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White Paper: Biblical Ethics and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse

How should churches and ministries respond to child sexual abuse in ways that are both biblically faithful and legally responsible?

This White Paper integrates theology, ethics, and law to guide Christian organizations when abuse occurs. It emphasizes protecting victims first, ensuring justice for both victim and accused, and safeguarding organizational integrity. It warns against misusing grace to excuse predators, addresses the misuse of passages like Matthew 18 in abuse cases, and underscores mandatory reporting obligations. It also explains why professional investigators and counselors should assist leaders in making wise, biblical, and defensible decisions.

 

This paper addresses Biblical ethics when the crime of child abuse (particularly sexual abuse) occurs in a Christian church, mission, or school. Download this white paper to learn more about responding to these situations, including:

  • the general ethics undergirding investigation and punishment of child sexual abuse;
  • ethics and a Biblical worldview about children;
  • internal and governmental approaches in handling allegations of abuse;
  • questions of grace and forgiveness;
  • interpretation of Scriptures about managing conflict; and
  • use of professionals in the internal investigation process.

Fill out the form below to download this whitepaper.

Because of the generality of the information on this site, it may not apply to a given place, time, or set of facts. It is not intended to be legal advice, and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations