NAVIGATING THE MURKY WATERS OF ABUSE
In 1 Timothy, Paul teaches that the Church is the household of God. Now, different images may come to mind when each of us thinks about a happy and healthy household. If you're anything like me, your mind will run straight to a family table to gather friends and relatives, much joy and laughter over a delicious meal, and an open door to welcome newcomers. Whatever your mental picture, it is unlikely that the first thing that comes into your mind's eye is plumbing! Yet, if you don't maintain this crucial area - if you dismiss it as merely a nuisance when it goes wrong - then rather than enjoying rich fellowship with friends old and new, soon or later you will find yourself wading knee-deep in filth.
In Hot Tub Religion: Christian Living in a Materialistic World, J.I. Packer says that the business of the theologian is 'to make sure that the church has what I will call a pure water system—thinking of the word of God as the water of life. You could describe him, therefore, as a kind of ecclesiastical plumber, or sewage engineer.' Packer compares false teaching to the waste water which must therefore be dealt with, because theologians 'are the people whose business is to keep the flow clear and pure.'
Whilst nothing can be added to the Living Water, I think we should extend Packer's comparison — of waste water with the poison of heterodox instruction —to also include ungodly actions. You see, there are twin dangers that can fill the Church with foul matter: toxic words and toxic works. Their relationship is symbiotic, but not always transparent. Just because a local church is known for gospel growth through relational evangelism, it doesn’t mean to say there aren’t issues regarding sexual abuse in the youth work. Similarly, whilst one of its ministers may be able to do theological gymnastics in the pulpit, there may be enduring problems when it comes to coercive control. The mission of the Church is rarely glamorous work, but reluctance to deal with the mess and muck of ministry never plays out well.
In order to run a happy and healthy household, the plumbing needs to be in good all-round working order. Likewise, for any church to function properly, as well as the waste words of heterodoxy being flushed away, the waste works of abuse need to be suitably taken care of. Just as you can't feed the sheep unless you defend against the wolf, so any part of the Church that doesn't have a genuine plurality of leaders encouraging: good policies to restrict; training to recognise; whistleblowers to report; carers to respond to; and point people to record and refer abuse … 'is, sooner or later, going to be bogged down in muddy water.'
Recent scandals have made it all too clear that many churches, organisations and denominations need a dramatic overhaul of their “drainage” system. Where it doesn’t seem likely that the costly maintenance work will be done, at local or denominational level, then moving on may well be the healthiest option. However, it’s more than protective policies that need to change, people do. As ever, the emphasis needs to be firmly on spiritual formation in Christ, through repentance, faith, and a work of the Spirit, that cashes out in humility, purity, corporate wisdom and charitable care.
