Part ten of a series of articles.
I have fought back tears while hearing reports of sexual abuse, some of it happening for years. It is sickening to discover how older men manipulated and molested young girls and boys. It is enraging to hear how certain pastors have systematically covered up and not reported such cases. Hearing that minors who were molested were blamed by pastors or church members disgusts me. Watching current United Pentecostal Church members and friends of the perpetrators and pastors attempt to re-victimize people, call them liars, blame them in some way and claim wrong motives for telling what happened is maddening. It is mind boggling to see former UPCI minister Todd Ritchie state there is nothing wrong with a pedophile being a pastor and claiming persecution of the perpetrator because a survivor is speaking out. It is all heartbreaking, it is repulsive, it is infuriating, I struggle to find words adequate to describe it….and I am not a victim but simply someone hearing what has happened.
There are pastors who have sat on their thrones and helped to devastate the lives of countless people by instructing parents to not go to police, not provide professional counseling to survivors and in some cases they have made them confess before the church, as if they had anything to do with their assault. Fearing for their spiritual welfare, there are church members who hold these men in esteem and will not speak of what they have seen and heard, thus allowing the criminal behavior to continue. Pastors have allowed perpetrators to continue molesting an untold number of people due to handling situations ‘in house’ and failing to report cases to the authorities. At least one has made it appear that they took cases to police when they did no such thing.
Pastors have either hidden sexual abuse or sent people away without informing church members of what happened, so parents don’t know to check if their child(ren) may have also been a victim. Pastors have allowed some to obtain a UPCI license after having committed such a crime, or to retain one.
It is unbelievable, inexcusable, and reprehensible how some United Pentecostal Church ministers have handled instances of sexual abuse and infidelity. They have not only brought shame upon themselves and their loved ones, but also upon the churches, the organization, and even Christianity itself. It is no wonder that some walk away from a belief in God. These men should not hold the office of a pastor, nor should they be licensed by anyone, nor should they hold any church leadership position or be preaching. Their actions have proven themselves untrustworthy and unfit.
Those who were sexually abused in these churches need to file a police report. The Special Victims Units handle such cases. If the crime happened in Madison, Wisconsin, for example, the SVU has six detectives on staff or if it happened in Denver, the Major Crimes Division would investigate. Don’t be concerned with how long ago it occurred or if there are witnesses or evidence. It isn’t solely about whether or not they can prosecute, but there are other factors to be considered.
There may be the possibility of a civil suit against the perpetrator or the pastor/church. There are cases that involve the repeated deliberate cover up of sexual abuse by pastors. There may be other churches that have done so but are not yet openly known as people have not come forward. Recent history has shown that all it sometimes takes is one person to come forward and report their abuse and it gives other survivors the impetus to do likewise. Many times a person feels they are alone when there are actually others. That is how Debbie felt when she came forward but found there were many more from Calvary Gospel Church. Yet no one will know and things may never change if people remain silent and do not come forward.
Each case has its own unique factors as well as statute of limitations and those vary from state to state. If people do not file reports, then there is nothing on record. There is no chance that the authorities will go after these perpetrators, pastors and churches. There is no chance of helping other unknown survivors, nor potential future ones should they decide to report. Each reported case helps- even if your individual case can no longer be prosecuted.
In addition, you will have the satisfaction of trying to do something to put a stop to what has happened and may still be happening. You have a voice. Who knows who you could help by filing a report. It may be just what another woman or man needs in order to go forward with their case. If there has ever been a time in our country where people are paying attention to what all too many people have endured with sexual abuse and how it has been mishandled in churches, it is NOW.
In addition to filing a police report, if it was a currently licensed minister who abused you, or covered up sexual abuse, the United Pentecostal Church has a judicial procedure where a complaint may be filed against that minister. I encourage any of our readers who have personal knowledge of such wrongdoings to learn about the judicial procedure and seriously consider filing an official complaint if the minister yet holds license, no matter how long ago something happened.
