This week, another story broke about a pastor who sexually abused a church member. That sentence seems accurate almost every week. Ministerial sexual abuse in an unfortunate constant in 2019’s headlines.
As each story that breaks, the same responses multiply. Some, understandably, see such abuse as permanently disqualifying. A man who has used the office of pastor to manipulate one under his care for sexual pleasure may never fill the office again. Others question why these reports matter—especially when the abuse took place “so long ago.” Should what a man did as a 22-year-old pastor impact his eligibility to hold the office one, two, or three decades later?
At the heart of this question are two matters: the nature of sex and the nature of the church. Continue reading “Ministerial Sexual Abuse: High Treason in the Kingdom of God”
“We like to think of ourselves as the main character — the heroes — of our own stories. However, in the decade we’ve been married, I have had a growing realization that finally dawned in a Michigan courtroom in January 2018. I married the hero. At the end of the day, I’m Rachael’s sidekick — and I couldn’t be any prouder to wear that title.” 
