Robert Peters has observed numerous incidents of abuse of power in evangelical churches. It is no coincidence that he is a former prosecutor who promoted child protection projects in rural and digital environments.

He is a member of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), a leading US entity that investigates situations of abuse that occur specifically in faith communities.

The work of the organisation, which brings together lawyers, psychologists, trauma experts and theologians, seeks to change the ‘culture of concealment’ that is still justified in some Christian circles, often due to a lack of real awareness of the destruction it causes at all levels.

Evangelical Focus has been following GRACE's work in recent months. The internal debate taking place in evangelical contexts in Europe, such as Spain this summer, makes Robert Peters' approach particularly interesting. He has answered questions from this media outlet.

Answer. A superficial approach to abuse never works itself out; rather, the sin is left to fester, spreading its poison throughout the culture of an organization and beyond. The ongoing crises in faith communities across the globe are a painful reminder that, as your director Joel Forster recently wrote, this is “a necessary conversation that is not new.”

These crises demonstrate that our historically passive and superficial approaches have been profoundly weak and have failed to resolve the deep cultural issues that enable abuse.



Beyond the practical failure of such a strategy, it is morally reprehensible and fundamentally un-Christian. Christ did not abandon the one lost sheep, nor did He turn away from the vulnerable.

As the Church, we are called to reflect His heart by prioritizing and protecting the vulnerable in our midst. This requires us to honestly and transparently root out evil, no matter the cost to our institutional reputation, and commit to the difficult work of creating a culture where safety and dignity are paramount.

[destacate]“A culture of concealment lies to victims and to the world about who God is and what He thinks of them” [/destacate]Q. What effects does a culture of concealment have on victims, the abuser’s church, and the surrounding society?



A. Our historically passive and superficial approaches have been profoundly weak and have failed to resolve the deep cultural issues that enable abuse. A culture of concealment lies to victims and to the world about who God is and what He thinks of them. It replaces the sacrificial love of Christ with a self-protective avarice that prioritizes an institution's image over the imago Dei in each person. Every individual is precious in the sight of God. To silence their voices and cover up their pain is to dehumanize them and do violence against their souls, often in the name of God.



The cost of this failure is severe, both for the individual and for the Church's collective witness. When the Church fails to live out its professed values, it signals to a watching world that it does not actually believe them. This hypocrisy erodes trust not only in a specific church but in the institution of the Church as a whole, crippling its moral authority and witness in society.



Q. What is the difference between committing adultery and spiritual and sexual abuse by a spiritual leader?



[destacate]“Any situation involving allegations of abuse requires faith leaders to seek external, expert consultation to ensure the process is handled with integrity and care” [/destacate]A. At GRACE, we define the abuse of pastoral or spiritual power as a pattern of coercive or controlling behavior in a religious context that relies, at least in part, on the perpetrator’s formal or informal position of leadership. To label clergy sexual abuse an “adultery” or an “affair” is an egregious misnomer that fundamentally misunderstands the power dynamics at play.



The term “adultery” assumes an equivalence of power between two individuals and the availability of meaningful, affirmative consent. In the context of a spiritual leader and a congregant, such equivalence does not exist. The inherent power imbalance, often coupled with sophisticated grooming tactics, invalidates any notion of true consent. We recently explored this topic in depth in a GRACE Live Conversation, available on YouTube, titled “It’s Not An Affair: Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse.”



[destacate]“When the Church fails to live out its professed values, it signals to a watching world that it does not actually believe them” [/destacate]Q. Are there common patterns in the profile of abusers within church contexts? What dynamics or characteristics tend to be repeated in those who abuse in Christian contexts?



A. Research establishes that common grooming behaviours are utilized by abusers across both secular and religious contexts. As researchers Spraitz and Bowen (2019) note, "Clergy... are no different than other child sex abusers with regard to grooming." Most sexual offenders self-identify as religious, meaning this is not a problem exclusive to the secular world, but one that directly affects all faith institutions. Indeed, faith communities are uniquely targeted by offenders as they are often perceived as places where they can identify victims and offend with impunity.



In religious settings, an additional, insidious layer of spiritual abuse is often added to standard grooming tactics. Abusers will weaponize Scripture, theology, and their spiritual authority to confuse, manipulate, and silence their victims. Asun Quintana's recent article in Evangelical Focus does a good job of laying out the specific language and tactics that illustrate this spiritual grooming. For those seeking to better understand these patterns, our new podcast, The GRACE Awakening: Reckoning with Abuse in the Church, serves as a helpful resource.

