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Crisis in pastoral leadership: Are the apostolic and prophetic offices being restored? (Part 2)

 By Brandon Showalter, Christian Post Reporter

Amid seemingly unending church and ministry leadership scandals and the exposure of unhealthy structures and institutions that enabled them, are long-lost offices of the Church being recovered? 

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:20 that the Church, the household of God, is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.”

In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul continues that the Lord gave fivefold offices for the edification of the Church, specifically “apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Yet many Christians today have no theological or experiential grid for the first two offices listed, perhaps because the canon of Scripture is closed and the apostles who were alive during Jesus' time are no longer walking the Earth. This view, which is called cessationism, holds that after the death of the last apostle, spiritual gifts like prophecy and the office of a prophet are no longer operating. In practice, however, some churches and denominations adhere to degrees of this view, allowing for certain expressions of the gifts to operate in the church. Others have admitted to believing in the continuation of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirt but being, for all intents and purposes, "functional" cessationists.

With such a theological paradigm, the absence of the offices of prophet and apostle in the contemporary church has yielded an often top-heavy congregational structure that is led by a pastor. Teachers teach the Bible in Sunday school. When many think of the office of evangelist, guest preachers and the-late Billy Graham and his stadium crusades come to mind.

To dive more deeply into these ecclesiological issues, The Christian Post spoke with Ron Myer and Larry Kreider, two leaders with DOVE International — an interdenominational global family of churches and ministries on six continents. CP also spoke with Pastor Derwin Gray of Transformation Church, a nondenominational Evangelical congregation in Indian Land, South Carolina.

The interviews explore what has gone right and what has gone wrong in recent years, and where they see God taking the Church at-large in the coming decade.

Substantial paradigm shifts are occurring for many Christians, they say, and sincere believers would be wise to heed what the Holy Spirit is doing, even if it seems unfamiliar. 

How have the fivefold offices gotten lost and how are they being reclaimed?

According to Kreider, a major issue afflicting the Church is what he calls “clergy-laity mentality.” He describes it as a pervasive mindset where the paid clergy leads the church and they are called “pastors.” They do most of the ministry work and laypeople serve the ministry of that pastor.

But whatever terms are used, DOVE International contends that leaders in the local church are more like elders or overseers.

"We do believe that all five of these gifts are needed. And on a broad-based level, you need the apostles and prophets working together, hearing from God together. To use military terminology: apostles [are] the generals. The prophets being the seers, they’re the ones getting the intel [from God],” Kreider asserted.

For a local church, there needs to be impartation from all those gifts, equipping from all those offices. 

Yet, this is strange doctrinal territory for many people, as it was for Myer.

“In my upbringing, there was nothing ever spoken about apostles and prophets. There was no grid for it,” Myer explained. But that all changed as he became “filled with the [Holy] Spirit and into an understanding that Ephesians 4 is here to equip the saints for ministry and that the equipping of the saints is a primary role of the Church."

"To equip people to minister to those who are not part of the Church, not just to minister to each other," he detailed. 

The apostles are the builders, the church-planters, those who are trainers and equippers.

And the prophetic is to come alongside them to help guide and speak to that — what is the Lord saying right now in the present, Myer said. He added that all five offices are needed to work together so that the Church can hear the full counsel of God. 

“I think somewhere along the line we slipped into [the church mode] where it’s easy to just have a pastor to lead the church. So we’ll just call him a pastor," Myer said. "And in some cases, you have evangelists — that’s their primary gift — but they only knew pastors, so they put the term pastor on them. But they’re frustrated because they're not functioning as a pastor because that is not their primary gifting. People put that label on them, and then they’re trying to be somebody that they’re not versus truly functioning in who they truly are."

Myer believes that God has given a "greater definition" that brings "greater freedom."

"With greater freedom then comes greater function," he contends. "With greater function comes the ability to be who God really created them to be. We’re working to usher in and continue to expand the Kingdom of God, His way of doing things, as we pray, 'Father, let Your Kingdom come, may your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.'” 

If the fivefold gifts can work together to see each and every believer functioning and bringing the Kingdom into their workplace, in the marketplace, into their school, a greater expression of Jesus is manifested in society, he maintained. 

What are small-a apostles?

Kreider believes that an apostolically inclined small-a apostle is motivated by and is thinking on a macro, big-picture level, and wants to see the Kingdom of God extend across their city, state, region, nation and world. As with any other spiritual gift and vocations, this gifting is to be called out and affirmed by others in the Body of Christ.

