NEW YORK (AP) – Ravi Zacharias, who passed away in May after a sincere career leading a worldwide Christian ministry, was engaged in sexual misconduct with massage therapists and according to a screaming infatuation outside of extramarital affairs via text message and email fed. in-depth report of a law firm appointed by the ministry.
According to the report, five of the therapists said Zacharias touched them improperly, and one said she was raped. Investigators who searched Zacharias’ mobile devices are said to have found more than 200 photos of younger women, including nude photos of a salon worker in Malaysia.
In blunt terms, the report by Miller and Martin, based in Atlanta, said Zacharias lied and claimed he claimed in 2017: “I have never done any inappropriate behavior of any kind.”
Along with the release of the report on Thursday, the board of directors of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries issued a statement of “corporate remorse.” The board apologized for earlier statements about accusations and promises of steps to support victims, combat abuse and harassment, and reevaluate the management structure, which is overseen by Zacharias’ eldest daughter, Sarah Davis, the ministry’s chief executive.
“We are devastated by what the investigation has shown and are filled with sadness for the women who have been hurt by this horrific abuse,” the council said.
Zacharias, who died of cancer at the age of 74, was a very popular writer and speaker, with many well-known and prominent Christian leaders among his admirers. Vice President Mike Pence spoke during his memorial service in May, praising him as a great evangelist “armed with mind, girded with truth and love.”
Zacharias founded his international ministry, known as RZIM, in 1984 with the aim of engaging in ‘Christian apologetics’ – defending Christianity with powerful intellectual arguments. RZIM is based in the suburbs of Atlanta and operates in about 20 states and has a number of visitors to travelers.
In recent months, the organization has been plunged into a crisis, which was toppled by an article in the evangelical publication Christianity Today on September 29. According to the article, Zacharias sexually harassed three women who worked as massage therapists during a two-day spa he was in in a suburb of Atlanta for a period of about five years.
The leadership of RZIM initially disputed the allegations, claiming that the allegations “have nothing to do with the man we have known for decades – believe them to be false.”
However, it hired Martin & Miller in October, which in turn enlisted the services of a private investigative firm consisting of former federal law enforcers. The law firm said more than 50 people, including more than a dozen massage therapists, were interviewed and that investigators were able to access data from four mobile devices used by Zacharias.
According to Martin & Miller, the information includes amorous communication with numerous women and more than 200 photos of women.
Among the photos were six of Lori Anne Thompson – a Canadian woman who claimed that Zacharias “cared” for her to have sexually explicit online conversations and eventually send obscene photos.
In 2017, Thompson and her husband sent Zacharias a letter claiming $ 5 million in exchange for the release of claims against him and the ministry. In response, Zacharias sued the Thompsons for extortion, but he quickly dismissed the case and the parties eventually reached a private settlement.
Martin & Miller said Thompson’s allegations that he had been exploited were reinforced by the findings about Zacharias’ communication with other women, as well as his evasive and angry responses when asked about his phone records at the time of the extortion case.
“We interviewed witnesses within RZIM who were not satisfied with Mr Zacharias’ statements, and some said they were marginalized to ask questions,” the report said.
The RZIM council, which had earlier mocked Thompson’s allegations, apologized to her on Thursday.
“We believe Lori Anne Thompson told the truth about the nature of her relationship with Ravi Zacharias,” the council said. “It is with deep sadness that we realize that because we did not believe the Thompsons, and that they continued a false story privately and in public, they were slandered for many years and greatly prolonged and intensified their suffering.”
“It makes us sad and ashamed,” the statement added.
Thompson said in a message to The Associated Press that she and her husband “owe a great deal of gratitude to every victim and bell ringer who spoke 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 expect will be a long and difficult journey towards institutional accountability, ‘she added.
The council set out several steps “to ensure that such a thing does not happen again.”
Between them:
__ Appoint Rachael Denhollander, prominent advocate for the victim, to educate and advise the board and serve as a confidential link with survivors of abuse and harassment.
__ Hiring a consulting firm, Guidepost Solutions, to evaluate the structure, culture, policies and finances of RZIM.
The scandal had already negatively affected the ministry even before the law firm released its report. Several radio stations dropped RZIM programs, booksellers removed Zacharias’ books from their offerings, and a network of student-led mission teams operating on UK university campuses asked RZIM-affiliated speakers to withdraw from upcoming events.
Last month, RZIM’s subsidiary in Canada announced that it would suspend fundraising for three months, and some of its staff resigned.
Dan Paterson, formerly a speaker for RZIM in Australia, used Twitter to express his dismay.
“I feel disappointed in 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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