Last week, two U. S. news stories broke on sexual abuse: one addressing the sexual abuse of children connected to New Tribes Mission (Ethnos360) and one addressing sexual abuse of 700 people at the hands of Southern Baptist church leaders.
In this special episode of Strike the Match, Dr. Tate Cockrell is my guest. We spend time addressing several matters related to this topic. Where did the Church make mistakes along the way? What can agencies do to prevent sexual abuse? How can an organization develop a culture of accountability? What should an agency do whenever abuse becomes known? What is the place of church discipline? What is the relationship of legal matters to report and the nature of the Church as a redemptive community? While this is a topic some listeners will find very comfortable, it is one that the Church must address.
Dr. Cockrell may be found on Twitter @tatecockrell and Facebook.
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One consideration that needs to be added is that parents of abuse victims may be unwilling to report. They may have a desire to keep the abuse of their son or daughter a secret. Pastors can find themselves caught between legal requirements and a church member’s desire. Churches should help pastors by having a clearly stated policy on how they respond when an alleged abuse becomes known.
Thank you, Shannon, for sharing.