During the past several years, an increasing number of internationally respected evangelical and Pentecostal leaders have resigned or have been removed from office following allegations or confirmed cases of sexual misconduct.
Some cases involved abuse of minors, others involved sexual misconduct with employees or persons under spiritual authority. In still other cases, leaders themselves were not accused of abuse but lost credibility because they refused transparent investigations or attempted to handle allegations internally.
Whenever spiritual authority becomes insufficiently accountable, the conditions for abuse exist.
For many years, evangelicals often looked at the abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church as though it were primarily someone else's problem. It is now painfully evident that it is not. Sin, abuse of power, and institutional self-protection are not denominational problems; they are human problems. Whenever spiritual authority becomes insufficiently accountable, the conditions for abuse exist.
The Catholic Church has paid an enormous price for decades of delayed reporting, internal handling of criminal allegations, lack of transparency, and excessive concern for institutional reputation. Evangelicals and Pentecostals should learn from that experience instead of assuming that our own ecclesiastical structures automatically protect us.
Ironically, some characteristics that are often regarded as strengths of evangelicalism may also become weaknesses. Independent ministries, charismatic founders, global networks, and rapidly growing organizations frequently concentrate authority in one individual. Boards sometimes consist mainly of friends, financial supporters, employees, or people chosen by the leader himself (and, in this context, leaders in question are predominantly male). In some ministries there is simply no truly independent body capable of investigating allegations against the founder or president.
We need structural reforms.
Our response therefore cannot be limited to expressing disappointment each time another scandal emerges. We need structural reforms that protect victims, protect innocent accused persons through fair investigations, and protect the witness of the gospel.
A minimum standard for evangelical and Pentecostal organizations
Every ministry, denomination, mission agency, church network, theological institution, and Christian NGO should adopt at least the following principles:
1. Criminal allegations belong with the civil authorities.
Churches are not criminal courts and must never replace the work of the police...
Any allegation of abuse involving a minor, or any conduct that may constitute a criminal offense, must be promptly reported to the relevant state authorities. Churches are not criminal courts and must never replace the work of the police, prosecutors, or judges. Much evidence can only be obtained through the legal authority of the state, which may, for example, question witnesses or obtain illegal material from computers.
Therefore, the leadership should have a clear awareness of what constitutes a criminal offense and what does not. This should be set out clearly for anyone involved in deciding whether or not to send information to the relevant state authorities.
2. Independent investigations are indispensable.
Internal investigations alone are rarely sufficient.
Internal investigations alone are rarely sufficient. Serious allegations against senior leaders, even if they are not the subject of a criminal investigation, should always be examined by an independent body that has no personal or financial ties to the accused. Under normal circumstances, the constitution of a church or legal body should provide for this. If it does not, an ad hoc body should be established.
3. Every organization should establish an external accountability mechanism before a crisis occurs.
Organizations should... agree in advance to set up an external panel.
Independent ministries often lack an authority higher than the founder, senior pastor, president, or apostle. Organizations should therefore agree in advance to set up an external panel composed of respected leaders from other ministries, denominations, or Christian organizations.
This panel can be called upon immediately if allegations concern the chief executive or founder. This can be provided for in the constitution, and even if amending the constitution is difficult, it can be voted on at any time during a quiet period. If the so-called "boss" vetoes such an idea, that is a bad sign in itself.
When there is no fire, one can organize a solid fire brigade and ensure that everyone knows who is responsible for what when a fire occurs. If you start organizing the fire brigade while the building is already on fire, it is usually too late.
4. Victims must come before institutional reputation.
The primary concern of Christian leaders should be the protection, dignity, and pastoral care of victims.
The primary concern of Christian leaders should be the protection, dignity, and pastoral care of victims, rather than the preservation of the organization's public image. The Catholic Church and many other institutions have paid a high price for trying to protect their public image. Ultimately, this approach only further damages their reputation, since it involves disregarding one’s own moral principles and ignoring the suffering of victims.
