I was a student at Bethel. Abuse must be dealt with, but I’m keeping my eyes on Jesus

Church scandals have rocked Tim Boxer’s faith in the past. But as new allegations emerge surrounding Bethel Church, he believes speculation is unhelpful. A resolve to deal with abuse needs to be coupled with keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, he says

Over the past ten years, many respected Christian leaders who, once known for their humble and holy life, have been discovered to not be what we thought they were. In some cases, having lied repeatedly while systematically abusing and bullying those around them.

And it’s not over yet. Like a runaway train picking up speed, it is hard to imagine a good outcome. And this heightened state of anguish, grief and terror at what might be ahead, has gripped many of us as we mourn what we once thought to be true in those we have followed.

For some of us, the leaders we once admired have been exposed as abusive. It is hard to believe - not because we want to allow abuse to continue or because we are uncaring, but because we really believed the best about those we looked up to.