+Action+Complaint+Oct+17+2012+1.pdf?token=BiBmeMyFBh6nTwPilyc0zvmfUJY%3D, "Maryland delegate's effort to allow child abuse lawsuits clears hurdle", "The Sex-Abuse Scandal That Devastated a Suburban Megachurch", "Nathaniel Morales trial: Victim Jeremy Cook testifies", "Nathaniel Morales of Covenant Life Church convicted of sexually abusing young boys", "Judge calls former church youth group leader Nathaniel Morales a 'cowardly pervert' before sentencing him to 40 years in prison", "Megachurch Pastor Confesses to Protecting Child Molester for Years", "Covenant Life Church pastors face scrutiny over ex-church member's abuse", "Sovereign Grace Ministries: Courts Shouldn't 'Second Guess' Pastoral Counseling of Sex Abuse Victims", Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America, Christian Reformed Church in North America, Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, Covenanting Association of Reformed and Presbyterian Churches, Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, Evangelical Assembly of Presbyterian Churches in America, Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches, Faith Presbytery, Bible Presbyterian Church, Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals, Free Presbyterian Church of North America, Free Presbyterian Church Synod of the United States, Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America, National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly, Reformed Presbyterian Church Hanover Presbytery, Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States, United Reformed Churches in North America, Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sovereign_Grace_Churches&oldid=1142030629, Christian organizations established in 1982, Evangelical denominations in North America, Reformed denominations in the United States, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from January 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, All Wikipedia articles needing clarification, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2013, Articles with self-published sources from July 2011, Articles that may contain original research from September 2016, All articles that may contain original research, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 03:55. 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