But their influence is widespreadas Stanley points out, Wayne Grudem, an evangelical theologian at Phoenix Seminary, once described Sovereign Grace Ministries as an example of the way churches ought to work., In response to the Washingtonian investigation, executive director of Sovereign Grace Churches Mark Prater pointed TIME to a lengthy statement he made in 2014 denying that Sovereign Grace leaders conspired to cover up sexual abuse. not knowing where to turn for independent investigations, With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal, Southern Baptist Convention Disfellowships Saddleback Church. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. On December 9, 2020 RC Sproul Jr incorporated SOVEREIGN GRACE FELLOWSHIP, INC. as a Domestic Nonprofit Corporation. 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. [51][55], The plaintiffs only asked the court to determine whether or not there had been a conspiracy to cover up abuse. Center in Louisville, Kentucky, became the focus of controversy when it invited Mahaney, the senior pastor at Sovereign Grace The Asbury Revival Is Over. Mahaney. Thats why churches need policies in place to protect children and handle abuse when it happens. Rachael Denhollander: Will Sovereign Grace Take the Ravi Scandal to Heart? We recognize the critical importance of treating child sexual abuse seriously and its victims with compassion. Daytona Beach's pastor Jesse Jarvis noted a leadership culture characterized by excessive authority and insufficient accountability as rationale for the church's departure. When the denomination came under scrutiny in 2019 following revelations of abuse within the. For nearly six years now, an open wound has been festering in the evangelical community. There is an institutional effort to protect against child abuse, the Child Safety Protection Network, but it does not do investigations. They know it may be too late to get justice for all of the Sovereign Grace plaintiffs, but they want the laws to change for future victims. SGC has also posted its full statement regarding this editorial.]. And this was a complicated story to unravel and tell. For those confused by the events of the last few years, here is a brief timeline based on one offered by SGCs former flagship, Covenant Life Church (CLC): October 2012: Accusers file an initial complaint with three plaintiffs, alleging that SGM and leaders in Maryland and Virginia covered up sexual abuse within two congregations. [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. WebSovereign Grace Church Midland, TX Website. Is justice possible? As reported in Time Magazine (February 2016), Susan Burke, the lawyer for the victims, plans to file another lawsuit in Virginia, involving the two individuals from that jurisdiction. The information may be privileged, as it would be with an attorney. Whats worse, these unseemly events reverberate outward, mixing with the #ChurchToo discussion and lingering anger over the Roman Catholic Church abuse scandal. Al Mohler, a leading figure in the Southern Baptist church, is publicly apologizing for supporting C.J. SGC refused. Some people I talked to say, yes, this is repression and it leads to abuse and acting out sexually. At one point, she was asked to leave a church because of the types of issues she was pursuing: The reason I lost my church was not specifically because I spoke up. The Thompsons signed an NDA at the time, and the executrix of Zacharias estate has yet to release them from it. What does a young boy think if a male church member sexually assaults him? Modesty is important. [58], All charges brought by the Maryland plaintiffs were dismissed by Maryland Circuit Judge Sharon Burrell, permanently barring plaintiffs from ever bringing those or related charges in Maryland civil court again at any time in the future. They were also friendly with Maranatha Campus Ministries for a period.[17]. It was because we were advocating for other victims of sexual assault within the evangelical community, crimes which had been perpetrated by people in the church and whose abuse had been enabled, very clearly, by prominent leaders in the evangelical community. Churches that advocate a conservative sexual ethic should address those messages. 2) Anonymous calls were made to business clients, threatening them for doing business with us. That being said, we call upon SGC to welcome an independent audit of how it has, in fact, processed charges when they have been brought to its attentionthis is precisely one of the points of contention. Experiencing the Spirit The dynamic power of the Holy from his role as President, or to "call into question his fitness for gospel ministry. On March 8, 2016, two individuals testified before the Maryland State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee regarding the Sovereign Grace Ministries lawsuit. Urging for the right things in our own community, before the facade is unmasked, is costly. 