To function in these gifts, one needs to see the giftings in others, Myer added. It’s not just someone who prophesies or carries a prophetic gift, but someone who trains up and pours into others so they can mature spiritually. 

For those who are hesitant to embrace this thinking because they have concerns about what has been referred to as the New Apostolic Reformation or the abuse or misuse of spiritual gifts, the DOVE leaders urge Christians to revisit the Word. The New Apostolic Reformation is a phrase coined by C. Peter Wagner to describe a movement within Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity reclaiming the apostolic and prophetic offices.

“I think what has happened is that when the church is run by pastors and administrators, it has played right into the clergy-laity mentality that has ruined the Church," Kreider said. "When you read the book of Acts and the Epistles, you see God using common, ordinary people. You see them being resourced through apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers."

The title “pastor” is used for ministry and church leaders today, even those in pastoral roles, but are not particularly pastoral-gifted people, he added. 

“If they lead a megachurch, they are probably apostolic. But since we don’t have room for this language, I think it holds us back from expressing the heart of Christ to people and to be trained to full maturity and fulfill the call of God that is on their lives,” Kreider said.

In fact, the first time he went to a Pentecostal gathering, he sat in the back row so he could leave early “in case it got too crazy.”

Myer added: “For those who have had negative experiences, and there are certainly plenty of them out there, my response is: I’m sorry you had a negative experience. There’s no excuse for it." 

For those who get hung up on titles, DOVE International shies away from them and leans more toward adjectives. 

“I’m not ‘apostle Ron,’ but I do apostolic ministry,” Myer said, defining it as “being a spiritual father to a number of people who I pour my life into ... with one goal, to see them succeed and be all that God made them to be.”

These gifts need to be in operation until the return of Jesus, he maintains, to bring the Church to full maturity and bring as many people into God’s Kingdom as possible.

The clergy-laity mindset trap

Although careful not to blame any particular person or group for the creep of the clergy-laity mentality, Kreider and Myer said that those in clerical roles think they are the paid professionals who need to do all the ministry and that the laity is not equipped to do it.

From the laity side, they argue that the thought process is one that always defers to clergy who are paid to do it, and therefore, they do not have to minister. 

“If COVID has done anything, it has helped much of the Body of Christ realize that when two or three gather in His name, He is in the midst of us. And we believe there is a place for larger gatherings, but the focus is on the two or three,” Kreider said.

“We have great hope for the Body of Christ. It has been a mess, we agree with that. We’ve all been a mess. But He is leading us by His Spirit, and we’re excited about the future of the Body and the future of the Kingdom.”

While not all churches are top-heavy or afflicted by this clergy-laity mentality, Myer believes that amid all of the changes that the pandemic brought, the circumstances have come to model what the fivefold ministry should look like and what true apostles really are.

“There are some places in the world that you can’t even use that term [apostle] because of the abuse and control in the past versus a spiritual father that wants to see those around him succeed. That has a heart and a passion to plant, but then to empower and release those around him,” Myer said.

“I think we have a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate what are the gifts of the Spirit and they are to bring about change, to help people, to see them transformed, to help them with problems and to demonstrate the love of Christ.”

In May 2020, Myer said he sensed the Lord tell him that “in times of uncertainty, you’d better be sure what you’re certain about.”

“Anytime we’re in chaos, that which we really believe will be challenged. And it shouldn’t be changed, because if it’s built on God’s Word, my circumstances don’t change what I believe. I continue to believe until my circumstances change,” he said. 

“I think the opportunity of the fivefold ministry is ... that even when there’s chaos around us, even when there’s a storm around us, there can still be peace in the midst of that. We can still walk in confidence; we can still walk in security.”

Kreider emphasized that American Christians tend to think about the United States, but the truth is that the Church is part of a global Kingdom.

“There’s nothing new under the sun," he said. "We’re believing God for good things in our nation, obviously, but we know there’s a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, and that’s what we stand in." 

An apostolic, prophetic church

For Derwin Gray, lead pastor of the multicultural Transformation Church in Indian Land, South Carolina, how the church understands and defines itself matters.  

“When we talk about the ecclesia, when we talk about the Church, [its] blood-bought people who have been redeemed by King Jesus through His epic accomplishments, His sinless life, His atoning sacrificial death, His resurrection and through the sealing of the Spirit. We are this family,” Gray told CP. 

