Sexual Violence in the Church

Issues

There is no disagreement that sexual violence within communities of faith such as churches and mission organizations is wrong. Views differ, however, on who should handle such cases and by what procedures, and on whether a pastor who has committed abuse may return to ministry. A frequently noted feature of such abuse is that victims find it difficult to come forward, because the pastor's spiritual authority is at work and the abuse occurs within pastoral relationships such as counseling, the laying on of hands, and pastoral visitation.

The Position Emphasizing Church Self-Governance and Restoration

• Argument: Proponents hold that matters within the church should first be handled through church discipline (discipline under church law). They maintain that public condemnation before the facts are established, as well as false accusations, should be guarded against. They argue that if the offender sincerely repents, a path to restoration should also be opened.
• Key passages: Matthew 18:15-17 (step-by-step admonition), 1 Corinthians 6:1-7 (believers refraining from going to law against one another before secular courts), Galatians 6:1 (restoring one who has sinned in the spirit of meekness), and 2 Samuel 12 and Psalm 51, which deal with David's repentance.
• Proponents: Few denominations have adopted this position as official doctrine. It appears mainly in the practices and attitudes of local congregations and presbyteries.

The Position Emphasizing Victim Protection and Strict Punishment

• Argument: Proponents hold that because of the power imbalance between pastors and congregants, internal church procedures alone are prone to cover-ups and secondary victimization (blaming or ostracizing the victim). They therefore call for cooperation with law enforcement and specialized agencies. They argue that pastors who have committed sexual offenses should be deposed and barred from returning to ministry.
• Key passages: 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:7 (a bishop must be blameless), Matthew 18:6 (the sin of causing little ones to stumble), Romans 13:1-4 (the role of governing authorities), and Ephesians 5:11.
• Proponents: Civic organizations such as the Christian Center Against Sexual Violence, founded in 2018, are representative of this position. In 2025 the judicial commission of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea sentenced a pastor who had admitted to charges of sexual offenses against women in the congregation to deposition and excommunication. The commission stated that he must be separated from the community of faith.

The Situation in the Korean Church

• Gaps in discipline: In Presbyterian churches, the discipline of ministers is generally the responsibility of the judicial commission of the presbytery to which they belong. If an offender resigns or leaves the denomination before discipline is imposed, the discipline no longer reaches him. Critics therefore point to cases in which offenders continue in ministry in another denomination or overseas. According to the Christian Center Against Sexual Violence, of the 42 cases it received in 2024, only 3 resulted in denominational discipline. Of the 8 cases in which discipline was requested, the offender resigned or withdrew before discipline was imposed in 5.
• Denominational responses: The Committee for Research on the Prevention of Sexual Violence in the Church, under the Department of Domestic Mission of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap), has published a manual on preventing and responding to sexual violence, along with a manual for church schools, and distributed them to presbyteries. The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea maintains a General Assembly Committee on Sexual Violence. In a 2021 statement by its president, the Korea Baptist Convention announced that it would add a course on sexual violence to its ordination training. In the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong), a response manual was prepared in accordance with an overture submitted to the 107th General Assembly, but the Assembly's executive committee requested theological revisions.
• Patterns of victimization: The Christian Center Against Sexual Violence reported that it had assisted in 421 cases (534 victims) through 2025. In 2025, 94 percent of victims were women.

Questions for Reflection

• What procedures are needed to ensure that speaking of forgiveness and restoration does not turn into a demand that victims remain silent?
• How might roles be divided between church discipline and the judicial processes of the state?
• How can the presumption of innocence and personal privacy be protected while denominations share information about offenders?