This care for victims cannot end once an investigation is closed. Organizations should ensure access to long-term pastoral and, where needed, professional therapeutic support for victims, extending well beyond the immediate handling of a case—healing is rarely finished when the paperwork is.
5. Temporary leave during investigations protects everyone.
Senior leaders... should step aside while an investigation is ongoing.
If credible allegations are made against senior leaders, they should step aside while an investigation is ongoing. This protects both complainants and the accused, while also helping to preserve confidence in the integrity of the process.
The bylaws should provide a solution for cases in which the leader is unable to fulfill their role for a period of time, similar to provisions made in case of physical incapacity (consider, for example, the role of the Vice President of the United States). Where this is not easily possible, the bylaws should provide for an intermediate stage during which the leader may still perform certain functions but refrains from others, such as high-profile public appearances.
6. Transparency is part of Christian integrity.
The accused should not be the one communicating with the media.
Organizations should communicate openly about their procedures and outcomes, while respecting legal requirements and the privacy of those involved. Secrecy breeds distrust. The accused should not be the one communicating with the media. The bylaws should specify who leads the media response during this time. Any statement made by the accused personally should be clearly marked as a personal statement and should not bind the board, members, donors, or partners.
7. Boards must be genuinely independent.
Those responsible for supervising senior leaders should neither be appointed solely by those leaders nor depend upon them financially or professionally. Accountability requires real independence. It is therefore also important that finances are never under the control of just one person. It must be ensured that, in the event an investigation is needed, the accused cannot block it simply by withholding access to funds.
8. Whistleblowers must have a safe and independent way to report concerns.
Establish a whistleblower channel before it is needed.
Every organization should establish a whistleblower channel before it is needed, separate from the normal chain of command and accessible to staff, volunteers, members, and the wider church family.
It should be possible to submit reports confidentially, and, where desired, anonymously, through a channel not controlled by the person(s) who might be implicated—for example, an external ombudsperson, a dedicated phone line or encrypted mailbox operated outside the organization, or a member of the independent panel described in point 3.
No one who raises a concern in good faith will suffer retaliation.
The organization should commit in writing that no one who raises a concern in good faith will suffer retaliation (demotion, dismissal, exclusion, or social pressure) even if the investigation does not substantiate the allegation. Every report should be acknowledged, logged, and tracked to a documented outcome, with a clear internal understanding of which reports must go immediately to civil authorities (point 1) and which fall to the independent body (point 2).
Whistleblowers should, as far as legally possible, be kept informed of the progress and outcome of their report; leaving them in silence discourages anyone else from ever coming forward. Finally, the existence and contact details of this channel should be communicated actively and repeatedly (not only once during on-boarding) since the moment someone needs it is rarely the moment they remember where to find it.
It is worth remembering that the family members of leaders and workers are often the first to notice warning signs at home, and they should know that the same channel is open to them as well, not only to staff and volunteers. None of this contradicts the need to protect leadership from gossip, false accusations, and envy; everyone should be aware that any available reporting channel can be misused, for example, by people who are simply looking for someone to talk to.
9. Confidential counseling must be available for pastors and full-time workers.
Struggles are often hidden until they escalate into... scandals.
Those in full-time ministry carry a particular kind of pressure: they are expected to model spiritual maturity while often lacking anyone they can safely confide in when they are struggling. Issues such as pornography addiction, burnout, marital strain, or other private moral struggles are common enough among clergy and mission staff, yet are rarely voiced locally, because doing so risks shame, loss of standing, or even loss of employment. The result is that such struggles are often hidden until they escalate into the very scandals this document seeks to prevent.
Organizations should therefore provide confidential, professional counseling that is intentionally separate from the person's local church or direct chain of command. For instance, a national or international “pastor’s hotline,” a partnership with an established Christian counseling service, or an employee assistance program reachable by phone or online, so that a worker in a small town is not limited to seeking help from people who already know them.
