Christian Ethics Today

The Forbidden Zone The Nature and Prevalence of Clergy Sexual Abuse

CET

The Forbidden Zone The Nature and Prevalence of Clergy Sexual Abuse
The Scope of Clergy Sexual Abuse

The Nature of Clergy Sexual Abuse

 

[In 1998 the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas established a special committee to study the problem of clergy sexual abuse. The group discovered the problem was serious. The issues involved included education, counseling, local church assistance, convention policies, and financial assistance. This month the CLC will report to the BGCT a wide range of resources for churches, pastors, and family members of victims and perpetrators. Following are two of the pamphlets available (other pamphlets deal with "Impact" and "Responding to CSA"), as well as a "Covenant of Sexual Ethics." The Editor assisted the committee by preparing these educational materials.]

The sexual abuse of parishioners by clergy is a major ethical problem. No denomination has escaped the spotlight of scandal. One example, recorded by Marie Fortune, is the story of Peter Donovan, pastor of First Church, Newburg (actual names and places are changed). Six women lodged formal charges against the pastor. Donovan`s misconduct included sexual contact with counselees and employees, misuse of the pastoral office to manipulate members, verbal threats to intimidate victims, and rape.[i]

Incidents like this have become all too common. Numerous studies over the past decade support the research of pastoral counselor G. Lloyd Rediger, who contends that 10 percent of clergy are guilty of sexual malfeasance, and another 15 percent are approaching the line of misconduct.[ii]

In addition to the number of ministers involved, numerous persons are victimized by clergy sexual misconduct. Pastor Donovan at First Church Newburg abused as many as forty-five members. A growing number of survivors have organized to provide support for victims and to wage an aggressive battle against clergy sexual exploitation.[iii]

Through numerous interviews within his own profession, psychologist Peter Rutter has brought to light the power dynamic often at work in abusive relationships. In our culture the connection to power makes sexual misconduct mainly a male problem. Rutter asserts 96 percent of sexual exploitation by professionals is by a man in power who capitalizes on a woman`s trust.[iv]

Rutter also clarifies sexual abuse. He defines as "the forbidden zone" any sexual contact that occurs within the framework of a professional relationship of trust (such as a counselor or pastor). Thus clergy sexual misconduct includes any contact or action intended to arouse erotic interest, whether there is touching or not.[v]

Seminary professors Stanley Grenz and Roy Bell assert that sexual misconduct in the pastorate is a grave betrayal of trust that operates in two directions. "It is a violation of a sacred sexual trust, marring the beautiful picture God has given of the relationship of Christ and the church. And it is a violation of a power trust, abusing the privilege of the pastoral position with which the ordained leader has been endowed by the church and its Lord."[vi]

Sexual exploitation ordinarily occurs in an atmosphere of enforced silence. This silence is maintained not only by the participants but also by others who are unwilling to breach the dictated censorship. The director of an organization for survivors of clergy abuse writes that the initial response of church officials is to hush the victim and cover-up the sexual abuse, which continues unchecked for years.[vii] Rutter insists that this "code of silence" must be broken.[viii] A major step in breaking the silence about clergy sexual abuse is to understand the prevalence of the problem.

The Scope of Clergy Sexual Abuse

For years congregants and the wider community have assumed ministers are persons of integrity, worthy of respect and trust. Yet, from King David`s illicit affair with Bathsheba to Jim Bakker`s liaison with Jessica Hahn, the reputation of spiritual leaders has been tainted by sexual scandal. Most preachers begin their ministries with good intentions. Yet as they face sexual temptation, some succumb. When they fall, they land hard and injure others.

