Recent news headlines alert us to a disturbing trend: Bishop Eddie Long Accused of Sexual Abuse and Coercion of Minors, Women Say Convicted Ex-Pastor Matt Baker Made Advances, Rich Hawkins Accused in Sex Scandal, yet many lesser known but equally harmful scenarios exist throughout the world, ruining lives and destroying the faith of countless men and women.

But what’s at the root of these scandals, and how is it abuse?

According to a recent nationwide research study conducted by Baylor University, clergy sexual abuse and misconduct has been defined as,  “Ministers, Priests, Rabbis, or other clergypersons or religious leaders who make sexual advances or propositions to persons in the congregations they serve who are not their spouses or significant other”. 

Cultural factors such as “niceness” within church, ease of private communication between the pastor and his congregants, and assumed trust in the propriety of a religious sanctuary, allow pastoral sexual abuse to thrive with minimal detection. Outside

observers of such misconduct often dismiss the warning signs,

or doubt their own instincts when witnessing abusive behavior patterns.

When news of these scandals surface, the Christian Community further lacks a cognitive understanding of such abuse, often categorizing the incident as “an affair”, thus failing to recognize or address the core issues of spiritual abuse and abuse of power.  

What can we do?

First, we must acknowledge the sacred role of the office of Pastor, and the tremendous ethical, moral, and spiritual responsibility that comes with it.­­­­­­­ We must also regard our neighbors, those who sit with us in the church pew, as worthy of the respect and dignity that Christ himself would give them. Finally, we must educate ourselves as to what constitutes vulnerability and abuse and learn how to confront these issues, both before, and after a crisis.

Together, we can work to promote health and healing in our religious communities.

To read more about Baylor's Clergy Sexual Misconduct Study, please go here .


Photo courtesy of nuttakit