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. WebIn 2014, a civil lawsuit against Covenant Life Church and Sovereign Grace Ministries alleging a cover-up of child sexual abuse was dismissed in Maryland. That was a first for me. For many years, PDI did not adopt existing churches, but later altered its policy. Mahaney, the former head of Sovereign Grace Ministries. Ennis testified before the Maryland Senate Committee that no one had testified during the Morales trial that the church had advised them not to report. Magazines, an expos of long-buried sexual abuse of children, The Sex Scandal that Devastated a Suburban Megachurch, Or create a free account to access more articles, Inside the Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse at Sovereign Grace Ministries. Defense Attorney #1 affirms the seriousness of the allegations and notes that they were tough to read. He states that we have not yet gotten to the merits of these allegations, some going as far back as 1982, but if the case were to proceed and we did get to the merits, they would, however, be vigorously contested. While there is a specific process by which a charge may be submitted against an elder by any current or former SGC church member, SGC leadership has no authority to mandate an investigation by an outside authority upon all of our churches. "[42], In December 2014, executive director Mark Prater announced that the group's name would change to "Sovereign Grace Churches", to reflect its newly changed structure. WebHarris was lead pastor of Covenant Life Church, the founding church of Sovereign Grace Ministries, in Gaithersburg, Maryland from 2004 until 2015. Later in 2012, the movement's former flagship, Covenant Life Church, departed from SGM, a decision supported by an overwhelming 93%[34] of voting members. Web12914 Shelbyville Rd Louisville, KY 40243 Sovereign Grace In this case, however, the facts being questioned and the witnesses being marshaled do indeed suggest that there are crucial questions that need to be answered if there is to be healing and closure. , says victims advocate Rachael Denhollander. Every Sunday, hundreds of families participate in our church services and entrust their children to the care of our staff and volunteers. June 14, 2013: While the motion for reconsideration is still pending, plaintiffs file an appeal with the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. 5) An un-accused spouse was laid off and later denied another job. 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.. Joshua Harris, who was Mahaneys successor and proteg and who has since renounced his faith, implied in an interview with The Washington Post that concerns over SGC leaders handling of sexual abuse allegations contributed to him stepping away from the church. "[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. 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. Of the many matters of concern, Denhollander says that Liebeler did not contact most of those raising allegations, nor witnesses on behalf of those making allegations. Statutes of limitationswhich put time limits on when you can file charges or suecan be an issue for victims. Given the substantial nature of the accusations, given the prominence of SGC and Covenant Life Church, given the aborted court case on procedural grounds, given the crucial questions left hanging in the air, a new independent investigation is in order for all those churches that have been involved in these events over the years. . Why Pastors Are Stepping Down", "C.J. Ennis testified only about the Maryland plaintiffs. So while we may deeply regret the failure to report something that happened in 1984and rightly acknowledge it as damaging to victim and communitywe have to take into account this reality. [We encourage readers to read both SGCs latest defense and Denhollanders Facebook rejoinder in full, from which the quotes above and below have been taken. Rev. Denhollander also responded to several reasons SGC has cited for not conducting an independent investigation, among them that 1) such an investigation implies at the outset that the SGC is guilty and 2) such an investigation would violate church autonomy. But we also see this as an opportunity for SGC to become a positive example for the rest of the evangelical community. The original apostolic team comprised Mahaney, Tomczak, Detweiler and Bill Galbraith. The Christianity Today article publicly mischaracterizes Sovereign Grace and C. J. based on accusations of which Rachael had no involvement and which are not true and have never been true. In "The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought" published in 1995,[18] Alister McGrath associated PDI with the Shepherding Movement and described it as having "informal links with Bryn Jones," the UK house church leader. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. GRACE certainly is a leader in the field and has expertise, having done high-profile investigations such as Bob Jones University (BJU). To this end, SGC has taken specific steps in recent years to better understand and address the risk of child sexual abuse. To unlock this article for your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. 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. How does the legal system currently help or hurt victims of child sex abuse? A 2012 class-action suit was filed against Perhaps SGMs reporting process was indeed followed more times than not. The, , 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. They did the same with the crimes committed by Suzanne against her sister, Shannon. Pastors are not mandatory reporters in the State of Maryland. A pastor who was at one time a close adviser to Mahaney recently compared the behavior by the SGM's leadership team, including that of Mahaney, during the fallout after the controversy, to that of President Nixon and his staff during the Watergate scandal of the early '70s. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? 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. TIME: How did you decide to investigate the sexual abuse in Sovereign Grace Ministries? [40] British restorationist leader Terry Virgo states that Larry Tomczak and C. J. Mahaney, leaders at the time, had become "increasingly uncomfortable" with the "People of Destiny International" name, and it was shortened to "PDI Ministries". That puts this proposal squarely in the category of more-harm-than-good.". 