The way Gray interprets his own church as apostolic is that they, as a group of followers of Jesus, are built on the apostles' message: Christ crucified and risen from the dead. He describes his congregation as rooted in the New Testament and the early church councils and the foundation of the apostles is what drives them. 

A genuinely apostolic church is about the establishment of God’s rule and reign on Earth, and that those who trust in Jesus are part of His new creation, he said.

Gray added that a truly apostolic leader is a messenger planting such churches rooted in the historic realities of the Church. 

To be prophetic, then, means: “Thus saith the Lord.” 

“With the canon of Scripture, thus saith the Lord, is the text, the Scripture, primarily the redeeming work of Jesus through the Spirit to the glory of the Father,” the pastor said.

The gift of prophecy, as explained in 1 Corinthians, is for the purpose of edification, encouragement and speaking a timely word to people. It's to be twofold, he said, both to be “here’s what God says” and those gifted with the gift of prophecy who are used by God to edify and exhort the Church. 

Both leaders who inhabit an office and laypersons who have the giftings can flow in the prophetic in this way, Gray said. 

“We don’t view prophecy as ‘Hey, in three days this is going to happen.’ We view it as God spoke it, here’s the Word, and then the gift of prophecy in encouragement and edification.”

Where the Church is going in the coming years

Gray said there needs to be "local bodies of churches of all shapes and sizes."

“My main thing is that there is qualified leadership with integrity and that people are being equipped for the work of ministry," Gray explained. "That may be a house church or a big church, a small church. I’m not concerned about the form. I’m more concerned about the function. And every believer is a royal priest. Every believer has been enlisted in Jesus’ ministry and mission, and so that’s what we need to do.”

“This is not a job for me, this is a calling,” he said of his own role, “and our staff is called to serve our Body.”

According to the former NFL player-turned-pastor, being an apostolic church doesn't mean that "everyone on our staff is more spiritually mature than someone who works at Bank of America."

"Every believer is supposed to be equipped to be a minister and missionary in how you go about that in various forms, just go about it," he assured. "If it’s a house church, go about it. If it’s a megachurch, go about it.”

This will, however, require a paradigm shift for many American Christians, as many have accepted, perhaps unwittingly, varying degrees of what some call “consumerist Christianity.” 

Gray attributes this to unwise pastors who teach an imbalanced theology where “Jesus basically functions as the dream-giver,” and believers are asked to participate in His Kingdom so that they can reach their potential.

The Gospel, by contrast, holds that Jesus is the King who invites people into His Kingdom by grace through faith, and the Holy Spirit equips in order to join in the call to reconcile everything in Christ, he said, referencing Ephesians 1:10.

“We’ve got to move from consumerism to participation," Gray stressed. "But pastors and leaders have to teach that, and a lot of times they are afraid to because America is a consumptive society and the great majority of the Church is also a consumptive society."

While churches of all shapes and sizes are everywhere, the Church-at-large in America is sick, he lamented.

“And I love [Jesus] too much to water down a message to draw consumers. God is calling people to participate in His Kingdom and it is by grace through faith. Jesus is Savior and Lord who wants to do His life in us and through us. And here’s what’s beautiful: When we get that, it’s so much better than consumerism,” the 50 year old added. 

“And consumerism is like going into the candy store and getting sugar high and being sick for the rest of the week.” 

What has contributed to this, he added, is the seeker-sensitive model that starts with the homogenous unit principle. The principle says if you cater to people who look and think alike and share a socio-economic status and ethnicity, you can grow a church faster. Thus, sermons are crafted for them.

“The problem is that the Bible never says that.  The church is for Jesus,” he said. 

“When Jesus is exalted,” he continued, quoting John 12:32, “it says He will draw all men unto Himself."

Gray believes that many pastors have been baptized into the homogenous unit principle. Many have learned that people really like the rousing, inspiring content, so they forsake the teaching of doctrine and theology and avoid controversial topics.

What that ultimately yields is a “baptized Ted Talk and sprinkle of pixie dust of Jesus sprinkled on top of it,” he quipped. Yet because that has broad appeal, the model makes money, creating the incentive for it to keep going. 

There has to be a reformation among pastors where it is asked: “What is the King Jesus Gospel,” he continued.

“I firmly believe that it is expressed in Galatians 2:20 very beautifully. That I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. Though I live in this body by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. So Christ, God’s chosen One, God’s Elect, wants to live in us and through us to reproduce His life, and it’s by grace through faith."

