LEADERSHIP | ETHICS
Justice … or Reputation Management? Responding to sexual abuse allegations against church leaders By SAEHEE DURAN
30
Summer 2021
I
n February 2021, an investigative report verifying Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias had sexually abused multiple women shocked the evangelical world. When allegations first surfaced several years ago, Zacharias’ ministry associates, friends, and family members had rallied around him, insisting his victims were falsifying their accounts. Months after the popular minister died in May 2020, the truth finally came to light. Sexual harassment, abuse and misconduct can happen anywhere, including in the Church. The #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements shined a spotlight on this sad reality. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), 1 in 5 women experience rape or attempted rape in their lifetime, and 81% are sexually harassed or assaulted. So why are the voices of victims often dismissed