7) Questions harassed us: Could we lose everything financing a defense? A team arrived in April of 1981 of 11 people, including Tomczak and family. If this is true, it raises many questions. His accuser was plaintiff Heather Thompson Bryant. 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. 2. [69][70], In November 2013, SGM issued a statement saying that, years after pastoral counsel was sought, "allowing courts to second guess pastoral guidance would represent a blow to the First Amendment. On March 1, 2018, Denhollander issued a reply of her own. August 8, 2013: Motion to reconsider denied by the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. A few qualifications are in order. [5] It has variously been described as a family of churches,[6] a denomination,[7] and an apostolic network. Sadly, these leaders and institutions also remain resistant to outside accountability or input. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Evangelical churches are plagued with serious problems related to how we respond to and counsel victims of sexual assault. to launch an independent investigation into the claims of sexual abuse. What Happens Now? We will continue to work hard to ensure our church is a place of safety for children and a place of healing for victims.. Unlike the hierarchical Catholic Church, evangelical churches often function independently. 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. Search firm Vanderbloemen reviewed texts, emails, and videos but did not talk to former staffer who made accusations against Andy Wood. Because many churches are ideologically committed to the theories that lead them to handle abuse so poorly, many church leaders are very sincere, yet sincerely wrong. No One Knows. The sad reality is that sexual abuse is widespread everywhere, not just in religious communities. [12] Tomczak co-founded the church with C. J. 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. And precisely for that reason, SGC has an opportunity to set an example for all evangelical churches that are facingor, sad to say, will one day have to facesimilar controversy. Magazines, Digital But Maryland limits when you can sue over child sexual abuse; you can be no older than 25. And these lessons emphasize the importance of what she has been requesting for some time: an independent investigation into Sovereign Grace Churches. Ennis testified that, "A third plaintiff eventually withdrew her allegations, admitting they were false.". I can understand that pastoral confidentiality is important, and so are religious freedom considerations. As The Wartburg Watch (a watchdog website critical of SGM) put it at the time: Even one of the defense attorneys allegedly acknowledged the seriousness of the complaints. In 2013, in a lawsuit against our church, a woman accused my husband and three others of molesting her twenty-five years earlier. On February 13, SGC followed up with a 2,800-word defense/explanation of many of the charges swirling around this case, and noted: The decisions of Rachael and others to publicly pronounce SGC and its pastors guilty of sexual abuse and conspiracy, on the basis of false allegations and with no direct knowledge of SGCs history or the facts, have profoundly damaged the reputations and gospel ministries of innocent pastors and churches. After eighteen months, an independent investigator concluded her accusations likely never happened. [67][68] "Between 1990 and 2007 at least five members of the churchs staff were told of Moraless abuse. Some of the parents, like Pam Palmer and Sarah and Richard, have become activists around these issues. In a statement released this week, SGC declared that there hasnt been enough credible evidence against its leaders or churches to necessitate an investigation and that an outside query would violate the churchs ecclesiastical accountability structure. Fifth, we acknowledge that a primary challenge churches face is not knowing where to turn for independent investigations. 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. The actual victim did not participate in that lawsuit. Covenant Life and another church in Virginia where the cases of abuse from the dismissed lawsuit allegedly took place are no longer in the SGC network. When a pastor, staff member or volunteer has reason to believe a child is the victim of abuse or neglect, our policy requires those individuals to report it immediately to civil authorities, he said. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. Many now wonder if there has been a habit of covering up and denying child and sexual abuse in evangelical churches in generalif there is something in the evangelical DNA that makes us hesitant to deal with accusations quickly, openly, and truthfully when there is the suspicion of grave sin in our midst. An independent review by a qualified firm requires higher, not lower, standards than the less-defined and basic standards set out in Scripture., (Mohler stated that Denhollander had fundamentally changed his understand of the Sovereign Grace situation. By March, 2013 approximately 20 churches had left Sovereign Grace Ministries. As Denhollander and other experts have noted. , one of the churchs founders, was one of the church leaders cited in a 2012 lawsuit as allegedly covering up sexual abuse for years. 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 [35] Additionally, the Sovereign Grace churches in Indiana and Altoona, PA, Sarasota and Daytona Beach, FL and Charlottesville, VA cut ties with the movement during this period. 