Ligon Duncan, of the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America), responded to our tweet today questioning whether he’d support the recent PCA Child Abuse Amendment. We were curious if he’d publicly support the proposed measure since Duncan seems to be a staunch supporter of CJ Mahaney of SGM (Sovereign Grace Ministries) during SGM’s Child Abuse lawsuit and allegations that the organization covered up abuse.
T4G (Together for the Gospel), a group spearheaded by gurus including Duncan of PCA, Albert Mohler (Southern Baptist Convention), John Piper, Mark Dever and others has come under fire recently for their seemingly tepid and friendly response to fellow T4G’er CJ Mahaney’s SGM Child Abuse scandal.
Duncan reported via twitter:
“I just voted to receive it. It has been referred to our Overtures Committee.”–Ligon Duncan
The proposed Amendment is encouraging, so is Duncan’s response. We hope it passes and believe that rhetoric and emphasis does move the ball in these organizations. Problems tend to get addressed for the good when they are acknowledged rather than ignored. Churches and church leadership should take the lead on protecting children…and not lag and act like it’s a non-issue.
Kudos to the PCA if this passes. We hope the Calvary Chapel Association will adopt a similar public stand (but hell will probably freeze over before that would happen, George Bryson’s Calvinist witch-hunt, endless End Times prophecy conferences and church planting are far more important issues in Calvary Chapel than the well-being and emphasis on protecting our children who are the “least of these”).
Here is the proposed PCA Child Abuse Amendment as first featured by our friend Michael Newnham on PhoenixPreacher.com:
Personal Resolution on Child Sexual Abuse
Proposed to the 41st General Assembly in Greenville, South Carolina
By TE Mike Sloan, Georgia Foothills Presbytery
WHEREAS our Lord Jesus demonstrated his righteous anger at his disciples, rebuking those who would do anything to prevent covenant children from coming unto him, saying “to such belongs the Kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14); and
WHEREAS the Lord Jesus, who possesses all power and authority in heaven and on earth, taught and demonstrated in his humiliation, that power is rightly exercised to serve others, protect the weak, and speak for the oppressed (Mark 10:42-45, Exodus 22:21-24,Deuteronomy 10:17-19, Proverbs 31:1-9); and
WHEREAS a silent epidemic of child abuse exists in our culture wherein 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before their eighteenth birthday (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006), including girls and boys who attend PCA churches, with 95% of victims being violated by someone they know and trust (Darkness2Light.org); and
WHEREAS child sexual abuse thrives in an environment that discourages open communication about the abuse and also thrives with both the calculated sin of abusers and by the inaction of church leaders who are nonetheless complicit in the abuse and culpable before the Lord; and
WHEREAS the law in almost all states mandates pastors, and even in some states volunteers, to report child abuse to civil authorities within 24 hours, and biblical due diligence requires churches to train its workers and volunteers to protect children by screening workers and volunteers, by strictly limiting one adult one child situations, and by maintaining a child protection policy informed by wise resources now widely available; and
WHEREAS the silence of the church, by not speaking out against this sin, or not supporting the courageous victims who disclose abuse, or not proactively taking the steps to prevent abuse, is a fundamental failure of servant leadership in such a time as this, and drives people away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and
WHEREAS many of our members have close relational ties with some Reformed and evangelical organizations, fellowships of ministers, and well-known leaders who have lately come under the closest moral and legal scrutiny, some facing criminal and/or civil litigation for neglect in reporting alleged criminal activity against children and harboring and protecting alleged sexual perpetrators against children, casting doubt in the eyes of some on the stance of the PCA toward child sexual abuse and our moral resolve to uproot it; THEREFORE, be it
RESOLVED that we plead with all pastors and church officers to take an active stance toward rooting out child sexual abuse in the church by leading their churches to study, implement, and maintain child protection policies pertaining to our moral and legal obligations in loving our covenant children and protecting their rightful interests as God’s image-bearers and heirs of the Covenant of Grace from the devastating actions of abusers in the church; and be it further
RESOLVED that we pledge our commitment to work and fully cooperate with duly appointed God-ordained government officials in exposing and bringing to justice all probable perpetrators, who morally and criminally harm the children placed in our trust, and not in any perceivable way display reluctance in fully cooperating with lawful authorities by attempting to handle the issue internally by subjecting either the supposed victim or alleged criminal perpetrator to private “church discipline” or relational “restoration” apart from the fulfillment of our mandated reporting duties to God-ordained government authorities; and be it further
RESOLVED that we exhort all pastors and church officers to use their power for the protection of the vulnerable, by any and all godly means, including speaking boldly about the horrors of child sexual abuse in our time, urging anyone with knowledge of these sins to “take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11), and by supporting victims who are easily intimidated, and often suffer in silence, without the clear support of those in positions of power; and be it finally
RESOLVED that the 41st General Assembly urge all members of the PCA to renew our allegiance to our Lord Jesus to love our covenant children as he loves our covenant children, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:14).