During the past decade the media has profiled case after case of ministers, priests, televangelists, and other religious leaders who were guilty of clergy sexual misconduct. Ethical failure in ministry has become so widespread that insurance companies are reevaluating their coverage of abuse cases, sometimes excluding coverage altogether.[ix]

Clergy sexual abuse is not new. The Old Testament records the story of the sons of the priest Eli, who misused their position to engage in sexual misconduct-"they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting" (1 Sam. 2:2). In the first century of Christianity, the apostle Paul warned church leaders about the dangers of sexual sin (1 Cor. 6:9-16; Eph. 5:3; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Tim. 3:2). Early church leaders such as Jerome, Tertullian and Augustine instructed pastors about sexual misbehavior.

Today the situation is especially acute for Roman Catholics, who have lost almost one-fourth of their active priests due to sexual and marital reasons.[x] Protestants are not immune. One denominational study reported "clergy were sexually exploiting their parishioners at twice the rate of secular therapists."[xi]

Present research indicates the incidence of sexual abuse by clergy has reached "horrific proportions." Two seminal studies in 1984 reported 12 and 12.7 percent of ministers had engaged in sexual intercourse with members, and 37 and 39 percent had acknowledged sexually inappropriate behavior. More recent surveys by religious journals and research institutes support these figures. The disturbing aspect of all research is that the rate of incidence for clergy exceeds the client-professional rate for both physicians and psychologists.[xii] Often the clergy sexual offender is guilty of multiple transgressions. In one case reported by Newsweek, while seducing one woman her minister boasted of having slept with thirty others.[xiii]

Along with an increasing number of allegations, reports of clergy sexual abuse involve broad areas of misconduct: long-standing affairs, homosexual liaisons, abuse of children, seduction of youth, inappropriate touching, and verbal and non-verbal sexual innuendos. Rediger identified six specifics of sexual malfeasance:

The Nature of Clergy Sexual Abuse

After we grasp the scope of the problem, a second necessary step is to understand the nature of clergy sexual misconduct. When a male minister exploits his privileged position for personal sexual satisfaction–whether seemingly innocent innuendos, obnoxious harassment, or actual contact–he has strayed into the "forbidden zone."

Clergy sexual misconduct is a violation of the integrity of the pastoral office, a betrayal of ordination vows. Regardless of how it happens, it is a betrayal of trust between pastor and people, which involves both an abuse of sexuality and an abuse of power.[xv]

Betrayal of Sexual Trust. The Christian ethic proposes that God has placed boundaries for sexual expression, which reveal and support its intended meaning. Only within the context of heterosexual marriage can sexual intercourse express the proper intent of the sex act: unconditional, covenantal love. Sexual expression is meant to be both the symbol of mutual commitment and the celebration of the "one flesh" marital relationship (Mt. 19:4-6).

When the sex act is practiced outside the context of marriage, it also carries meaning, but not the one God intends. Extramarital sex relations lack unconditional commitment, and all too easily become an expression of self-gratification, exploitation, and infidelity. Outside the boundaries of the marriage covenant, sex relations actually work to deny the intended meaning of the act–sexual intercourse becomes bonding without permanency, a non-binding covenant, and a false declaration about the depth of the relationship.[xvi]

For the married pastor, the basic commitment is to marital fidelity. For the single minister, sexual faithfulness begins with an equally important commitment to sexual abstinence before marriage. Some have tried to put a positive face on certain extramarital sexual activities, but any intentional sexual contact beyond the boundaries of marriage violates the marital bond and constitutes adultery (Mt. 5:27-28).

Thus, sexual misconduct by clergy is a distortion of human sexuality–a betrayal of sexual trust. For an offending pastor, whether single or married, the betrayal is a violation of God`s intention.

Betrayal of Power Trust. Every act of clergy indiscretion also is a betrayal of trust in the use of power. One writer asserts the problem "is less about sex and more about power. It has less to do with sexual misconduct such as adultery, and more to do with exploiting one`s professional position for personal gain."[xvii] Only when the power aspect is accepted, writes Pamela Cooper-White, can the church stop engaging in denial and collusion and become a place of authentic power and healing.[xviii]

Every minister is a symbol of religious authority. By virtue of the pastoral office, the minister interprets religious truth, the meaning of life, the way of faith, and even the reality of God. Add to that status the power of the pastor`s presence through ministry, and you realize the special influence a minister holds among his congregants.