2023 ChurchLeaders.com, All rights reserved. Pam Palmer, who organized the lawsuit and is also the mother of plaintiff Renee Palmer Gamby, was present and testified at the March 8, 2016 Maryland Senate Committee Hearing in favor of SB 69. And as I found out in my reporting, civil lawsuits arent just about the money. She didn't remember the alleged abuses before her thirties, and then believed she was recovering lost memories. Above all, I think many of the families want Sovereign Grace to acknowledge publicly that mistakes were made. 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. Abstinence is too. Mahaney announced "that he would step down as president of SGM's beleaguered network of churches. Her reporting was subsidized in part by a Fund for Investigative Journalism grant. 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. Montgomery County police investigated and filed no charges. Yes, we have been the target of misinformed critique in both the secular and Christian media, and more will likely come, he stated. for less than $4.25/month. Mike Winger Discusses When God Hardened Pharaohs Heart, Tennessee Church Showcases Tyre Nichols Photography, Louisiana Pastor Sentenced to 5 Years in Money Laundering Case Involving Nearly $900K in Stolen Funds, Steven Curtis Chapman First Contemporary Christian Artist To Earn 50th No. "I believe so," he replied. If I were a defendant, absolutely convinced of my innocence, I would be frustrated by this outcome, wrote TWW. In many cases alleged perpetrators or those who covered up, are still in leadership. 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. North Coast Church formerly called Crossroads Christian Community was founded in 1980. that concerns over SGC leaders handling of sexual abuse allegations contributed to him stepping away from the church. Can Bubble Tea Bring Gen Z into the Chinese Church? Mahaney, Sex Abuse, Failure to Report, Statute of Limitations, Sovereign Grace Ministries, Lawsuit, Pedophiles, T4G The Washingtonian released a new article after spending many months investigating Sovereign Grace Ministries, CJ Mahaney, and the many cases of alleged sex abuse named in the lawsuit brought on by victims (named But in these types of cases, which deal with minors and abuse, some court files are sealed, which is another obstacle. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! Layman was not on trial and was not given an opportunity to clarify his remarks in court. Books like I Kissed Dating Goodbye promote courtship. Anyone familiar with sexual assault, institutional dynamics, or simply the process for independent investigations, would immediately recognize that this type of firm is not in any way the type of firm normally retained for such endeavors, and that the skill set and expertise necessary for this type of investigation, simply was not present. 6) People withdrew from us, or fell silent. But that didn't spare us from a witch hunt. 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. [39], Sovereign Grace Churches was known as "People of Destiny International" until 1998. Rachael Denhollander, an attorney-advocate made famous through her testimony against gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, lives in Louisville and has researched the SGC case in detail. Im sure they wish it could all just go away too. Both Tomczak and Mahaney spoke at New Frontiers' Bible Weeks and Stoneleigh Conference. The lawsuit ended up being dismissed because of the statute of limitations. WebMahaney resigned from the presidency of Sovereign Grace Ministries in 2013 in order to plant Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. 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.. [51] Larry Tomczak, a co-founder of SGM, who left the organization in the late 1990s, was alleged to have abused and assaulted a child in the form of administering corporal punishment over a period of twenty-five years. WebAt Grace Community we sing about, celebrate, preach and endeavor to live in the good of that gospel (I Corinthians 15:3). Investigators found that the supposed ringleader teacher was not even at the school for the majority of that year. [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. Third, we are asking SGC to strongly encourage any churches and leaders in its orbit who remain under suspicion to seek an independent investigation, and for accused former SGM churches to agree to one as well. About 80 churches from the United States and around the world remained in the organization. As a result, the case was dismissed. This brought her faith into prominence; so naturally, we at CT wanted to interview her. Lawyer, former gymnast and #MeToo activist Rachael Denhollander has called the Sovereign Grace scandal one of the worst, if not the worst, instances of evangelical This step should still be taken. [13] Mahaney describes himself as a "former pothead. Predictably, the judge questioned her very legitimacy as a plaintiff. It also notes that since plaintiffs had failed to file a Third Amended Complaint, the case is closed. Maryland's highest civil court, the Court of Appeals, denied certiorari on September 24, 2014, permanently ending the case. (Of course, other religions are not immune from sexual abuse scandals either.). Down as president of SGM 's beleaguered Network of churches to protect children and handle abuse when it happens legitimacy... About 80 churches from the United States and around the world remained in the of. But we also see this as an opportunity for SGC to become a example! The Court of Appeals, denied certiorari on September 24, 2014, permanently the! Everything financing a defense were tough to read followed more times than not years now, an independent into... Pdi did not participate in that lawsuit Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee regarding the Sovereign Grace to acknowledge that! 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