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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 18 auguSt 2018

Evangelicals confront sex abuse problems in #MeToo era

By DAVID CRARY sorry that our initial state-
AP National Writer ments were so insensitive,
As the Roman Catholic defensive, and reflexively
church struggles with a protective of Bill.”In the
new wave of clergy abuse Chicago case and others
cases, several prominent like it, the abuse was car-
evangelical institutions ried out by ministers who
have been rocked in re- wield tremendous influ-
cent weeks by their own ence over their congrega-
sexual misconduct alle- tions, leading to situations
gations against pastors where victims are silenced
and church leaders who and blamed themselves for
exploited the trust they the abuse.
had gained from faithful “The pastor is someone
churchgoers. who has authority, power,
In many ways, the phe- influence, and the victim
nomenon at evangelical usually is someone who
denominations is an off- doesn’t,” Tchividjian said.
shoot of the #MeToo move- “The abusers walk away in
ment, as evidenced by the great confidence that the
#ChurchToo hashtag ac- In this Tuesday, April 10, 2018 file photo, Willow Creek Community Church Senior Pastor Bill Hybels, victim will not speak out.”
companying accounts of sixth from left, and other church leaders pray before the congregation in South Barrington, Ill., The recent public disclo-
church-related abuse that where Hybels announced his early retirement effective immediately, amid a cloud of misconduct sures of abuse — and the
have been shared on Twit- allegations involving women in his congregation. unprecedented apologies
ter. The victims are coming Associated Press — result largely from vic-
forward to expose abuse in to understand, address by Catholic clergy in the Last week, sexual miscon- tims’ newfound willingness
the Protestant evangelical and confront these hor- U.S., including multiple al- duct allegations against to share their stories on so-
world where some say the rors,” said Boz Tchividjian, legations against Cardinal one of the country’s high- cial media in the #MeToo
misdeeds have been just as a grandson of evangelist Theodore McCarrick and a est-profile evangelicals, Bill era, said psychologist
pervasive, though less pub- Billy Graham who heads scathing grand jury report Hybels, led to wrenching Diane Langberg, an ex-
licized, as the acts commit- GRACE, a ministry working about rampant abuse in changes at Willow Creek pert on sexual abuse and
ted by Catholic clergy. to combat sexual abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses. Community Church, the other traumas occurring
“I really believe churches churches. However, the Catholic Chicago-area mega- in the context of Christian
need to enter into a sea- The turmoil in evangelical Church has been grap- church he founded. The churches.
son of lament, acknowl- ranks coincides with new pling publicly with its clergy church’s board of elders “Social media has given
edging decades of failure disclosures about abuse abuse problem for more and lead pastor, before them a place to go with
than two decades. For announcing plans to resign, their stories other than to
said they would form an those in power,” said Lang-
many American evangeli-
OFFICE SPACE cals, the #ChurchToo angst advisory council of Chris- berg, who runs a clinic near
“That
has
of recent weeks has been a tian leaders from across the Philadelphia.
opened a door for voic-
painfully new experience. U.S. to oversee an investi-
FOR RENT In late July, the Southern gation of the allegations es that have never been
Baptist Convention — the lodged by several women heard or welcomed. And
because there are so many
against Hybels.
largest Protestant denomi-
nation in the U.S. — an- Hybels retired in April af- who are coming forward, it
nounced plans to create ter some allegations were lends a greater credibility.”
a high-level study group to publicized, although at the Given the Southern Bap-
develop strategies for com- time the elders belittled tist Convention’s promi-
batting sexual abusers and the women who spoke up. nence, the work of its sex-
ministering to their victims. Announcement of the in- ual abuse study group over
The move followed a series dependent inquiry came the next year will be closely
of revelations about sexual a day after The New York watched, particularly by
misconduct cases involving Times quoted Hybels’ for- those who question the
Southern Baptist churches mer executive assistant, denomination’s insistence
and seminaries, including Pat Baranowksi, as say- on male leadership in the
allegations that led to the ing the pastor repeatedly home and the church. Un-
ouster of powerful leader groped and harassed her der SBC doctrine, a wife “is
Paige Patterson as presi- in the 1980s. to submit herself graciously
dent of a seminary in Texas. The elders, in a statement , to the servant leadership of
“Sexual assault and sexual apologized to Baranowski her husband.”
abuse are Satanic to the and the other women who Advocates for abuse vic-
core,” said the Rev. Rus- alleged abuse ranging tims are cautiously hope-
sell Moore, a high-ranking from suggestive comments ful that the SBC’s new
Southern Baptist Conven- to unwanted kissing and president, North Carolina
tion leader. “Churches hugging. megachurch pastor J.D.
should be the ones leading “The church should always Greear, is committed to
the way when it comes to follow in Jesus’ footsteps curtailing abuse, but they
protecting the vulnerable to help the wounded find want assurances that the
from predators.” healing, and we are sorry group will include experts
The issues have spread be- we added to your pain,” from outside the SBC, as
yond the Southern Baptists. the elders said. “We are well as abuse survivors.q