Q. In your experience, why do some pastors or leadership teams dig in their heels when faced with evidence of corruption? Why do some make the situation worse with a defensive approach?



A. The short answer is often poor theology and a profound lack of faith. If we truly believe that God is sovereign, we would not rush to protect the reputation of our man-made institutions, because God does not need our help. Too often, faith leaders listen to the self-preservation advice of their lawyers, insurance companies, or PR firms rather than to Jesus, who laid out in significant detail who and what we should protect and prioritize: the "least of these."



[destacate]“Faith communities are uniquely targeted by offenders as they are often perceived as places where they can identify victims and offend with impunity” [/destacate]In the United States specifically, we have often adopted grievously flawed criteria for leadership. We elevate charisma and the ability to fill church buildings over Biblical qualifications mandating character, humility, and integrity.

We should not be surprised when systems that incentivize character-deficient leadership produce leaders who fail in predictable ways when their character is tested.



Q. At what point should a case of abuse be made public?



A. This is a complex question that requires external consultation and a thoughtful application of trauma-informed principles to the specific facts of each case. There is no simple formula. Relevant decisions must include collaboration and mutuality with the victims who have come forward; their voices, safety, and well-being should be centered in any decision-making process.



The principles of trustworthiness and transparency with the congregation and the broader public are also critical. Ultimately, the guiding principle must be safety—both physical and psychological.

Our former executive director, Pete Singer, has a very helpful article, "Toward a More Trauma-Informed Church,” that explores these principles and offers guidance on how to live them out faithfully.



Q. How do you handle an international sex scandal that goes beyond the capabilities of the local church or even the national denomination?



[destacate]“Abusers will weaponize Scripture, theology, and their spiritual authority to confuse, manipulate, and silence their victims”[/destacate]A. Regardless of the scope of a scandal—whether local or international—the core principles for a faithful response remain the same. Any situation involving allegations of abuse requires faith leaders to seek external, expert consultation to ensure the process is handled with integrity and care. This is not a task that internal leadership, no matter how well-intentioned, is equipped to handle alone due to inherent conflicts of interest, proximity to key parties, and lack of specialized, trauma-informed expertise.



When facts are in dispute or a situation presents an urgent need to learn from mistakes and improve culture, a fully independent, third-party investigation is necessary. Such an investigation must be conducted by a multidisciplinary team that is free to follow the facts wherever they lead, ensuring a process that is thorough, trustworthy, and trauma-informed.



Q. If Grace or another organisation conducts an investigation, what is the recommended course of action with the report? What information collected and analysed should remain private and what information should be made public?



A. The purpose of a report is to equip a faith community with the truth necessary to foster healing, accountability, and reform. The leaders who receive the report have a profound responsibility to use it toward those ends. This requires a careful, trauma-informed approach that balances the critical need for institutional transparency with the equally critical need for survivor safety and empowerment.



[destacate]“If we truly believe that God is sovereign, we would not rush to protect the reputation of our man-made institutions”[/destacate]There is no one-size-fits-all answer for how a report’s findings should be shared, but the principles of safety and transparency are paramount. The path forward must be developed in consultation not only with external experts but with survivors, considering their voices and choices regarding the release of information.

For a faith community, next steps may include publicly sharing the report, holding informational meetings, and, most importantly, diligently implementing the recommended changes. The ultimate goal is not simply to release a document, but to catalyze a genuine movement toward a safer, healthier culture.

About Robert Peters

Robert Peters is Director of Institutional Response at GRACE. Prior to GRACE, Peters developed and delivered training, tools, and technical assistance to child abuse prosecutors and allied professionals across the United States through work with Zero Abuse Project and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). He is the creator of the STARK (Stopping Technology-Facilitated Abuse of Rural Kids) Prosecutor Symposium, and led the development of NOVA (Nexus for Open-Source Virtual Assistance), an open-source intelligence tool for law enforcement.

Robert Peters has served as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and Special Prosecutor in multiple West Virginia jurisdictions, where he specialized in the prosecution of sexual offenses, civil child abuse and neglect, and online child exploitation. In addition to authoring practical publications for child abuse prosecutors, he is published in peer-reviewed works such as the Handbook on Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and Florida Journal of International Law.

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