Evangelicals need to focus on the sexual abuse epidemic in the church, not just Trump and drag queens

The epidemic of sexual abuse involving evangelical church leaders is hurting victims across the country. Worse yet, churches have too often covered up these abuses.

While the Evangelical Church is not a monolith and all churches should not be blamed for the failures of some, there is a pattern of abuse in many churches that goes back years or even decades.

I am an evangelical who has attended evangelical churches all my life. Before evangelical leaders say a word about the upcoming election, abortion policy, or drag queens, they must look at why and how this is happening – for the sake of victims and the health of the church.

Robert Morris steps down following harassment allegations

The latest example is Robert Morris, lead pastor of Gateway Church in Dallas, one of the largest congregations in the country. Morris, who stepped down Tuesday amid harassment allegations, admitted to “inappropriate sexual conduct with a young lady” that occurred decades ago.

Cindy Clemishire told a website exposing church sexual abuse that she was 12 and Morris was 21 when the pastor began sexually harassing her. Clemishire, now 54, claims the abuse lasted for almost five years.

Two weeks ago, the Gateway board of elders sent a memo to church staff, which was later sent to X, stating that Morris “has spoken openly and openly about the moral failure he suffered over 35 years ago.”

But in a statement released Tuesday, the elders backtracked, saying they “regret that we didn’t have the information we have now.” Morris, a former spiritual adviser to former President Donald Trump, resigned from the church the same day.

Evangelicals love Trump: Trump’s questionable morality is accepted by evangelical voters. I decided to ask why.

Abuse and cover-ups are rampant in evangelical churches

Morris is just one example in a litany of similar behaviors that are all too pervasive in evangelical churches. Evangelicals make up about 25% of the U.S. population and include Baptists, Lutherans, and members of other Protestant denominations.

Some of the larger evangelical congregations are non-denominational, meaning they operate outside the authority and responsibility of the larger organization.

And while it is unfair to destroy all churches because of the crimes of one megachurch pastor, there is a clear pattern of abusive and sometimes criminal behavior among pastors and other leaders in a growing list of evangelical congregations.

In February, Aaron Ivey, pastor at Austin Stone Community Church, an evangelical church in Austin, Texas, was fired because of explicit text messages sent to at least one underage male. Church leaders said in a statement that Ivey engaged in “predatory manipulation, sexual abuse and abuse of influence” with adult men and a minor male.

In May, the victim spoke out, claiming she was 15 when Ivey groomed and then molested her. Ivey and his wife co-authored a book about marriage.

In 2018, several women accused Bill Hybels, former lead pastor of Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago, of sexual harassment. The megachurch’s attendance, once 25,000 a week, has dropped to less than 18,000, according to ChurchLeaders.com.

The podcast “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” details the abusive and verbal behavior of then-Pastor Mark Driscoll, whose church at its peak numbered nearly 15,000. He is currently a pastor at a church in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Then there is the long-term abuse that has occurred within the Southern Baptist Convention, the second largest religious group in the United States. The SBC says there are about 47,000 churches affiliated with its denomination, with about 13 million members.

In 2019, the Houston Chroniclean and San Antonio Express-News published an investigation that uncovered an epidemic of SBC leaders committing and covering up sexual abuse. In 2022, an independent report by Guidepost Solutions found that SBC leaders ignored or blocked people who had experienced violence while maintaining a list of accused abusers (703 at the time).

According to the Guidepost report: “For nearly two decades, victims of abuse and other concerned Southern Baptists have contacted (the SBC leadership committee) to report child molesters and other abusers who served in the pulpit or were employed as church employees. They made phone calls, sent letters, sent emails, showed up at SBC and (leadership) meetings, held rallies, and contacted the press… only to be met each time with resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility.

When will evangelical churches take responsibility?

Fewer than 1 in 3 sexual assaults are reported in the United States. According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, the phenomenon of child sexual abuse is also significantly underestimated. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that abuse occurs in our churches much more often than we think.

Violence in religious settings is particularly disgusting. People come to an evangelical church for a variety of reasons, such as a need for support during difficult times, a desire for emotional or spiritual healing, or at the invitation of friends or family. They trust that the evangelical church community, including pastors and other leaders, is kind, trustworthy, and respectful, just like Jesus Christ, whom the church claims to follow.

Abuse, especially child sexual abuse, destroys this innate trust. And as the Catholic Church has experienced, abuse by a trusted religious leader is extremely damaging – emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

As with harassment that occurs in a variety of situations – whether at work, in an intimate partnership, or with a trusted pastor – it is not a matter of whether the woman (or man) “asked for it” or “agreed to it.” or not. or was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sexual abuse is not a relationship problem, it is the perpetrator’s problem. This is not random or based on “passion”; it is often calculated, occurs through deliberate grooming, and involves significant manipulation and deception. This is due to gross power dynamics and the perpetrator’s belief that he or she is entitled.

What is particularly shameful is that evangelical church leaders are speaking out about abortion policy, elections, and the LGBTQ+ community even as their congregations struggle with abuse. How can evangelical churches condemn drag queens when some of them are led by pastors who have sexually abused children?

Surgeon, whistleblower, criminal? A surgeon defrauded a Texas hospital for treating transgender children. He now faces federal charges.

This type of hypocrisy is part of the reason why so many young people have left or refused to join religious communities.

No man is sinless. Everyone sometimes struggles to do the right thing. Neither Jesus Christ nor the Christian faith requires perfection or a sinless life. That would be impossible. Forgiveness and renewal are the dogma of Christianity and Christ’s message to the world.

However, child sexual abuse is a crime and should permanently disqualify a person from leading a church. It’s so simple. When will evangelical churches stop hiding their leaders and do right by their victims?

Nicole Russell is a columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and receive it in your inbox.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How common is sexual abuse in the church? Evangelicals must face the truth