If a complaint is not filed, you can pretty much be guaranteed that the UPCI will not address the matter. If a complaint is filed, there’s a chance that some type of action will be taken, even if it falls below what you would want done. In other words, if you know of wrongdoing by a minister and you choose to not file an official complaint, do not expect to see any action taken against that minister.
In 2024 significant changes were made to this procedure and child sexual abuse complaints will now be handled differently than other complaints. Individual districts in the UPCI will no longer handle these. To learn all the details about the judicial procedure, go here.
Speak up- for yourself and for others. There is power in numbers- let your voice be heard. People may have been silent in your assault and there may have been little to no help and you may have been shamed. Yet you have a powerful voice which has yet to be heard and that may make it easier for another survivor and perhaps help them to receive justice in our legal system, even if you cannot. People are watching and listening.
Will your voice be among those that shatter the silence surrounding sexual abuse and the United Pentecostal Church?
March 20, 2024 Note: I added information about the UPCI’s judicial procedure and checked links.
You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.
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It is mind boggling to see former UPCI minister Todd Ritchie state there is nothing wrong with a pedophile being a pastor and claiming persecution of the perpetrator because a survivor is speaking out. It is all heartbreaking, it is repulsive, it is infuriating, I struggle to find words adequate to describe it….and I am not a victim but simply someone hearing what has happened.
I did not say that, you are taking everything out of context. What I said was that a person who has sinned can still be a Pastor. Paul in the Bible had people (christians) murdered while he held their coats! Murder is well above any sexual sin in Court or the Bible! If God can use a man like that to spread the Gospel, create/Pastor churches hand them off to other men so he can continue doing that. Then God can use anybody, regardless of your beliefs! That is what I said!
I tell you what I will give you a short time to remove my name or I will turn it over to my lawyer and he can sue you. Remove my name from your article. If not, I will see you in court!
So you didn’t say there was nothing wrong with a pedophile being a pastor, and to clarify your position, you say that “a person who has sinned” can still be a pastor, while pointing out that murder is worse than sexual sin and the Apostle Paul (a murderer) was qualified to be an apostle? Therefore…there’s nothing wrong with a pedophile (the original topic) being a pastor? Correct me if I’m wrong, aren’t you just reinforcing what you said in the first place (using different words)..while throwing in a threat to the blogger? I can see how you used to be a UPC pastor.
For the record, predators/abusers have NO business in Christian leadership! Plain and simple! They’re arrogant to think that God needs them in that position and couldn’t replace them in a heartbeat. There are wolves/hirelings in far too many pulpits…and the diminishing of certain sin leads to the kind of abuses that are destroying people’s lives and driving people away from the Christian community. Preachers/pastors are a dime a dozen. Very easily replaceable. I can’t imagine why you would ever want to defend a pedophile in a position of authority in any way. It amazes me the “greasy grace” many believers will extend to those in leadership requiring no humility, honest repentance, or consequences.
I disagree with you that murder is worse than all sexual sin (Luke 17:1-2). You can’t possibly believe that fornication (sin involving 2 consenting adults) and pedophilia (a predatory damaging offence committed on an innocent child) are similar in seriousness and impact.
Awe, yes. I do wish people would remember the story in the Bible where Jesus , upon hearing people call him a heretic, threatened them with a lawyer. Thank you for this, pastor. Please, can you remind me which book this was in? I’d love to share it with my backslidden friends. And can you also maybe expand on the verse where Jesus tells his followers to sue a person for all their worldly possessions? I’m having trouble recalling where it’s located. It’s one I would love for you, as a upc pastor with what I have no doubt is a lot of pent up frustration, to properly sermonize this widely under-represented verse.
All my thoughts and prayers,
🖕🏻
Excuse me? Murder is worse than sexual abuse. That is scripturallly wrong. Sin is sin. God is no respector of persons no are there “degrees” of sin.
Jesus did, however, specifically say “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
Sir, you may forgive whatever you want to, but repentance is necessary. Essentially, you are sacrificing your children at the altar if an idol by placing this person in authority over them. You are also setting a stumbling block for him and for anyone under his authority.
You are complicit in the acts of Oholibah. God have mercy on you.