It Can’t Happen Here || Helping the Church Deal with Issues of Sexual Assault

Psalms 82:3-4 “Defend the poor and fatherless, vindicate the afflicted and needy. Grant

escape to the abused and the destitute, pluck them out of the hand of the false.”

The concept of see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil has been around for centuries. While these principles can be great when controlling our thoughts, they actually have a negative connotation. These three ideas represent those who are willing to look the other way or turn a blind eye to misdoings. They completely go against everything we, as the body of Christ, are to do. But when it comes to issues of sexual assault and caring for its survivors, this can sometimes become the church’s mantra.

Let’s look at some statistics:

1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted

1 in 33 men are sexually assaulted

Every 73 seconds an American is sexually assaulted (statistics taken from nsrvc.org and rainn.org.)

While these are heavy statistics to begin with, it’s even more staggering when you consider that less that 25% of assaults are even reported. Without a doubt there are men and women who sit in your church every Sunday morning with this experience, and it’s not just a few. Over 20% of your congregation is dealing with this issue. If 20% of your congregation had a heart attack, or 20% went bankrupt, or 20% were facing suicide these topics would be important and central.

Many of us in ministry want to help, but we don’t know where to begin. The following are some considerations you should make as you begin to lead in this area.

1. Know your numbers.

Most pastor’s have never taken the time to run their church’s statistics on sexual assault. If you would figure what 20% of women attending equals plus 3% of men you will have a starting estimate of how many people in your congregation are walking down this road.

2. Begin integrating words like sexual assault, domestic abuse, child porn, and molestation into sermons whenever you are listing other sins or issues of the day. Attendees who hear these words from the pulpit will begin to understand that these are topics that can be addressed at church.

3. Be willing to learn.

There are several great books, podcast, and YouTube lectures that cover these issues well. The more comfortable you become with this topic the more comfortable your people will begin to feel about sharing from their past.

4. Gather some resources.

Don’t feel like you have to deal with this alone. Find a counselor or counseling center in your area that you can partner with when church members need in-depth counseling.

5. Support Christian ministries that work with those who have been sex-trafficked.

This allows the church to see the value you place on helping those who have been misused.

6. Recognize that predators are always looking for prey. Sexual predators often seek religious communities because they are very trusting and welcoming. Also, predators don’t often fit our perception of evil. They can easily look the part of a leading, upstanding, committed Christian. We have to be aware that there are some who seek to destroy the flock.

One blog post can’t address all the issues surrounding sexual abuse and the church, but it can be a starting place to help us serve the most vulnerable among us. For a more in-depth discussion checkout Josh Teis’ recent Idea Day Podcast on this issue.

Kimberly Coombes

setinsilver.org