Secret recordings show Southern Baptist dispute on sex abuse
Releases of leaked letters and secret recordings from within the Southern Baptist Convention are intensifying as critics seek to show top leaders were slow to address sexual abuse and worried more about its reputation and donations than about victims.
Layoffs, upheaval at Zacharias ministry roiled by scandal
Allegations of sexual misconduct by Zacharias began to surface last fall in social media and news outlets, notably a Sept. 29 article in the evangelical publication Christianity Today. It asserted that over about five years, he sexually harassed three women who worked as massage therapists at two day spas he co-owned in an Atlanta suburb. The law firm, Miller & Martin, issued a scathing report last month based on interviews with more than 50 people, including more than a dozen massage therapists. Five of the therapists said Zacharias touched them inappropriately, and one said she was raped, according to the report. AdZacharias founded his international ministry in 1984 with a mission to engage in โChristian apologeticsโ โ defending Christianity through intellectual arguments.
Law firm details sexual misconduct by global ministry leader
A law firm's investigators have released a scathing report on their four-month investigation of alleged sexual misconduct by Zacharias, who founded a global Christian ministry that bears his name. Five of the therapists said Zacharias touched them inappropriately, and one said she was raped, according to the report. The law firm said more than 50 people, including more than a dozen massage therapists, were interviewed, and investigators were able to access data from four mobile devices used by Zacharias. The RZIM board, which previously derided Thompsonโs allegations, apologized to her on Thursday. The scandal had already had a negative impact on the ministry even before the law firm released its report.