Gray and his wife were under the conviction that the early Church was a multiethnic group of believers in Jesus that had unity through the blood of Jesus, of Jews and Gentiles. This is rooted in God’s promise to Abraham that he would be given a multiethnic family. Jesus, being the seed of Abraham, through his redemptive work not only forgives sins but creates a family of brothers and sisters of many colors.

The good news of the Gospel, which centers on the work of Christ on the cross, is that God is getting His family back. And as the family learns to love each other, they image forth the glory of God, and as an invitation into this family as well. 

Yet, as children of the European Enlightenment, American Christians like to break everything down to pieces and parts, Gray said. 

“And the reality is, the Hebraic understanding of our faith is the Hebrew Shema,” Gray said, which is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

'Underneath those sandcastles were idols'

Gray warned that there is "no domain in which the love of God in Christ does not influence and flex its muscle."

“And what has happened is that there are a lot of people who were involved in movements where they’ve seen incredible hypocrisy, where they’ve seen core leadership get up and speak an incredible sermon, thousands of people come to faith, but yet the pastors aren’t living the message," he continued.

"And I think for a lot of them, they were baptized into a thin shallow Gospel, and so they’re tired.”

This often sets in motion a process of deconstruction where they become progressive Left, he explained. 

“When you deconstruct Jesus Christ, you’re no longer a Christian,” Gray emphasized.

“As a pastor-theologian, I think the Church needs to be more theological one, not less. I think the Church needs to be more Christological, not less. I think the Church needs to be more Gospel-centered, not less. I think we need to view the Church as an equipping institution.”

Speaking specifically to the American Church, Gray believes that many were like children on a beach building sandcastles. 

“But we didn’t know that the tide was rising and it’s going to wash all that away. COVID-19 has been a rising tide that has washed those sandcastles away. And underneath those sandcastles were idols,” he offered.

He believes the Holy Spirit is challenging the Church, asking the Church if she is ready to do away with those idols, and allow Him to knock them down.

“Are you ready to allow me to tip over political nationalism idol, tip over the greed idol, the pride idol, are you ready to allow me to tip over the pornography idol, and so many more?” he asked.

“And so if we’re in a posture where God is saying, ‘Listen, it’s time for you to rediscover who I am and never forget that individual salvation only exists so God can have a Church, a family. And this family, when Jesus went to the Cross, sin died in His body, but in the resurrection, all of us went to live in His body."

“Thus, treat each other as such.”

13 Prophetic Practices That Are Detrimental to the Church

JOSEPH MATTERA



As I was musing over prophetic ministry, I have come up with some of the top practices I think are either harmful or manipulative. I write this article as someone who has been involved in some form of prophetic ministry for more than three decades. Consequently, I have witnessed the "good, the bad and the ugly"! (My experience has been overwhelmingly positive.)

My purpose in writing this article is to encourage best practices for the edification of the local church and beyond (in no particular order).

Unaccountable Prophets
I have learned never to invite a prophetic leader to minister if I do not know who they are aligned with (in other words, who do they have to mediate if a sin or moral violation is uncovered in their life?).

One of the most dangerous weapons in the hand of our enemy is an anointed leader who is not accountable to anybody else.

Individualistic Prophetic Words

All prophecies, both in the Old and New Testaments, were given in the context of the assembly of the Lord.

There was no such thing as "individual destiny," "individual vision" or personal, isolated words. Even prophetic words given to individuals in the Old Testament were either directly or indirectly related to the recipient's assignment for the nation of Israel.

In the New Testament, the gifts of the Spirit (including prophecy) were enumerated in detail by Paul the apostle in the context of Holy Communion, discerning the church and with the understanding of the corporate body of Christ. (See the manifestations of the Spirit explained in 1 Corinthians 12:4-8, which was written in the context of the church gathering that started in chapter 11, explicated corporately in 1 Corinthians 12:12-30, and applied and judged by other prophetic people in the assembly as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:29.)

Flattering Words
I have seen prophetic people come into churches and flatter the pastor and other key leaders in the church (whether it was motivated intentionally or unconsciously, I do not know).

I cannot tell you how many pastors I have met who claimed they received a prophetic word declaring them to be "an apostle" or that "their church will be the congregation to usher revival into their region." These kinds of prophetic words excite the congregation and the pastor, but unfortunately, most of the time, the only result is that the prophet gets invited back since it generated excitement! (And if said prophetic words do not come to pass the prophet can always get off the hook by stating that "the prophetic words are always conditional" upon the faith and obedience of the recipients!)

