Posted on 06/15/2007 5:33:53 AM PDT by Between the Lines
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The three companies that insure the majority of Protestant churches in America say they typically receive upward of 260 reports each year of young people under 18 being sexually abused by clergy, church staff, volunteers or congregation members.
The figures released to The Associated Press offer a glimpse into what has long been an extremely difficult phenomenon to pin down — the frequency of sex abuse in Protestant congregations.
Religious groups and victims' supporters have been keenly interested in the figure ever since the Roman Catholic sex abuse crisis hit five years ago. The church has revealed that there have been 13,000 credible accusations against Catholic clerics since 1950.
Protestant numbers have been harder to come by and are sketchier because the denominations are less centralized than the Catholic church; indeed, many congregations are independent, which makes reporting even more difficult.
Some of the only numbers come from three insurance companies — Church Mutual Insurance Co., GuideOne Insurance Co. and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co.
Together, they insure 165,495 churches and worship centers for liability against child sex abuse and other sexual misconduct, mostly Protestant congregations but a few other faiths as well. They also insure more than 5,500 religious schools, camps and other organizations.
The companies represent a large chunk of all U.S. Protestant churches. There are about 224,000 in the U.S., according to the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, although that number excludes most historically black denominations and some other groups, which account for several thousand congregations.
Church Mutual, GuideOne and Brotherhood Mutual each provided statistics on sex abuse claims to The Associated Press, although they did not produce supporting documentation or a way to determine whether the reports were credible.
The largest company, Church Mutual, reported an average of about 100 sex abuse cases a year involving minors over the past decade. GuideOne, which has about half the clients of Church Mutual, said it has received an average of 160 reports of sex abuse against minors every year for the past two decades.
Brotherhood Mutual said it has received an average of 73 reports of child sex abuse and other sexual misconduct every year for the past 15 years. However, Brotherhood does not specify which victims are younger than 18 so it is impossible to accurately add that to the total cases.
Abuse reports don't always mean the accused was guilty, and they don't necessarily result in financial awards or settlements, the companies said. The reports include accusations against clergy, church staff and volunteers.
Even with hundreds of cases a year "that's a very small number. That probably doesn't even constitute half," said Gary Schoener, director of the Walk-In Counseling Center in Minneapolis, a consultant on hundreds of Protestant and Catholic clergy misconduct cases. "Sex abuse in any domain, including the church, is reported seldom. We know a small amount actually come forward."
Tom Farr, general counsel and senior vice president of claims for GuideOne, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, said most abuse cases are resolved privately in court-ordered mediation. Awards can range from millions of dollars down to paying for counseling for victims, he said.
One of the largest settlements to date in Protestant churches involved the case of former Lutheran minister Gerald Patrick Thomas Jr. in Texas, where a jury several years ago awarded the minister's victims nearly $37 million. Separate earlier settlements involving Thomas cost an additional $32 million.
When insurance companies first started getting reports of abuse from churches nearly two decades ago, the cases usually involved abuse that happened many years earlier. But over the past several years, the alleged abuse is more recent — which could reflect a greater awareness about reporting abuse, insurance companies said.
Insurance officials said the number of sex abuse cases has remained steady over the past two decades, but they also said churches are working harder to prevent child sex abuse by conducting background checks, installing windows in nurseries and play areas and requiring at least two adults in a room with a child.
Patrick Moreland, vice president of marketing for Church Mutual, said churches are particularly susceptible to abusers.
"By their nature, congregations are the most trusting of organizations, so that makes them attractive targets for predators," he said. "If you're a predator, where do you go? You go to a congregation that will welcome you."
A victims' advocacy group has said the Southern Baptists, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, could do more to prevent abuse by creating a list of accused clergy the public and churches could access.
"I think they should have a list of credibly reported clergy child abuse," said Christa Brown, a member of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a group initially created to hold the Catholic church accountable for sex abuse by its clergy.
"These are things people are entitled to know," said Brown, who says she was sexually abused as a child by a Southern Baptist minister. "The only way to prevent this crime is to break the code of silence and to have absolute transparency when allegations are raised."
At the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in San Antonio this week, the Rev. Wade Burleson of Enid, Okla., proposed a feasibility study into developing a national database of Southern Baptist ministers who have been "credibly accused of, personally confessed to, or legally been convicted of sexual harassment or abuse."
A convention committee referred Burleson's motion to the SBC executive committee, which will report back with findings and a recommendation at next year's meeting in Indianapolis.
Southern Baptist President Frank Page said leaders are considering several options to help churches protect children against abuse.
"We believe that the Scripture teaches that the church should be an autonomous, independent organization," Page said. "We encourage churches to hold accountable at the local level those who may have misused the trust of precious children and youth."
Several years ago, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which represents moderates who have increasingly distanced themselves from the conservative-led Southern Baptists, started a list of accused clergy for churches, but not the public. Under pressure from victim advocates, the Texas group just released the names of some convicted sex offenders who may have been ministers in local congregations.
Joe Trull, editor of Christian Ethics Today and retired ethics professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, helped the Texas convention create its registry and says there are now about 11 cases involving clergy abuse with minors.
But he believes these are just the "tip of the iceberg" because churches don't have to report abuse cases to the registry and aren't likely to.
