UNITED STATES
Christian Post
On Monday Matthew McKelvey plead guilty to abusing two girls sexually and received a 15-year prison sentence.
According to The Des Moines Register, “McKelvey was a youth pastor at the Heritage Assembly Church … until he lost his job last summer. Church leaders had become aware that McKelvey had violated church policy by being alone with female juveniles, according to a statement from the church on Monday.”
Last month protestors in Nigeria opposed a church-run orphanage from relocating because the pastor was accused of abusing two orphans. Vanguard reported, “The protesters demanded that the orphanage be closed until the suspect is acquitted by the court of law.”
How often is church sex abuse reported in the United States? More often than most people realize.
Just one insurance company reports more than 200 such claims a year. In 2010 the Denver Post reported, “Wisconsin-based Church Mutual Insurance Co. has 100,000 client churches and has seen a steady filing of about five sexual molestation cases a week for more than a decade, even though its client base has grown.”
Prayer List
Pray for the victims of sexual abuse to heal emotionally and physically.
Pray for the victims to receive the emotional support needed while recovering from trauma.
Pray for the perpetrators to stop their abuses.
Pray for justice on behalf of the victims.
Pray for congregations and youth groups that have been damaged by sexual abuse to grow in their faith and relationship with God as it is being tested.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.