Soulish Words
I had one person come into our church on two occasions who only prophesied accurately regarding the persons he had prior knowledge of based upon conversations with me. When he prophesied over those he had no prior knowledge of he missed it by a mile! (I subsequently strongly corrected this prophetic person and never had him back again.) Since that bad experience, I never speak about anything or anybody in our church to a prophetic person I invite to minister to the house.

I have also seen some people (in our own local church) prophesy out of their own soul based on internal issues they were grappling with that they attempted to put on the rest of the church. In addition, I have witnessed people prophesy to the church that which was personally troubling them or convicting them. Instead of recognizing that the word was solely for them, they spoke it out to the church. (In essence, they denied the word was for them and tried to get everyone else to be convicted!)

Words Given to Wealthy People
I have noticed that some prophetic people habitually find the wealthiest people in a local church and give them prophecies. Unfortunately, I believe the underlying motivation some have is to make a personal connection with "money people" so they can stay in touch with them and be personally supported.

Match-Making Words
Over the years I have seen prophecies come forth (only a few times, thank the Lord!) that attempted to connect two people together or paint a vivid picture of what their future spouse will look like.

By and large, these words are usually inaccurate and can cause much consternation, confusion and hurt for the recipients of the prophetic word. (Many will go everywhere trying to match the vivid picture of the prophecy with every person they meet and wonder "if this is the person" mentioned in the prophecy that they should marry!)

Words Commissioning People as Apostles to Nations
In the past few decades I have seen people being proclaimed as "apostles to certain cities or nations." This can damage the recipient of the prophetic word (it can puff them up with pride and presumption) as well as the body of Christ in their region (pastors will have their guard up, wondering if and when the so-called "apostle" will attempt to exert authority over them in their region).

Truth be told, in certain complex cities like New York City, there are so many people, streams, denominations and networks (not even including the various ethnic networks that do not speak or understand English), that there will usually never be "one apostle" to a city, but a divergence of apostolic gifts that can contextualize and speak to the needs of the whole city. (The Jerusalem church had 12 apostles, not one.)

Words Assigning a Governmental Role in the Local Church
I have had prophetic people prophesy to our congregation, sending me out of the house as a trans-local minister and appointing one of the associate pastors as my successor (this happened in the late 1980s and was not only bad protocol, but an inaccurate word!).

We now give out guidelines and protocols to visiting ministers instructing them never to appoint a person in our church an elder, or a leader, or "send them out of the house" (or be a match-maker) without first privately clearing the prophetic word with myself or one of our elders.

Words That Point Back to the Prophet
According to 1 Corinthians 12:3, when the Holy Spirit speaks He always exalts Jesus as Lord; in other words, the Spirit points back to Jesus and glorifies God. If and when a prophetic word comes forth that exalts or praises the speaker (or prophet), that is a warning that both the prophetic word and the prophet are out of line and should be shut down.

Words That Violate the Plain Teaching of Scripture
I hope it is obvious that any prophetic word that comes forth that violates one of the cardinal tenets of Scripture should be discarded.

So-called prophetic people who preach a different gospel, or heretical views related to the Triune God or that contradict the Word of God, should be strongly corrected. (And in many cases sat down from ministry until they demonstrate they understand the elementary doctrines of the faith.)

Proverbs 30:5 (ESV) says: "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar."

Prophecies Given Without Pastoral Oversight and Application
I always cringe when I see prophetic gatherings open to the public wherein prophetic words are given to believers without their pastor, elder or mature leader required to be present to judge the prophetic words.

First Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:21 both require that every prophetic word be judged in the context of the local church: How can a conference speaker or stranger judge and apply a prophetic word accurately without understanding the life history and context of the individual they give a prophetic word to?

Giving prophetic words without a mature leader present is both dangerous to the one delivering the prophetic word (because said prophetic word can be taken out of context) and to the one hearing it (because most people are guilty of selective hearing and will only like certain parts of the word and ignore the corrective aspects of it).

Self-Appointed Social Media Prophets and Prophecies
With the advent of social media, self-appointed prophets have now arisen who frequently give prophetic words to cities, nations and even individuals.

Who are these people? Who has vetted their life and ministry? How healthy is their marriage? Who are they accountable to? Unfortunately, charismatic, media-smart, anointed people can utilize social media to garner a huge platform; while at the same time bypassing the grid of the local church along with biblical criteria for leadership (see 1 Tim. 3:1-8).

