Lessons Gleaned from Abusive Ministries

HarperCollins announced that they are pulling books by Ravi Zachariahs in light of the late apologist’s alleged sex crimes. [1]

When I first heard of the atrocities committed by this intellectual I admired, I didn’t want to believe the accusations. I was deeply grieved when I read that RZIM had conducted an investigation and found undeniable evidence that Ravi Zachariahs had indeed molested and abused numerous women, including a hidden stash of lewd photos. [2] He was also found to have spent money that had been set aside for humanitarian work on massage therapists (many of whom he subsequently abused). He actions were undeniably appalling, and it’s hard for me to address this subject without getting emotional.

He was an influential Christian apologist. Countless people looked up to Ravi Zachariahs, myself included. I remember years ago attending a conference where he was speaking. A very young boy was in attendance, and it was his birthday. He had wanted nothing more than to meet Ravi Zachariahs in person. I remember him calling the boy onstage and greeting him, much to the child’s great awe and delight. I wonder now where that boy is and what he thinks of his childhood hero. My heart breaks for the victims of Ravi. I also wonder what kind of nightmare the Zachariahs family must be living in, and my prayers go out to them.

I dare say the biggest mistake RZIM made as a ministry was making “RZ” their poster child instead of making Christ the most important figure. This is a perfect environment for cultivating spiritual abuse and gaslighting. In such atmospheres, anyone who criticizes a leader or questions his behavior is then demonized. When women had brought complaints against Ravi Zachariahs while he was still living, the allegations were swept aside instead of being investigated.

1 John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” There is a story I heard which goes like this: a man is praying and reading his Bible. Inspired by Noah’s faith, he asks God to help him to be like Noah.

God says, “Noah drank too much and made a fool of himself. Do you want to be a drunkard?”

The man, taken aback, rethinks his prayer and says, “Then make me like Abraham.”

God remind him, “Abraham had sex with a young slave girl.”

The man says, “Then make me like Moses…”

God reminds him of the murder committed by Moses. The man thinks of every hero of the Bible, and God reminds him of every sin each one committed. Finally the man says, “Then make me like Jesus.”

God answers, “Now you understand!”

I think of David, the King who coerced a married woman into having sex with him and then murdered her husband (2 Samuel 11). Even godly people we admire and look up to are capable of unspeakable evil because every human heart has been corrupted by sin. David, however, lived before the Holy Sprit dwelled within us as Christians, and so David wasn’t born again. Even so, he repented and showed deep grief and remorse when the prophet Nathan boldly rebuked him for his actions.

Carson Weitnauer was brought to Christ after Ravi Zachariahs personally witnessed to him. Weitnauer became a member of RZIM and wrote an article detailing the differences between King David and Ravi Zachariahs. [3] He speaks of how these two men were given different commissions in the first place and had very different responses when confronted about their sins. Weitnauer goes on to say

“My prayer is that this scandal will be an opportunity for self-examination. This is a good time to humble ourselves before God, cherish the sweetness of his grace in our own hearts, and be vulnerable about our sin with trusted friends. Sadly, Ravi’s life now testifies even more loudly that sin has a terrible price.”

As Christians, we must be honest and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:25). It’s vital that we remain humble and let our ministry flow from a Christ-centered life and personal, loving relationship with God rather than try to sanctify ourselves by our own good deeds.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” -Ephesians 2:8-9

In his article, “A Catastrophic Betrayal,” Carson Weitnauer states how he believes RZIM should respond,

“As Jesus took the unpleasant and unpopular step to expose hypocritical leaders, so we must not silence those who tell us the truth about Ravi’s egregious abuses. Instead, RZIM must change its name, remove Ravi’s material, repent for its many failures, and provide a restorative response to the harm that Ravi’s victims experienced. The depth of complicity by the board and senior leadership in this cover-up must be clearly established. Finally, an organization with credibility in the survivor community must be hired to do a thorough assessment of the organization and its culture, and their proposals for reform will need to be implemented.

If they want to avoid following RZIM’s example, Christian ministries and churches should rigorously evaluate how their systems and culture could prevent them from personally experiencing this crisis. May God give us the clarity and courage we need to become faithful advocates for the survivors of abuse — and to deter such abuse from occurring in the future. ” [4]

As for the rest of us, should we burn Ravi Zachariahs’ books? Reading a book written by him now will be hard for me as the dark shadow of his crimes taints his words. However he was a man who knew a lot, and I think there is still much to be learned from his talks and writings. God has used even secular people for his glory, and there are many books we can learn from which were written by people who never claimed Christianity in the first place.

God uses everything for His glory. I give praise to Him that He’s able to do good for the world through even a dysfunctional ministry such as RZIM. Just imagine the amazing things He could do through a Christ-centered ministry or an individual who possessed true humility.

I pray earnestly that more ministry leaders in future will really, truly understand that there is forgiveness in Christ and that they can come to Him with their sins. 1 John 1:9-10 says,

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Every single one of us struggles with sin, but God loves us and doesn’t want us to hide from Him in shame. I pray that, like King David, we will turn to God and repent honestly, knowing that God will be faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I also pray that all of us will be blessed with godly friends who will bravely speak truth to us that way Nathan did and hold us accountable. Ministry must flow from a God-centered personal life, and the Holy Spirit is the only one capable of transforming us into worthy vessals to be used by God for His glory.