For example, in pastoral counseling a female member brings into the relationship her intimate, wounded, vulnerable, or undeveloped parts, which the minister holds in trust. Often the problems are closely tied to her sexuality. Whatever the cause of her wounds, she comes to her minister seeking acceptance, self-worth, and emotional support. Ultimately she seeks healing.

A special bond of trust develops between her and her pastor, which may lead to more openness and more vulnerability. Peter Rutter notes that even a woman with a firm sense of sexual boundaries often stops guarding them in order that her inner self may be seen and known by this healer.[xix] Motivated by his own needs, a minister easily may move this relationship into the sexual sphere, seeking his own "healing." Whatever the motive, through sexual contact a pastoral counselor has exploited a congregant`s vulnerability, violated her trust, and met his own needs at her expense. Lebacqz and Barton conclude, this sexual contact "revictimizes her, repeating patterns from her past, and keeps her from recognizing and claiming her own strength apart from a man."[xx]

While this scenario describes the typical situation in clergy sexual abuse, what about the congregant-initiated sexual contact? Or what if the sexual affair is by mutual consent? Most male ministers have encountered seductive behavior in unstable members, and the story of a colleague who has left his spouse because of a sexual involvement with a congregant is not uncommon.

Recognizing these situations do occur, most authorities insist that any sexual contact between clergy and congregant involves an abuse of power. Whatever the circumstances, any sexual behavior by a man in power is inherently exploitive of a woman`s trust. Even a woman`s advance does not relieve the minister from his responsibility to maintain boundaries.

Types of Abusive Ministers

Clergy sexual misconduct takes many forms: voyeurism, exhibitionism, incest, child molestation, homosexual liaisons, and rape. Clergy sexual abuse usually begins with acts or statements intended to arouse erotic interest, sometimes including harassment. When pastoral power is used to manipulate a congregant to engage in sex relations, the results are devastating.

What type of minister becomes involved sexually with a church member? A Newsweek article provided a profile of the minister who strays. He is usually middle-aged, disillusioned with his calling, neglecting his own marriage, and a lone ranger who is isolated from his clerical colleagues. His failure commenced when he met a woman who needed him.[xxi]

There are many ways to classify abusers. Observers of clergy abuse list as many as seven profiles.[xxii] Marie Fortune has made a major distinction between predators and wanderers, to which may be added a third type, the lover.

The Predator is a person acting as God`s representative who actively seeks opportunities to abuse women sexually. Targeting his prey, the predator pretends to be a caring pastor, using his power and position to manipulate his victims. The pastoral predator is "manipulative, coercive, controlling, predatory, and sometimes violent. He may also be charming, bright, competent, and charismatic. He is attracted to powerlessness and vulnerability. He is not psychotic, but is usually sociopathic; that is, he has little or no sense of conscience about his offending behaviors. He usually will minimize, lie, and deny when confronted. For these offenders, the ministry presents an ideal opportunity for access to possible victims of all ages."[xxiii]

In contrast to the predator, the Wanderer is not violent, not premeditative in his sexual abuse, and generally less successful personally and professionally. Because he is a vulnerable and inadequate person, the wanderer easily becomes emotionally and sexually involved with a congregant or counselee. According to Fortune, the wanderer "has difficulty maintaining boundaries in relationships and attempts to meet private needs in public arenas."[xxiv] The catalyst for his sexual misbehavior is usually an equally needy woman who holds her minister in high regard, almost to the point of adoration.

The growing intimacy between pastor and parishioner usually culminates in an emotional moment when inhibitions are cast aside and the two engage in an episode of sexual intercourse. Once the passions have subsided, both begin to feel anxiety, shame, guilt, and a sense of betrayal. The two express regret and swear themselves to secrecy. Although things seem to return to normal, a trust has been violated and a shadow falls over their lives and relationships.

