2 of 3

Gibson, who is associate professor of preaching and ministry at Gordon-Conwell, also feels the shame of others' actions. "It is plastered in our papers everywhere here."

Pastors of every denomination will face increased suspicion from their own parishioners, Gibson says. Now married, Gibson says his days as a single pastor would be much more difficult today. "People's suspicions could be heightened," he says. "Single pastors must be vigilant and people of integrity."

Bryan Wilkerson, senior pastor of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Mass., says disillusionment in the wake of the abuse scandals could significantly affect Protestant congregations. "We could see an increased number of people coming to us who are disenchanted with the Catholic church," he said. "At the same time, we are prepared for people pulling away even from us in fear and anger."

Evangelicals should not be quick to dismiss such anger, especially since the number of people hostile to organized religion may increase as a result of these scandals, says Wilkerson. "We cannot write them off as cranks, but let them talk and be heard."

Hammar says it's also crucial to listen to critics in the congregation. "These recent scandals have occurred because of an inadequate response to credible allegations of misconduct," he told Christianity Today. "The important lesson for Protestants and evangelicals is that the same kind of indifference pervades their own churches. It is common for church leaders to ignore credible allegations of misconduct." He quotes from Shakespeare's Timon of Athens: "Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy."

Wilkerson agrees. "In evangelical circles, agreements tend to be 'you go away quietly and it stays quiet.' It is done under the guise of being better off for everyone but it is harmful." Even when a leader's sin becomes public, he says, there can be a rush to offer a second chance. "When people are just reinstated after a moral problem without consequences, it sends the wrong message to young people."

Pastors and those who train them say it's important for everyone to be alert and watch for signs of abuse. "Listen to your gut," advises Wilkerson. "I have had it happen to me twice and my gut was right in both situations. It's a delicate matter, but you will kick yourself later."

The gut shouldn't act alone, says Swetland. "You can see how people relate to each other and sometimes it just doesn't look right," he told Christianity Today. "Not that we should be paranoid, but the Spirit gives us discernment, so we should follow our hunches if we sense something."

Swetland and others say just watching and listening isn't enough. Churches must actively screen Sunday school teachers, youth group leaders, and other workers. Hammar, legal counsel for the Assemblies of God, says even laity must apply Ronald Reagan's maxim during arms negotiations with the Soviet Union: "Trust, but verfiy." "The widely held conception among church leaders that 'the people will not tolerate screening' is simply no longer true. To the contrary, people expect it and want it. What parent would rather attend a church where youth workers are not screened?"

In fact, while volunteers often undergo far less scrutiny than paid staff, a 1996 report in Hammar's Church Law & Tax Report found that half of all sexual misconduct offenses in churches were committed by voluntary workers. Paid staff constituted only 30 percent of the cases, and the remaining 20 percent were committed by other children in the congregation. Hammar says proposed federal legislation will allow churches to directly access FBI criminal records on any volunteer worker for free.

next page... |  2 of 3

share this page

March (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46