Punishing disclosure only drives the underlying issue further underground.
Seeking such help should be explicitly protected: the fact that a leader has reached out for support must not, by itself, be grounds for discipline or dismissal—punishing disclosure only drives the underlying issue further underground.
Where possible, the cost should be covered by the organization or a shared denominational fund, so that expense is never the reason someone does not seek help. As with the whistleblower channel, this resource should be mentioned regularly and normalized as an ordinary part of caring for those who care for others, not announced once, and not only spoken of after a leader has already fallen.
10. Guidelines and training must cover every area of risk, upheld by spiritual leadership.
Good, written guidelines should exist for all staff and volunteers.
Good, written guidelines should exist for all staff and volunteers covering every relevant area, including the protection of children, sexual harassment in the workplace, anti-corruption measures, whistleblower protection, and spiritual abuse. These guidelines are only as effective as the training that accompanies them: staff and volunteers should be trained regularly on each of these areas, not only once at the time of hiring.
This should include proper screening before anyone is placed in a role involving contact with children (background checks and reference checks appropriate to the local context) so that prevention begins before a person ever starts serving, not only after guidelines have been handed out.
Finally, this framework should never stand alone as a policy document filed away in a drawer. It should be actively taught, explained, and undergirded by the spiritual leadership through their preaching and Bible teaching, so that accountability is understood not merely as an institutional requirement but as an expression of biblical faithfulness.
A gospel issue
The gospel never asks the Church to protect its reputation at the expense of victims.
This is not primarily about public relations, institutional survival, or legal risk management. It is about truth, justice, repentance, and protecting those entrusted to our care. The Church's credibility is not preserved by concealing sin, but by confronting it. The gospel never asks the Church to protect its reputation at the expense of victims. Rather, it calls on us to walk in the light, however painful that may be.
The evangelical and Pentecostal worlds still have an opportunity to learn from the failures that have become so visible globally. We should seize this opportunity before further scandals force us to do so. Preventive accountability is always less costly than repentance after institutional failure.
The evangelical and Pentecostal world has developed out of many holiness movements that want to ensure the gospel is evident in our daily lives. In light of the fact that the Old and New Testaments describe the sins of their most important leaders and warn that leaders can fall, we must take into account that this could happen in my church, denomination, or mission society.
Taking Scripture as the handbook for a holy life inspired by the Holy Spirit.
This means taking Scripture as the handbook for a holy life inspired by the Holy Spirit, who will lead us to reveal sin, call us to repentance, and protect the Church from all evil. Scripture references to consider when developing policy and procedures: 1 Peter 5:2-3, 1 Corinthians 4:2, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, Titus 1:7-8, Matthew 18:17, 1 Timothy 5:19-20, Titus 3:10-11, 1 Timothy 1:18-20.
Archbishop and Professor Thomas Paul Schirrmacher is the President of both the International Council of the International Society for Human Rights in Frankfurt and the International Institute for Religious Freedom in Costa Rica and Bonn. He was Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance from 2021 to 2024. Prior to this, he served the WEA for 25 years in various roles, including Associate Secretary General for Theological Concerns and Intrafaith and Interfaith Relations. He travels to over 50 countries a year, meeting heads of state and government, religious leaders, and heads of churches of all confessions on behalf of the persecuted church, as well as fighting human trafficking and corruption.
The International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) was founded in 2005 with the mission to promote religious freedom for all faiths from an academic perspective. The IIRF aspires to be an authoritative voice on religious freedom. They provide reliable and unbiased data on religious freedom—beyond anecdotal evidence—to strengthen academic research on the topic and to inform public policy at all levels. The IIRF's research results are disseminated through the International Journal for Religious Freedom and other publications. A particular emphasis of the IIRF is to encourage the study of religious freedom in tertiary institutions through its inclusion in educational curricula and by supporting postgraduate students with research projects.