When People Prophesy Beyond Their Faith and Grace Gift
I have witnessed many people who were accurate when it came to dispensing individual prophecies, but who missed it big time when they attempted to give prophetic words to cities, regions and nations.

Very few have been able to transition from an individual to a corporate anointing in the prophetic. People make the mistake of thinking that just because they have a grace upon their life to minister to individuals, they can eventually graduate to ministering to nations, but this is not always a certainty.

In conclusion, may the Lord grant the body of Christ the ability to appreciate and celebrate this powerful and profound gift of prophecy (Paul singled out prophecy more than other gifts because of its great ability to edify the church; see 1 Corinthians 14:2,5), as well as to properly train and nurture prophetic people so that we may avoid the prophetic missteps stated in this article.

The Catholic Church is headed for another sex abuse scandal as #NunsToo speak up

Updated February 16, 2019 8.49pm AEDT



All eyes will turn to Rome between 21-24 February, when senior church clerics across the world meet to discuss how to handle the widening sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. Until recently, this has been focused on the abuse of children. But now Pope Francis has admitted – for the first time – sexual abuse by priests against religious women exists and must be acknowledged.

And Catholic women are speaking out, under the #NunsToo hashtag.

Twenty-five years ago, Irish nun, Maura O'Donohue prepared an extensive report for the Vatican on the abuse of nuns internationally by priests. Her report was based on information supplied by priests, doctors and others, and she had been assured records existed for several of the incidents. But the report was covered up.

In late November, influenced by the success of the #MeToo movement, a group of women theologians convened a meeting – called Voices of Faith – in Rome to share their stories of sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of male clerics, and decry the patriarchy of the Catholic hierarchy.

Doris Wagner, a German theologian, recalled her terror as a young woman in a mixed-gender religious order. A superior of the order entered her room one night and raped her. She knew if she were to report this, she would be told it was her fault, so she kept quiet. Years later, she did tell her superior, who did exactly as she feared – she blamed her, and asked if she had used contraceptives.

Wagner said she was later groomed by priest Hermann Geissler. He worked in the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican organisation that deals with complaints of child sexual abuse. This led to a series of sexual assaults in the confessional, which she reported.

Geissler was found to have acted inappropriately but was not removed from his job, despite working on child sex abuse cases. He was publicly outed and resigned only after Wagner disclosed the story at the meeting in Rome last year. But the priest who committed the rape is still ordained and living in a religious community with young women.

Wagner also read from a report that estimated up to 30% of Catholic sisters had been sexually abused and many more are at risk of clerical sexual abuse.



In Australia, reports suggest the number of Catholic women abused by priests vastly outnumber the survivors of child sexual abuse uncovered by the royal commission into the issue. These women and men often came from strict religious families, and had little experience of the world or sexual matters.

As this group finds its voice and begins to speak out, the leadership of the Church will face another crisis of legitimacy and round of public inquiries.

It is clear the sexual abuse of women, children and vulnerable adults has been normalised in Catholic clerical culture. Abuse is exercised at every level of ministry, from parish priest to the most senior clerics. Perpetrators are protected and victims silenced. This is aided by a culture of clerical entitlement and opportunity.

The child sex abuse royal commission’s final report provided ample evidence of this. It states:

Few survivors of child sexual abuse that occurred before the 1990s described receiving any formal response from the relevant Catholic Church authority when they reported the abuse. Instead, they were often disbelieved, ignored or punished, and in some cases were further abused.

Recently, a number of international cases have seen very senior Catholic clerics accused of protecting perpetrators of child sexual abuse. A Philadelphia Grand Jury recently found Church leaders protected more than 300 priest perpetrators. Australia’s royal commission also noted:

… the avoidance of public scandal, the maintenance of the reputation of the Catholic Church and loyalty to priests… largely determined the responses of Catholic Church authorities when allegations of child sexual abuse arose… Complaints of child sexual abuse were not reported to police or other civil authorities…

There are also cases of high-level clerical sexual abusers, including serial offender US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who is now being defrocked, and Argentian bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, who has been accused of sexual misconduct with young seminarians. Pope Francis’ response was to remove Zanchetta from Argentina and promote him to a position of power in the Vatican’s finance office.

Francis has not adequately handled a number of crises. This includes last year, when he defended a Chilean bishop who had covered up cases of child sexual abuse. As US feminist theologian Mary Hunt says, “you can’t make this stuff up”.

