It’s no coincidence that widespread pastoral abuse has flourished in traditions with strongly patriarchal theology. How we know and name God deeply impacts who wields power within churches, and who is left voiceless.
This week a stunning investigative series was published in the Houston Chronicle about the history of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention. Over the past twenty years more than 200 church leaders in many different capacities have been convicted of sexual crimes. As the first article states the grim facts:
They left behind more than 700 victims, many of them shunned by their churches, left to themselves to rebuild their lives. Some were urged to forgive their abusers or to get abortions.
About 220 offenders have been convicted or took plea deals, and dozens of cases are pending. They were pastors. Ministers. Youth pastors. Sunday school teachers. Deacons. Church volunteers.
I have to be honest here, I have no use for the Southern Baptist denomination. It supported racial segregation, even during the Civil Rights movement. It purged moderate academics and leaders who didn't toe the line on biblical inerrancy beginning in the late 1970's. It has kicked out congregations which are LGBTQ welcoming.
A year ago one of the key figures in the purge and a revered leader was forced to resign after conceding he has counseled physically abused women to avoid divorce and to focus instead on praying for their violent husbands, and to “be submissive in every way that you can.”
The SBC stinks of patriarchal rot, including its long-standing refusal to address reforms to limit the kinds of abuses the Houston Chronicle cites. Many more innocent victims have suffered because of that refusal. It's pathetic that it took investigative journalism to get SBC leaders to now state that "there can simply be no ambiguity about the church's responsibility to protect the abused and be a safe place for the vulnerable."
There is an irony that conservative Protestant denominations often see the Roman Catholic church as less than Christian, yet as the Serene Jones quote above rightly points out, they have in common the patriarchal theology which allows abuse to flourish.
Does this mean that liberal or "progressive" churches are free of sexual crimes? Sadly, no. Yet we no longer make claims about what is essentially male domination as being some perverse expression of God's will. Through the years the United Church required that as a pastor I would attend events which addressed sexual abuse and I still have my copy of the document Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response Policy and Procedures. Nearly 30 years ago we were encouraged to read Marie Fortune's book Is Nothing Sacred, which I did. As it happens, representatives from ten denominations from across Southern Ontario, including the UCC, attended a one-day training event with the Rev. Dr. Fortune last month.
We realize that patriarchy and power have the potential to lead to sexual crimes in every sphere of life. Consider the revelations about coaches and trainers in sport in Canada this past week. Surely though, as followers of Christ we have an even higher call to rout out this evil and ensure that all God's children are respected, heard, and safe.
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