Posted on 06/10/2019 8:35:08 AM PDT by Morgana
FULL TITLE: Her Evangelical Megachurch Was Her World. Then Her Daughter Said She Was Molested by a Minister.
HURST, Tex. — Christi Bragg listened in disbelief. It was a Sunday in February, and her popular evangelical pastor, Matt Chandler, was preaching on the evil of leaders who sexually abuse those they are called to protect. But at the Village Church, he assured his listeners, victims of assault would be heard, and healed: “We see you.”
Ms. Bragg nearly vomited. She stood up and walked out.
Exactly one year before that day, on Feb. 17, 2018, Ms. Bragg and her husband, Matt, reported to the Village that their daughter, at about age 11, had been sexually abused at the church’s summer camp for children.
Since then, Matthew Tonne, who was the church’s associate children’s minister, had been investigated by the police, indicted and arrested on charges of sexually molesting Ms. Bragg’s daughter.
Ms. Bragg waited for church leaders to explain what had happened and thoroughly inform other families in the congregation. She waited for the Village to take responsibility and apologize. She waited to have even one conversation with Mr. Chandler, a leader she had long admired.
But none of that ever came.
“You can’t even take care of the family you know,” she remembered thinking as she walked out of the large auditorium. “Don’t tell more victims to come to you, because you’re just going to cause more hurt.”
Evangelical churches have long distanced themselves from the sexual abuse crisis that has consumed the Catholic Church. Many Southern Baptists have dismissed sexual abuse as a problem caused by “corrupt Hollywood” or “liberal theology.” But a reckoning has arrived.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
MEGACHURCH PING
Not surprised.
Ms. Bragg nearly vomited. She stood up and walked out.
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Why would she even still be there if the rest of the story is true?
So the reason the Pravda on the Hudson makes this a major story.
ALL “Evangelical Megachurhes” are “bad. That’s the theme.
Difference is one was systemic the other wasn’t.
Have you seen the picture on the site? This does not even look like a church it looks like a Rock and or Roll concert!
A Pastor I knew had an affair with his 15 year old babysitter. She was willing until she was not. The entire church fell apart over this.
...worth noting that this "megachurch" is way behind the abuse of just one roman catholic priest in one parish...
“After years of resisting reform, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, promised that it would address the problem this week at its annual gathering of thousands of pastors. The denomination’s new president, J.D. Greear, has called for repentance for “a culture that has made abuse, cover-ups and evading accountability far too easy.””
Yeah, “repentance,” that’s the ticket. No jail time, just “repentance”! Is that a legal term? Can you just go to court and tell them that “you’ve repented,” and have the court excuse your having raped a little girl? Just a bunch of “Sick Ba$tards!” The Catholics have a lot of “company” it would seem.
“A Pastor I knew had an affair with his 15 year old babysitter. She was willing until she was not. The entire church fell apart over this.”
She was 15 and even in my state that is statutory rape. He was the adult and he said he was a man of God he should have known better. If she was “fast” as they say he should have told her parents to get her help for prior sex abuse, and told her that acting out sexually is not the Christian thing to do.
“Evangelical is not what it once was...it’s morphed into a stage show for the most part.”
You can say that again! It makes me cringe!
Actually, the picture is of Chandler at a leader’s conference in 2013 according to the caption. Seriously, they couldn’t find a recent photo of him in his own church? Yes, the Pravda on the Hudson is playing us, and they know it.
Well trying to take Christianity down, one church at a time.
Safe to say a war against Christians and Christianity is going on.
The SBC is not a Protestant denomination or denomination of any kind. It is an association that independent churches can join or leave at any time.
That's one of my biggest gripes about worship in the 21st century. In churches both big and small, the electric guitar is driving out the choirs, organs and traditional hymns.
Even driving out the pianos.
This happens in small churches too. There definately needs to be an awareness about this to parents in the church. Also better security and precautions. AND churches need to step up and admit this when it happens. All of these are how you properly lead the flock and protect itfrom the wolves. I just wish it wasnt the NYT that brought this up. But ALL parents in church need to be aware and their kids.
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