(RNS) Several leading evangelical pastors and authors have come to the defense of a pastor accused in a lawsuit for covering up sexual abuse of children.
C. J. Mahaney was named as a defendant in a lawsuit, which charged that he and other leaders of Sovereign Grace Ministries permitted the abuse of children to occur in churches that formed part of the group. Sovereign Grace, an association of 80 Reformed evangelical churches, is based in Louisville, Ky.
Maryland Judge Sharon V. Burrell dismissed the lawsuit ruling that nine of 11 plaintiffs waited too long to sue under the statute of limitations. Their attorney plans to appeal the judge’s decision.
After the dismissal, leading evangelicals are stepping up to defend Mahaney.
“We have stood beside our friend, C. J. Mahaney, and we can speak to his personal integrity,” wrote Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Ligon Duncan, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Miss.; and Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
The trio, who said they did not want to comment on the case while it was still in court, posted the letter on the Together for the Gospel Facebook page. Together for the Gospel is a biennial Christian conference the three founded with Mahaney.
Early Friday (May 24) morning, a string of negative comments had been posted on the Facebook wall, and the post was moved to the Together for the Gospel website.
But not everyone is rushing to Mahaney’s defense. Boz Tchividjian, a law professor and executive director of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE), which has investigated sex abuse allegations, found omissions in the pastors’ statement.
“Why no mention that CJ Mahaney was actually the Senior Pastor at one of these churches where all of this horrific abuse allegedly occurred AND that [he] discouraged these families from bringing this matter to the God ordained civil authorities?” he wrote on the Facebook wall.
“Omitting such a fundamentally important fact from this statement is a fundamental error.”
Tchividjian is the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham and the brother of Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and another leader of the Reformed evangelical movement
“This lawsuit is less about the abuse and more about an institution that took steps to protect itself and its reputation over the victimized souls (and bodies) of little ones,” Boz Tchividjian wrote.
Mahaney also got support from three prominent Reformed evangelical authors, Justin Taylor, Kevin DeYoung and D.A. Carson, who blasted media portrayals of Mahaney as the “face” of the lawsuit against the Sovereign Grace network.
Mahaney took a leave of absence in 2011 after other pastors in the Sovereign Grace network charged him with “expressions of pride, unentreatability, deceit, sinful judgment and hypocrisy.” Six months later, the group reinstated Mahaney, declaring full confidence in him.
Last October, the same month that the lawsuit was filed, Mahaney told the Sovereign Grace board that he would step down to focus on pastoral ministry. Two months later, the flagship church Mahaney started in Gaithersburg, Md., Covenant Life Church, voted to leave the Sovereign Grace network.
Joshua Harris, the current pastor of Covenant Life, referenced the lawsuit in his sermon on Sunday (May 26), and acknowledged that he had been sexually abused as a child.
He said that some church members told him they planned to leave the church over the allegations. Urging them to stay, he said, “Please don’t allow the circumstance to draw you away from faith in Jesus.”
KRE/YS END BAILEY
12 Comments
Ken Garrett
“Maryland Judge Sharon V. Burrell dismissed the lawsuit ruling that nine of 11 plaintiffs waited too long to sue under the statute of limitations.”
Statue of Limitations laws have become the pedophile’s (and church’s) best friend, since most victims of childhood sexual crime are emotionally/psychologically incapable of coming forward for up to decades after the abuse occurred. This is why many states have actually removed all SOL protection for crimes committed against children. (http://www.ndaa.org/pdf/Statute%20of%20Limitations%20for%20Prosecution%20of%20Offenses%20Against%20Children%202012.pdf)
I’m sure SGM is eager to have its day in court, so it can clear its name and put to rest these outlandish claims made by 11 plaintiffs against them…or, maybe they’d rather not have a day in court.
Jenn Grover
Ken, you are obviously only somewhat familiar with SGM. Sadly, some of these charges are substantiated by people being convicted and serving time, others are substantiated by some of the defendants own remarks, and the question now is whether the blackmail that Mahaney was found guilty of by a panel of SGM pastors is related to the cover-up?
I hope for all involved the charges are not true, but I will be surprised if that turns out to be the case. SGM is doing its best to avoid transparency in this matter.
Ken Garrett
Thank you, Jenn. I’m not sure how a more extensive knowledge of SGM would inform my thinking regarding its recent, tragic court experience. But, my thinking doesn’t have much to do with the SGM blackmail fiasco–although I’m sure there are leadership patterns discernible both in that issue and the current, child sexual abuse one. My thoughts have to do with the irreparable damage that SOL laws do to victims, and to the accused. (Alleged) victims receive no help, no assurance, no voice–simply (as the ruling judge made clear) because time passed is allowed to rob them of those things. SOL laws do not served the accused because they do not in any way prove innocence, but leave the smear of accusation, and the suggestion that the accused benefited from a legal technicality, not the free verdict of a jury or judge. No winners in child sexual abuse SOL laws… Again, thank you for reading, Jean!
Jenn Grover
Ken, thanks for your response, I took your original comment to mean something other than what you intended. .
msmullin
I’m confused regarding the sermon referenced? Was an advance copy given to you, Sarah? Thx.
Marge Sweigart
msmullin, I’m guessing that you’re referring to the Joshua Harris sermon. It was given last Sunday, May 19th. You can watch/listen to it at the Covenant Life Church website. He talks about his being abused around 24:00. Here’s a link: http://www.covlife.org/resources/3967153-How_the_Story_Ends
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gilhcan
Just like the Catholics who keep warming the pews and dropping their money in the baskets while they join the clergy in their various offerings. The clergy offer the sacrifice of the Holy Communion. The reckless, uncaring parents allow themselves to be deceived into offering their children as sexual sacrifices to the corrupt priests and their cover-up bishops.
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