Christian faith and its cover up of sexual abuse, by Boz Tchividjian

To be a shepherd in the body of Christ and blind to the knowledge that your sheep are being abused by wolves in your midst is to be an inattentive shepherd.

To be told that wolves are devouring our lambs and fail to protect those lambs is to be a shepherd who sides with the wolves who hinder those same little ones from coming to Jesus.

To judge merely by outward appearances is a failure of righteousness.

To fail to obey the laws of the land as Scripture commands by declining to report and expose abuse is to be a disobedient shepherd.

To fail to grasp the massive web of deception entangling an abuser and set him or her loose among the sheep is to be naive about the very nature and power of sin.

To be told a child is being or has been abused and to make excuses for failing to act is a diabolical misrepresentation of God.

To know a woman is being raped or battered in hidden places and silence her or send her back is to align with those who live as enemies of our God.

Protecting an institution or organization rather than a living, breathing lamb is to love ministry more than God and to value a human name or institution more than the peerless name of Jesus.

“If someone reports that he or she has been sexually abused, call authorities: police, child protection services, and other trusted adults in the community. Gather names of recommended therapists, and begin the hunt for the advice you need to nurture, comfort, and support this person. A gospel-centered response to child sexual abuse and the sexual violation of anyone at any age begins with understanding that silence is not an option.”- Mary Ellen Mann