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NEW YORK (AP) – Ravi Zacharias, who died in May after a high-profile career leading a global Christian ministry, engaged in sexual misconduct with massage therapists and had numerous romantic extra-marital relationships through SMS and email, according to a scathing, detailed report from a law firm hired by the ministry.
Five of the therapists said Zacharias touched them inappropriately, and one said she was raped, according to the report. He said investigators searching Zacharias’ mobile devices found more than 200 photographs of younger women, including nude images of a salon worker in Malaysia.
In frank terms, the report by Miller & Martin, based in Atlanta, said that Zacharias lied when claiming in 2017 that “I have never engaged in any inappropriate behavior of any kind.”
Coinciding with the report’s release on Thursday, the board of directors of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries issued a statement of “corporate repentance”. The board has apologized for previous statements that denigrated the accusers and promised action to support victims, tackle abuse and harassment and reassess the management structure, which is overseen by Zacharias’ eldest daughter, Departmental CEO Sarah Davis.
“We are devastated by what the investigation has shown and are filled with sorrow for the women who have been hurt by this terrible abuse,” the council said.
Zacharias, who died of cancer at the age of 74, was a very popular author and speaker, with many celebrities and prominent Christian leaders among his admirers. Then-Vice President Mike Pence spoke at his memorial service in May, praising him as a great evangelist “armed with intellect, surrounded by truth and love.”
Zacharias founded his international ministry, known as RZIM, in 1984, with the mission of engaging in “Christian apologetics” – defending Christianity with powerful intellectual arguments. Based in suburban Atlanta, RZIM has operations in approximately 20 countries and a roster of dozens of traveling speakers.
In recent months, the organization has been plunged into crisis, precipitated by a September 29 article in the evangelical publication Christianity Today. The article claimed that over a period of approximately five years, Zacharias sexually harassed three women who worked as massage therapists at two-day spas he co-owned in a suburb of Atlanta.
RZIM management initially disputed the claims, saying the claims “do not in any way align with the man we have known for decades – we believe they are false.
However, he hired Martin & Miller in October, which in turn retained the services of a private investigative firm that included former federal police officers. The law firm said more than 50 people, including more than a dozen massage therapists, were interviewed and investigators were able to access data from four mobile devices used by Zacharias.
According to Martin & Miller, the data included romantic communications with numerous women and more than 200 photographs of women.
Among the photos were six of Lori Anne Thompson – a Canadian who claimed Zacharias had “prepared” her to engage in sexually explicit conversations online and possibly send indecent photos.
In 2017, Thompson and her husband sent Zacharias a letter asking for $ 5 million in return for a release from the complaints against him and the ministry. In response, Zacharias sued the Thompsons for extortion, but he quickly dropped that lawsuit and the parties eventually came to a private settlement.
Martin & Miller said claims of Thompson’s exploitation were reinforced by findings about Zacharias’ communications with other women, as well as his elusive and angry responses when asked about his phone records at the time. of the extortion trial.
“We interviewed witnesses within RZIM who were not satisfied with Mr. Zacharias’ explanations, and some said they felt they were marginalized to ask questions,” the report said.
The RZIM board, which previously mocked Thompson’s allegations, apologized to him on Thursday.
“We believe Lori Anne Thompson has been telling the truth about the nature of her relationship with Ravi Zacharias,” the council said. “It is with deep sorrow that we recognize that because we did not believe the Thompsons and have perpetuated both in private and in public a false story, they have been slandered for years and their suffering has continued. considerably prolonged and intensified.
“It leaves us heartbroken and ashamed,” the statement added.
Thompson, in a message to The Associated Press, said she and her husband “owe a debt of gratitude to every victim and whistleblower who has spoken not only for themselves, but for us as well.
The law firm’s report and the board’s statement are “a first step in what we see as a long and arduous road to institutional accountability,” she added.
The council outlined several steps “to make sure nothing like this happens again.”
Among them:
__ Hire a prominent Victims’ Advocate Rachael Denhollander to “educate and counsel” the board and serve as a confidential liaison with survivors of abuse and harassment.
__ Recruitment of a consultancy firm, Guidepost Solutions, to assess the structure, culture, policies and finances of RZIM.
The scandal had already had a negative impact on the ministry even before the law firm released its report. Several radio stations have dropped out of RZIM programs, booksellers have pulled Zacharias’ books from their offerings, and a network of student-led mission teams operating on UK university campuses have called on RZIM-affiliated speakers to step down upcoming events.
Last month, RZIM’s subsidiary in Canada announced it was halting fundraising for three months, and some of its employees quit.
Dan Paterson, former speaker for RZIM in Australia, took to Twitter to express his dismay.
“I’m disappointed with myself and others who could have pushed harder against the tides of submissive loyalty to demand better answers sooner,” he tweeted. “There is no part of the evangelical creed that honors cowardice or sacrifices conscience.”
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The Associated Press religious coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment via The Conversation US. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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