The Lover is another minister who enters the forbidden zone with a parishioner. This spiritual shepherd becomes infatuated with one of his flock. Though a sexual transgressor like the other two, he is motivated neither by the desire to conquer nor the need to overcome personal inadequacies. Whether single or married, the minister knows a sex relationship with a church member is wrong and tries to guard against inappropriate behavior.

Although there is no stereotypical perpetrator of clergy sexual abuse, the distinction between predator, wanderer, and lover is insightful. The predator offender moves from conquest to conquest, leaving a trail of victims. The wanderer minister yields to temptation in a moment of crisis and immediately feels remorse over his failure. The romantic minister is drawn to a church member when his passion convinces him he is in love.

Clergy sexual abuse raises many other important questions. What is its impact on victims and churches? How can sexual abuse be prevented? Is restoration possible for fallen ministers? How should churches and denominations respond? What are the legal implications? The ethical problem is many-sided. Understanding the issue is vital, but it is only the beginning.

ENDNOTES

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[i].Marie M. Fortune, Is Nothing Sacred? When Sex Invades the Pastoral Relationship (San Francisco, Harper & Row, 1989).

[ii].Cited in Joy Jordan-Lake, "Conduct Unbecoming a Preacher," Christianity Today, 10 February 1992, 26.

[iii].The Linkup (1412 W. Argyle #2, Chicago, IL 60640) conducts annual conferences and publishes a quarterly newsletter (Missing Link) in which news reports of "Black-Collar Crimes" are printed to identify clergy sexual abusers.

[iv].Peter Rutter, Sex in the Forbidden Zone: When Men in Power–Therapists, Doctors, Clergy, Teachers, and Others–Betray Women`s Trust (Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1986), 15-16.

[v].Ibid., 15.

[vi].Stanley J. Grenz & Roy D. Bell, Betrayal of Trust: Sexual Misconduct in the Pastorate (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 17.

[vii].Tom Economus, "Buzz -words that put victims over the edge!", Missing Link, Spring-Summer 1998, 1.

[viii].Rutter, 17.

[ix].Thomas S. Giles, "Coping with Sexual Misconduct in the Church, Christianity Today, 11 January 1993, 49.

[x].David Rice, Shattered Vows: Exodus from the Priesthood (Belfast: Blackstaff, 1990), 3.

[xi].Bob Harvey, "Sexual Harassment," 31 March 1992, A14, cited in Grenz & Bell, 22.

[xii].For a summary of the surveys see Joe E. Trull and James E. Carter, Ministerial Ethics (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1993, 80-81 and Grenz and Bell, 22-23. A research survey by Jeff Seat of Southern Baptist pastors (The Journal of Pastoral Care, Winter 1993, 364) revealed 14.1% engaged in "inappropriate sexual behavior" and 70.4% had knowledge of other ministers who have had sexual contact with a congregant.

[xiii].Newsweek, 28 August 1989, 49.

[xiv].G. Lloyd Rediger, "Clergy Moral Malfeasance," Church Management–The Clergy Journal, May/June 1991, 37-38.

[xv].Grenz & Bell, 62-106.

[xvi].Grenz & Bell, 81.

[xvii].John D. Vogelsang, "From Denial to Hope: A Systemic Response to Clergy Sexual Abuse," Journal of Religion and Health, Fall 1993, 197.

[xviii].Pamela Cooper-White, "Soul-Stealing: Power and Relations in Pastoral Sexual Abuse," The Christian Century, 20 February 1991, 199.

[xix].Rutter, 124.

[xx].Karen LeBacqz and Ron Barton, Sex in the Parish, (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1991), 124.

[xxi].Newsweek, 48.

[xxii].See Grenz & Bell`s list in footnote 4 on page 179.

[xxiii].Fortune, 47.

[xxiv].Ibid., 156.

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