October 2, 2000
Ignoring clergy sexual abuse 'is not healthy'
___COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (ABP)--When churches or religious organizations ignore cases of clergy sexual misconduct or attempt to sweep things under the rug, they foster greater destruction, according to a Baptist ethicist.
___The typical reaction in cases of clergy sexual misconduct is to blame the victim and exonerate the pastor, noted Joe Trull, former ethics professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
___"It is not healthy. It is not right. And it is destructive to both," Trull said. "When an incident happens, the church has to deal with it in the most open, loving, caring way it can and be the love of Christ to the victim and family and the minister and family. If a church fails to do that, it is contradicting its own calling to act as the body of Christ."
___The proper response should include offering counseling to the victims, the ministers and the families of both, Trull added.
___Churches that refuse to hold their pastors accountable for sexual misconduct constitute one of the main hurdles to overcoming the problem, Trull said.
___The Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission is one agency working proactively to change many of these attitudes among Baptists. The moral-concerns agency has assembled a host of resources into a packet that churches can use to educate their staffs and members about the issue. The agency also recommends that churches be financially obligated to pay for whatever counseling is necessary.
___Trull believes a sexual code of ethics is a step in the right direction. The Baptist General Convention of Texas adopted such a code last fall, encouraging ministers to sign it and share it with their churches.
___"All ministers have a certain ego and enjoy being in the public eye," Trull said. "That trait allows them to be leaders, but it also makes them vulnerable. "
___Trull has characterized three types of perpetrators:
___ A predator has many serious internal psychological and emotional problems and uses his power to manipulate women who are susceptible to his charm. Predators believe they are above the law and always rationalize what they have done.
___ The wanderer does not seek out women but has emptiness in his life that he tries to fill with a woman who is also searching for happiness. Wanderers are typically redeemable because they acknowledge wrongdoing.
___ The lovers are an odd category, Trull said, because the pastor ends up falling in love with a church member. Even though some may disagree that such encounters are just unethical rather than abusive, the power role of the pastor still cannot be ignored.
___"We know it is a betrayal of sexual trust, but we tend to overlook the power trust," Trull said. "Prevention is in knowing the nature, the process and the power element."
___Trull believes ministers should set up certain safeguards and observe boundaries. Simple rules such as having doors with glass windows, always keeping the door unlocked with a policy that other ministers or assistants can walk in at any time and a policy of no hugs or handshakes except in public are ways to limit the opportunity for misconduct.
___A strong marriage and a close network of accountability are the best prevention, Trull believes. "Ministers also need to recognize when they get to a state where they could be vulnerable because anyone, given the right moment, can be vulnerable."
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