In 2018, I flew out to Atlanta, GA, to be a part of a small apologetics leadership group meeting at the RZIM headquarters. This was about 5 months after the Christianity Today article wherein Ravi Zacharias defended himself against the allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with Lori Anne Thompson.
We spent much of the day discussing issues relevant to apologetics and how various ministries could work together to be more effective for the kingdom of God. Ravi was given an opportunity to speak from his heart for about an hour, and he was forthcoming about the scandal that had embroiled him the last few months. He was deeply saddened by everything that had conspired, and encouraged everyone in the room to be diligent about personal integrity.
In light of the exposé by Christianity Today in September 2020 and an independent investigation that was released in full last week, I can only conclude that Ravi Zacharias lied to every single person in that room as he defended himself and perpetuated more lies about the scandal. I should have retracted my earlier article about Ravi Zacharias, but found it incredibly difficult to write a response in a timely matter because I have been so utterly discouraged and ashamed by the news.
First, I must apologize and repent for my complicity in praising Ravi Zacharias as a hero to be admired.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, it’s clear that Ravi had been living a double life for decades, and even when presented with evidence to the contrary, I continued to allow my admiration for him to cloud me from seeing the truth.
During that 2018 meeting, Ravi described how he had broken his back early on from sleeping on so many people’s couches as he did ministry all over the world. It turns out, he was masterful at creating sympathy and admiration for his condition that would give him the excuses he needed to travel around with a masseuse. (This was his cover for sexually abusing and raping the unfortunate women who were his massage therapists.)
Someone during the meeting asked Ravi what kinds of pitfalls we should avoid as ministers of the gospel. Ravi focused on integrity. He pushed us to make sure that our financials were above board. He spoke of the dangers of counseling people individually and how that can lead to scandal, especially when corresponding with those of the opposite sex. He shared how these interactions can be manipulated and used by the enemy to take us down. He talked about the spiritual warfare he experienced in his life as he described how his family was threatened multiple times and even had to deal with stalkers and other security risks. He ended by talking about how much he regretted not being more involved as a father to his family.
I soaked up his every word and questioned none of it. Even when his explanations of what happened with the nude photographs didn’t quite match up, I chose to ignore them and to defer instead to the celebrity and charisma of Ravi. I’m ashamed of how I defended him in personal conversations with others who would question the events of the scandals surrounding his career.
Second, I have to be honest about my anger.
I’m furious that Ravi “got away” with this behavior for years, and I’m livid at the senior leadership of RZIM for not standing up for the victims of Ravi’s abuse and for only acting in ways to cover themselves.
The reports of what he said and did are horrifying for their sexual and spiritual abuses. The fact that he even had the nerve to pray with the women he was abusing is disgusting and wretched. This kind of bold faced evil is hard to read about.
I have come to see that there is very little separating Ravi and a cult leader like Warren Jeffs, the spiritual abuser of the polygamist Short Creek Community in Utah. Some may find this comparison too harsh, but given the trauma and havoc that was left behind in the wake of Jeff’s toxic leadership, I believe it to be an apt comparison.
I mourn for the women that Ravi abused, and especially for Lori Anne Thompson, whose character was maligned for years as she had to suppress the truth under an oppressive NDA. If Ravi had abused my daughter, my sister, or my wife, my anger would overflow, and I would want swift justice. Even though Ravi died before he could personally reckon with the full scope of the investigation, as Colin Hansen notes in his article at TGC, the judgment of God is real, and we can place our hope in the truth that God’s justice will be done.
Third, what about Ravi’s legacy, his ministry, and his teachings?
As much as I hate what Ravi did, I also understand that if he taught the truth, his character does not undo the facts that he preached about. If a racist murderer teaches someone that 2 + 2 = 4, the truth of that math equation is not annulled by the character of the person teaching it. Or if someone buys you a car and teaches you that 2 + 2 = 3, it doesn’t mean that because their generosity did good for you, their teaching is true. In this sense, Ravi’s teachings and illustrations can stand as truth on their own.
However, in light of his duplicity and moral failure, I will no longer be recommending his teachings, his books, etc. to others as they’re all tainted by the scandal and hypocrisy of his life. His life is a stumbling block to the truth of the gospel. Thankfully, there are many other resources I can point people towards.
Fourth, what do I do as a leader?
My personal repentance as a leader means that I must re-evaluate the areas where I am biased and blind to abuse; be it sexual, spiritual, emotional, etc. Where has my discomfort or unfamiliarity with these things led to ignore or worse, enable this kind of behavior in me and my spheres of influence?
I am responsible for creating a ministry environment where it’s safe to report abuse, and that the victims of abuse will not be gaslighted, manipulated, or ignored. It’s my responsibility to defend and protect those under my care. I admit that I have much to learn about sexual and spiritual abuse, and how to help those affected by these things, and I must not be so prideful as to ask for help and accountability in these areas.*
I partnered with RZIM as a church leader for many years because I wanted our congregants to know the truth of the gospel and how to share that truth with others. But simply knowing the truth is not enough; the Christian witness is not being harmed by a lack of knowledge, but a lack of integrity and faithfulness. I have to humble myself and recognize that I am capable of doing much harm when I disconnect gospel application from gospel truth in my own heart.
I also need to evaluate my own guardrails and ask the hard questions of whether or not I have some kind of accountability as a leader. I know that in my Asian church contexts, this is very difficult because of our point-leadership driven structures. However, it’s devastatingly clear that we must make efforts to be accountable to our people in order to protect the church as a whole.
Lastly, as I have been reflecting on the gospel of Philippians, this paragraph from Paul has been life-giving in the midst of discouragement:
“[17] Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. [18] For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:17–21)
Even though Ravi was a failure, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t genuine spiritual heroes out there. I know of men and women who have lived faithful lives, loving Jesus, serving the church, and making an impact in their family and community. They were not celebrity pastors, but ordinary church members that served and loved and let their hospitality and work ethic shine a light onto the gospel that changed their very hearts.
I need to be reminded that it’s my everyday leaning on Christ’s power that transforms me. This is why Paul was so confident in telling others to follow him in his example, because he wasn’t leading from a place of hubris or ego, but he was leading from a place of weakness. He was very aware of those whose lives would be a hindrance to the gospel, and he mourned for them. But he never gave up hope that Christ can transform us from the inside out.
From the church grandmother that hosted a community group in her home every week for over a decade, to the elder that ran our church’s kitchen as a training ground for gospel servanthood, I am hopeful that Christ’s church will prove to be more faithful than these kinds of scandals would lead us to believe. Our hope is not in charismatic church leaders, but Christ alone, who leads and guides his church.