When Male Clergy Sexually Abuse, Where does a Church Get Help

Christianity Today published an investigative piece that sadly reflects so much of the trouble in both the Catholic and Protestant branches. It explains how Protestant churches who experience accusations about a sexually abusive Pastor often hire outside consultants for conflict resolution. A popular one is a woman from St. Louis. But it turns out she is the problem, not the solution.

If you were a male church official and your male pastor was accused of sexually harassing women probably you would want the entire issue to go away. Why not hire a "reliable woman" someone might whisper to you? You would call Judy Dabler.

Judy will come in and tell everyone, "What we want to do here is get to the truth. Once we have done that all parties can deal with it and move on." According to people who were in churches who hired Judy she is very persuasive at telling people she will find the truth. Abused women especially were hopeful.

Judy listens to everyone's story. Slowly but surely she shifts the blame from the abusing preacher to the victim. The link discusses the devastated women left in her wake. She protects abusers and makes good money doing it. 

Christianity was not always a faith dominated by men. In past periods women held pastoral positions and were leaders. A few decades ago men pushed them out and some denominations, especially Catholics, remain a faith run by men for men. Branches of the Protestant evangelical right are also packed with male egos. 

On the surface, one would think a church would be a safe place to women and children. While sexual abuse is not the norm, it is too common to ignore. There seems no way to screen those who work in churches. Yes, sexual abuse occurs in many places. But where would one's guard and caution most likely be down? It's "the house of God." 

Even worse is that when "help is on the way" it may be instead the abuser's friend.