"The problem we're having is that churches just weren't sending the names," Trull said. "In the normal scenario, they just try to keep it secret. We're going to have to be more proactive and let them know if they don't come forward, they're helping to perpetuate this problem."
Perhaps you might also check with ArrogantBustard who, along with others, can read where this article clearly contradicts what seems to be strongly-held opinions by the laity.
Please see post #47.
Loved the footnote!
Reggie, Reggie, Reggie,
That was not well said, not well at all.
Father, forgive him, for he knows not what he says.
Wow! I’m ever so sorry. They published THREE WHOLE ARTICLES!!!!
You damn them with faint praise.
As has been previously noted, the Catholic Church is a better target for lazy journalists. We do their research for them ... As has also been previously noted, MSM hate all Christians, so it's inevitable that sooner or later they'll come after the Protestants, Evangelicals, etc. If they can stir their lazy behinds.
Makes me wonder if the Scouts keep a central list or the Department of Education for all teachers who’ve been reported. Can’t say that I’ve ever seen anything like that published.
Can't say that I have seen it either. Catholics have been wondering this for some years, now.
I am in the habit of ignoring your posts, on the grounds that I find them to be either distorted, edited for shock value, or simply wrong; worse that any interpretation you include in your posts evidences, IMO, an apparently willful refusal to understand the subject matter.
Just so you know.
And the excerpt you posted in no way contradicts anything I posted.
Good Bye.
He admitted the charge, was removed from the pulpit immediately, and was sent into Christian counseling as it should be performed. He has not returned to the ministry.
This is the norm for Protestant pastors' transgressions. Very few pastors commit homosexual acts or sexual acts with children.
Frankly, that was my only intent.
I look forward to your comments. I am certain that they will continue to be the epitome of Christian charity and disciplined logical thought as always. They are certain to be a true reflection of St. Paul's teachings in I Cor 3.
That's a big if, cuz protties aren't like low hanging fruit in the same way as the Catholic Church. Though this article shows a creative approach, it didn't require very much of the shoe leather that would be needed to get an article about protties with a lotta pop. Who knows though, this might cause a slew of victims to come out of the woodwork & we'll get personalized heart wrenchers, which statistical pieces lack.
Any offending ministers are removed from the pulpit. In contrast, the RCC shuffles pedophiles around from parish to parish, permitting them to continue their terrible sins against God and children.
"The three companies that insure the majority of Protestant churches in America say they typically receive upward of 260 reports each year of young people under 18 being sexually abused by clergy, church staff, volunteers or congregation members.
The figures released to The Associated Press offer a glimpse into what has long been an extremely difficult phenomenon to pin down — the frequency of sex abuse in Protestant congregations.
Religious groups and victims' supporters have been keenly interested in the figure ever since the Roman Catholic sex abuse crisis hit five years ago. The church has revealed that there have been 13,000 credible accusations against Catholic clerics since 1950."
If we multiply "upward of 260" times the 57 years since 1950, that's not a number that makes anyone comfortable.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance? I think that applies to our religious freedom as well as our political freedom. We all need to remain vigilant. The predators won't stop seeking their prey.
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"Old" is right. :)
One thing to note:
Catholic: Credible Accusations
Prot: Reports of
Big Difference:
That being the case this is still something the church should not hide and yes we need to be always on guard.
I don't "edit for shock value" and I always link any excerpt to the original essay.
Nor do I "willfully refuse to understand the subject matter." The "subject matter" could be understood by any third grader. The errors of the RCC are clear and easily refuted in Scripture. As God wills.
And the excerpt you posted in no way contradicts anything I posted.
You posted in #38...
"Yes, we believe that Holy Orders leaves an "indelible mark" on their soul ... but it doesn't make them anything other than human.
This appears to be another case where the laity does not understand its own catechism.
I'll refer you to post #46 which includes a link to the original article found in an RCC publication, written by an RCC priest.
The Catholic faith teaches that the priest is another Christ, an alter Christus... Orders produce an ontological or real change in the one ordained. Simply stated, the Catholic priest is another Christ... The priest is an alter Christus, another Christ... "What is the identity of the priest? It is the identity of Christ himself." "the proper task of the priest consists in being a mediator between God and men ...
This clearly contradicts your assertion in post #38 that RC priests are nothing "other than human."
"I am in the habit of ignoring your posts, on the grounds that I find them to be either distorted, edited for shock value, or simply wrong; worse that any interpretation you include in your posts evidences, IMO, an apparently willful refusal to understand the subject matter."
Maybe you should try ignoring your own posts. It seems that the magisterium does.
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Exactly right. It's not a matter of Catholic, Protestant or other, it's a matter of sin/evil. That cuts across all lines.
Did you read the article? That excerpt reads in full...
"upward of 260 reports each year of young people under 18 being sexually abused by clergy, church staff, volunteers or congregation members.
That tally includes all sorts of people, not just the clergy. Unlike the RCC clergy whose ranks are literally filled with sexual deviates.
The opinions of this priest may be worthy of discussion, but they do not necessarily approach doctrine. As was said, priests are human. As are we all. For a look at our Catechism, see here:
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I should have said "may not be in agreement with the Vatican" here.
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