Little information has been provided about the agenda for the upcoming, so-called “protection of minors in the Church” meeting in late February. But it’s clear there will be no survivors, lay women or men in attendance – just the bishops, senior Vatican officials and Pope Francis.

This is the cohort who has protected priest perpetrators, covered up hundreds of cases, failed to report criminal activity to the police, blamed victims and promoted the guilty to positions of power. It is clear the answers to this catastrophic problem will not come from Church leaders. Instead, it is victims, survivors, lay people and experts in institutional change that need to be leading the dialogue, and enacting change. And one such group may be the Voices of Faith.

This article previously referred to the group “Voices of Faith” as “Voices of Change”. This has now been fixed.

Vatican Will Open Secret Archives of Nazi-Era Pope Accused of Ignoring Holocaust

03-05-2019 Emily Jones

Pope Pius XII on balcony at St Peter's Basilica in April 1955 (AP video screenshot)

Pope Francis announced on Monday that he will open up the Vatican archives on Pope Pius XII, a World-War-II-era pope who has been criticized for allegedly staying silent while the Nazi's executed millions of Jews.

Declaring that "the church isn't afraid of history," Francis said Pope Pius' records will be open to researchers beginning March 2, 2020. The Vatican usually waits 70 years after a pope dies to open up their archives, but the church has been under pressure to open Pius' while Holocaust survivors are still alive.

Francis defended Pius' legacy, saying it has been treated with "some prejudice and exaggeration" but also included "moments of grave difficulties, tormented decisions of human and Christian prudence, that to some could appear as reticence."

Jewish groups have been calling for full access to the archives for decades and welcomed the move.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem supported the decision to open the archives and said it expects "researchers will be granted full access to all the documents stored in the archives."

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) also commended the decision.

"It is particularly important that experts from the leading Holocaust memorial institutes in Israel and the US objectively evaluate as best as possible the historical record of that most terrible of times, to acknowledge both the failures as well as the valiant efforts made during the period of the Shoah [Holocaust] ," said Rabbi David Rosen, the AJC's International Director of Interreligious Affairs.

The Rabbi also called Francis' decision "enormously important to Catholic-Jewish relations."

Israel's ministry of foreign affairs expressed hope that the Vatican would truly grant "free access to all relevant archives."

The opening of the archives is interpreted as part of the effort to decide if Pius should be declared a saint, a decision that is undoubtedly controversial.

His critics accuse him of not doing enough to combat the Nazi regime. Pius did not publicly speak out against the deportation of Roman Jews to Auschwitz and did not sign a declaration in December 1942 condemning Nazi Germany’s murder of European Jews.

Pius' defenders argue that some convents and other religious institutes in Italy hid Jews from the Nazis.

Many hope the opening of Pius' archives will settle the debate on his Legacy.

Monsignor Sergio Pagano, who is in charge of the Vatican Secret Archive, said on Monday that thousands of files, letters, and other material will be made available.

Pagano wrote in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano Monday that the archives "spoke, speak, and, I hope, will speak to researchers and to historians of an almost superhuman work of Christian humanism" amid mid-20th-century events "that seemed determine to annihilate the very notion of human civilization."

Leading New Testament Scholar Reveals How to Recognize False Apostles

Author's note: This is a guest column by my friend, Craig Keener, one of the world's leading New Testament scholars.

As I speak in various countries, there is increasing concern about "apostles" who compete with each other in rival miracle claims, followings and income. They view apostleship as a high-status and lucrative office to which they may be promoted if successful in lower roles. The complaint is not about using the title "apostle" simply for overseers, the way some churches use "bishop" or "superintendent." The complaint is about those who demand special recognition.

I do not deny the importance of genuine apostleship. Biblically, it is among the gifts that Christ's church needs to bring us to maturity (Eph 4:11-13). Although the Twelve Apostles are no longer with us, Paul clearly uses the term "apostle" more broadly than that (Rom 11:13, 16:7; 1 Cor. 15:5-7; Gal 1:19; 1 Thess. 2:6). He probably applies it to those involved in cutting-edge, sacrificial, groundbreaking evangelism that lays foundations in new spheres (see Rom. 15:20).

Yet Paul, an apostle, denounced false apostles (2 Cor. 11:13). Jesus commended an ancient church for testing those who claim to be apostles and calling out those who were false (Rev. 2:2). Similarly, Jeremiah, a true prophet, denounced false prophecy, clearly dissociating the true from the false. "'For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the Lord" (Jer. 23:28, NIV).

