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 ...
Not all, no. But I find too little worthwhile to listen to the toothless and truthless norm. I cannot bear to listen to KLOVE for more than a few minutes once in a while.
At least Family Radio will play actual hymn settings with occasionally salutary lyrics. They even play John Michael Talbot once in a while.
I'm a big fan of Family Radio's music programs, especially Hymn Time and Family Radio Hymn Sing which feature hymns by some of my favorite hymn writers including Phillip Paul Bliss, George Stebbins, William Kirkpatrick, Ira Sankey, James McGranahan, Daniel Webster Whittle, etc. Recordings of the hymns and sheet music are available online here.
Oh, I knew the verse, but also knew Christ said it to Pharisees and it wasn’t about churches.
I cannot bear to listen to KLOVE for more than a few minutes once in a while.
LOL, I know what you’re saying. My wife hates the worship music at the church we are presently going to. She says it’s basically the top 4 KLOVE songs being sung over and over again (they sing the same music every week).
I basically go for the preaching (which is good) so I put up with the music. A lot of people come in 15 minutes late though so they don’t have to listen to the music.
Good sermons are even more rare than good music. I can’t stand when a preacher compromises scripture, but most do that these days. This church seems to emphasize preaching it like it is.
A couple of weeks ago the pastor went through the dangerous and politically incorrect verses in Ephesians (wives, obey your husbands, husbands, love your wives). He said up front some people were going to be upset with his sermon, but he had a responsibility to be true to scripture. But I liked that he also emphasized the husband’s responsibility. “Husbands, it says you must love your wife like Christ loved the church. Do you understand what that means? It means you must be willing to die for your wife and to sacrifice yourself for her.” And that’s exactly right.
I think people forget that churches are full of sinners. The redeemed are not perfect.
Oh?
Find a modern home that has one!
I daresay it happens EVERYWHERE!
Men are; by nature; SINNERS!
None are immune to this 'disease' and there is ONLY one cure.
What ‘drove out’ Gregorian chants?
What old drinking songs got new Christian lyrics; back in the day?
So; you go to MINE; eh??
;^)
Hey!
That’s MY church!
Some churches split over the color of the new carpet.
We have avoided this problem by having bare, concrete floors.
The other problem is if her church is the center of her world she is doing it wrong. Jesus Christ should be the center of her world. He never disappoints
I believe his point was that Christ wasn't just referring to the Pharisees of His day, but pharasitism of all time. There are plenty in our churches today.
“I believe his point was that Christ wasn’t just referring to the Pharisees of His day, but pharasitism of all time.”
I believe his point was that the Roman Church is the only one, and all others are false.
He vaguely referenced this verse and stated Christ said this to Christians - about all denominations other than the Roman one.
He did not.
Agreed; it’s a stretch to attribute the founding of the church in advance of Christ’s resurrection and the Pentecost.
Your earlier point about pharisee-ism and hypocrisy are true.
“I believe his point was that the Roman Church is the only one, and all others are false.
He vaguely referenced this verse and stated Christ said this to Christians - about all denominations other than the Roman one.l
Putting words in my mouth and you call me the Gnostic? LOL!
“Yeah, “repentance,” that’s the ticket. No jail time, just “repentance”!”
Here is the big difference between what has gone on (mostly in the past, BTW - decades in the past) in the Catholic church and evangelical ones:
“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.”
Sexual abuse is wrong. It is a crime. And should be handled as such. The NY Times can attack baptists and evangelicals, but a common theme in evangelical abuse cases is “arrest”. Baptists simply don’t have a hierarchy that CAN shift predators around.
BTW: For a long time now, the SBC has recommended background checks of everyone working with kids. Our church adopted it as a standard rule some 10 years ago on the advice of the SBC.
“Well, you seemingly wanted to give the SBC a “pass” on the mistaken theory that they since were not a theologically connected group, but rather just a bunch of Baptist Churches having some sort of non-binding allegiance, that they had no real role in addressing sexual predation within their ranks.”
I don’t think you understand baptist structure. There is none. The SBC has no authority over ANY congregation. None. It cannot set ANY policy. Each local church is 100% autonomous. There really is no such thing as “leadership” in the SBC. The SBC President is just one of 50,000+ pastors. He cannot tell anyone to do anything.
The current SBC President is a politically correct weenie. But he also has no authority. Just a grovelling mouth with a spine of linguini.
“BTW: For a long time now, the SBC has recommended background checks of everyone working with kids. Our church adopted it as a standard rule some 10 years ago on the advice of the SBC.”
Perfect! It’s what your church’s children should expect from the adult members.
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