Articles for tag: Sexual Abuse

July 1, 2022

Tyler McKenzie

8 Ways Church Growth Has Reached an Idolatrous Level (Part 1)

8 Ways Church Growth Has Reached an Idolatrous Level (Part 1)

By Tyler McKenzie I love the church. That’s why I would like to suggest that pursuit of church growth by some leaders has reached an idolatrous level. Growth has become synonymous with health and success. It’s why we invest so many resources in the weekend gathering. It’s why we platform the leaders we do. Having led a large congregation for a decade now, I’ve experienced some of the lusts and obsessions in my own heart.   Growth shouldn’t be the main thing. Tim Keller wrote in “Leadership and Church Size Dynamics,” Out of necessity, the large church must use organizational

September 1, 2021

Jerry Harris

The ‘Independent’ Christian Church

As I write this in June, many have been seeing news stories coming from the Southern Baptist Convention. Just about all of the news has been less than flattering, and some of it has been scandalous. There have been stories connected to sexual abuse, a history of racism (and debate over critical race theory), leadership roles and speaking roles for women, and the list goes on. At the convention meeting, outgoing president J. D. Greear changed a gavel used to open and close ceremonies because the traditional gavel had been provided by an early SBC leader who was an outspoken

January 2, 2020

Halee Wood

Eternity with a Child Molester

By Halee Wood Hatred . . . Love. Despair . . . Hope. Rejection . . . Acceptance. Contradictory emotions filled me as I stood face-to-face with a child molester. Despite having been abused by a much older boyresulting in pregnancy and abortion by age 14God had provided me with a story of redemption that sparks emotion and hope, especially among those who share a similar history and for those living with a spouse who shares my experiences. When I share my testimony publicly, it is not uncommon for someone to discreetly wait around until the room is all but

October 20, 2015

Christian Standard

When the Leader Fails

By Alan Ahlgrim Integrity failures come in all shapes and sizes, and usually at the most inconvenient times, in the most surprising ways, and from the most unexpected directions. Based on my experience and what I”ve learned from others, here”s my advice for a church coping with a leader”s failure. Over the course of my ministry, here”s just a sample of what I”ve been faced with and forced to lead through. “¢ Confronting the chairman of the elders with his adultery with another visible church member. “¢ Navigating the confession of molestation, as a highly respected leader simultaneously admitted his sin

February 16, 2015

Christian Standard

Sex Offenders in the Church

By J. Robert Ross The minister at my church recently refused to allow Sam (not his real name), a convicted sex offender in my treatment program, to attend services at our church. I understood his fear, but I cannot agree with his decision to turn Sam away. I suspect his reaction, and the reaction of many others, is motivated by anxiety rooted in several misconceptions about sex offenders, their offenses, and their victims. A common misconception, aided and abetted by the media, puts all offenders in the same boat. Anyone convicted of a sex offense is automatically labeled a “sexual

February 2, 2015

Christian Standard

The Beauty of Sex

By Paul E. Boatman For me and most people I know, sex has always been a bit perplexing. Forming a solidly Christian perspective on sexuality seems an elusive goal.   “Sex is dirty. Save it for marriage.” This was how David Seamands once summarized the sex education he received in his Christian family. I recall a vivid moment as a 9-year-old sitting in church with some peers. Randomly skimming the Old Testament, I paused at the Song of Solomon. What I read went beyond stirring my preadolescent curiosity. Right there in the Bible I was reading about a distinctly “sexy” interaction

February 10, 2011

Christian Standard

Story of Abuse, Rescue Featured on “˜Oprah”

On Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey devoted her show to the story of Kathie and Kellie Henderson, sisters who were molested and abused by their father and brothers for years””and the family from Countryside Christian Church (Wichita, KS) who rescued them. Jim Vasey, an elder at Countryside and a member of the board of trustees at Ozark Christian College (Joplin, MO), and his wife, Shelly, lived in the same neighborhood as the girls but never suspected the abuse. When the sisters finally confided in them, the Vaseys contacted the police and walked with the girls through the difficult days that followed. Shelly

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