What are some criteria that can help us distinguish true from false apostles?

First, false apostles seek their own honor. They promote themselves more than Jesus. Paul's rivals in Corinth boasted in themselves (2 Cor. 10:17-18, 11:12), and indeed were flashier speakers than Paul (11:6). Yet Paul warns that these "super-apostles" (11:5) are false apostles (11:13), servants of Satan (11:14-15).

Paul also warned church elders that some of them would "arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30; see Mark 3:19). That they draw disciples after themselves, rather than after the Lord Jesus, reveals their deadly error. Jesus warns against seeking titles for ourselves (Matt 23:7-11); the truly greatest must be the servant (Mark 9:35; 10:43). Although true apostles are first in role (1 Cor 12:28), they appear last in terms of worldly status (4:9). As Rolland and Heidi Baker put it, "Our desired direction is always lower still. The apostle is in the lowest position of all."

It is true that we live in a world dominated by marketing. In most capitalist countries with freedom of religion, the religious "market" favors those with adequate promotion. It is right for true teachers to promote God's message that they bring, especially when needed to counter false teaching. At the same time, "we are not peddlers of God's word like so many" (2 Cor 2:17, NRSV); "we don't proclaim ourselves, but instead Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus's sake" (4:5; cf. 1 Pet 5:3). True apostles serve Christ and his people, not seek to dominate them. As Randy Clark says, "Biblical apostleship focuses on serving rather than ruling. Jesus said the greatest of all would be the servant of all."

Second, false apostles exploit the flock. In the Bible, some leaders were in it just for the money (Mic. 3:11), exploiting God's people for greed and forgetting the Lord who bought us (2 Pet. 2:1-3). God's servants must be different (2 Cor. 2:17, 1 Thess. 2:5).

In the late first or early second century, an early Christian writing called the Didache urges discernment of true and false apostles, adding: "if he asks for money, he's a false prophet" (Did. 11.6). Of course, funds are necessary; Paul raised money for the church in Jerusalem and welcomed support for his mission (Rom. 15:24, 2 Cor 10:15). But the Didache's criterion here seems to be an emergency response to a setting in which pretend apostles were taking advantage of God's people. God will punish those who exploit people (Ezek. 34:2-4, 10; Matt 24:45-51).

Some false ministers avoid even the hardship of saying something unpopular. In Jeremiah's day, false prophets comforted Israel with what they wanted to hear instead of confronting their sin (Jer. 6:14, 8:11). They assumed that because other prophets said it, it must be true (Jer. 23:30). Paul also warns about people following whoever tells them just what they want to hear (see 2 Tim 4:3-4).

Finally, true apostles sacrifice for Christ. This often involves suffering for God's purposes (Matt. 10:2, 9-11, 16-39; Mark 6:8-9; Luke 9:3-4; 10:3-4; 11:49; 1 Cor. 4:9-13; 2 Tim. 1:11-12; Rev. 18:20). Although true apostles have signs (Matt. 10:8, Mark 6:7, 2 Cor 12:12), sometimes even false preachers have those (Ex. 7:11, Matt 7:22-23). When Paul wants to distinguish himself from the rival, false apostles trying to sway his converts in Corinth, Paul appeals to his sacrifices and sufferings for the gospel (2 Cor. 11:23-33). Paul had broken new ground, sacrificially reaching the Corinthians for Christ. His rivals, instead of evangelizing new ground or laying new foundations, tried to lure away his converts after themselves (2 Cor. 10:12-16; see Rom 15:20).

True apostles, like true prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers, are gifts to Christ's body to equip all members of the body for their ministries (Eph. 4:11-13). They must honor the body's head, Christ, with whom each member of the body has a direct connection (Eph. 4:15-16). By speaking Christ's true message, apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers must nurture the body to maturity so that believers are protected against false teachings (Eph. 4:13-14).

In sum, true apostles are sacrificial servants for Christ's body. Those who believe they fill this role today must serve Christ's body sacrificially. Sometimes this sacrifice must include protecting Christ's flock from false apostles.

Craig Keener is professor of biblical studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and the best-selling author of more than 25 books. His most recent book is Not Afraid of the Antichrist: Why We Don't Believe in a Pretribulation Rapture, co-authored with Michael L. Brown.