Greater Grace Church vows to investigate handling of sexual abuse allegations, release findings

The East Baltimore megachurch, whose inappropriate handling of child sexual abuse allegations was recently the subject of a series of articles in the Baltimore Banner, pledged Sunday to hire a nationally recognized, independent firm to investigate its response to the cases — and publicly release the findings.

Pastor Robert Colban announced the plan from the pulpit, reading prepared remarks. He said Greater Grace World Outreach Church expects to select a company within the next few weeks and anticipates the work could take up to six months. He added that church leaders would not talk about the investigation once the review begins.

“We are committed to transparency regarding the findings and any work we need to do to ensure a safe environment for all of our families going forward,” he said. “We ask for your prayers for us during this process. And especially for those who have been victims of sexual abuse, that this process will be helpful in their healing.”

The developments come two days after dozens of people gathered to protest the church’s response to allegations of abuse. Survivors, their relatives, friends and supporters stood in silence for hours Friday outside the church’s tall black gates, holding signs with messages such as “Not in our city,” “We are no longer silent” and “Can you see us now?”

Last month, The Banner published a series of articles detailing claims by former church members who said they were sexually abused as children by men at Greater Grace. Survivors – and in many cases their parents – said high-ranking Greater Grace pastors failed to take the allegations seriously, downplaying them or pressuring survivors to forgive and move on.

In one case, a church leader even refused to read a hand-delivered letter detailing abuse allegations against a pastor. A few weeks ago, a church official refused to accept a letter describing The Banner’s findings when reporters visited the church seeking comment.

The Banner series chronicles the work of The Millstones, a group of former church members who investigated the hidden history of sexual abuse at Greater Grace. The group issued a statement Sunday saying it did not trust the church to keep its promise to investigate.

“Nothing the leaders of Greater Grace World Outreach say can undo the harm they have caused,” group members said. “They still have not taken responsibility for information that is already public, or for their ongoing pattern of victim blaming.”

Colban on Sunday called child sexual abuse “sinful, disgusting and reprehensible, period,” adding that he and other church staff members were outraged by the idea that parishioners were victims. Colban serves on the church’s board of trustees, the group that governs Greater Grace and sets its policies.

His empathetic tone marked a departure from two defensive sermons lead pastor Thomas Schaller delivered last week following the publication of The Banner series.

Schaller initially defended the church’s handling of allegations of child sexual abuse, saying it had been unfairly attacked. He claimed not to know some of the alleged victims or whether their claims were serious, angering many people who have publicly shared their stories. On Sunday, he again characterized The Banner’s recent reporting as “a couple of bad articles.”

However, the church also invited the faithful to share their thoughts on the series with high-ranking pastors and promised to answer their questions.

“In any setting or place where you would like to talk, whether one-on-one or in a group, we want to be completely available,” said Pastor Peter Taggart. “Let us know how we can help you.”