Child Sexual Abuse and the Church

The Washington Post reported on a lawsuit accusing past and current leaders of  Sovereign Grace Ministries, a network of evangelical churches, of covering up alleged child sexual abuse and forcing children to “forgive” abusers.

Another article by The Washington Post reports on a statement made by Sovereign Grace Ministries that claims that permitting courts to second-guess advice given by the church to those involved could “represent a blow to the First Amendment.”

Whether the allegations are found to be true or not, it is a sobering reminder of how critically important it is to protect our children and to have vigilant, effective policies within our churches. Below are some important resources.

Resources from G.R.A.C.E.

I serve on the board of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment). Their resource page has some helpful articles and videos:

• Suffer the Children: Developing Effective Church Policies on Child Maltreatment
• What Forgiveness Isn’t
• Sexual Abuse in Christian Organizations
• Sexual Abuse and Formation

Books

• Anna C. Salter, Predators, Pedophiles, Rapists, and Other Sex Offenders: Who They Are, How They Operate, and How Can We Protect Ourselves and Our Children
• Andrew J. Schmutzer, The Long Journey Home: Understanding and Ministering to the Sexually Abused
• Diane Langberg, On the Threshold of Hope
• Dan B. Allender, The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse
• Justin and Lindsey Holcomb, Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault