:GRACE (organization)

{{Short description|Non-profit organization focused on combatting abuse in Christian organizations}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment

| image = GRACE Logo.jpg

| image_size = 200

| type = Non-profit Organization

| abbreviation = GRACE

| formation = 2004, recognized as nonprofit in 2006

| founder = Basyle "Boz" Tchividjian

| key_people = Pete Singer (Executive Director)

| location = Lynchburg, Virginia, United States

| purpose = Abuse prevention

| website = {{URL|netgrace.org}}

}}

GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment ) is a Virginia 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to help Christian groups confront sexual abuses, psychological abuses and physical abuses. Its headquarters are at Lynchburg, Virginia, United States.

History

GRACE was founded in 2003 after a reporter called Boz Tchividjian about a case of sexual abuse mishandled by a pastor.Kathryn Joyce for The American Prospect. May 5, 2014 [http://prospect.org/article/next-christian-sex-abuse-scandal The Next Christian Abuse Scandal: By Grace Alone] He became convinced that Evangelical institutions were not properly addressing incidents of sexual abuse, incidents that he believed would eventually lead to scandals similar to those that had damaged the Catholic Church. In Tchividjian's view, the authoritarian culture of some Protestant organizations was particularly susceptible to what he called "spiritual abuse"—the attempt of religious leaders to silence victims or convince them that they deserved their abuse. Tchividjian has stated that "When it comes to child sexual abuse, too many churches and Christian organizations prefer to sacrifice individuals in order to protect themselves. We end up living out the very antithesis of the Gospel that we preach. The consequences are devastating."{{cite news |last=Allan |first=Turner |url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/Billy-Graham-s-grandson-on-6596205.php |title=Billy Graham's grandson on Protestants' response to child sex abuse |work=Houston Chronicle |date=2015-10-28 |accessdate=2016-01-26 }}

Tchividjian first contacted Victor Vieth, who previously headed the Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center, and Diane Langberg, a psychologist from Pennsylvania who specialized in trauma; these three invited a number of legal, therapeutic and clerical professionals to form a board that created GRACE, an organization dedicated to educating churches and parachurch organizations about preventing, detecting, and dealing with sexual abuse.

The organization was officially founded in 2004 by Tchividjian in order to help churches to fight against sexual abuse in Christian organizations. Joshua Pease, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/05/31/feature/the-epidemic-of-denial-about-sexual-abuse-in-the-evangelical-church/ The sin of silence], washingtonpost.com, USA, May 31, 2018

Programs

GRACE offers sexual, psychological, and physical abuse prevention programs; independent investigation of allegations of abuse; and organizational culture assessments of abuse prevention. GRACE,

[https://www.netgrace.org/our-mission A MISSION TO LOVE], netgrace.org, USA, retrieved February 4, 2023 Amanda Marcotte, [https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/05/boz-tchividjian-is-on-a-mission-billy-grahams-grandson-wants-to-root-out-sexual-abuse-in-the-evangelical-church.html Billy Graham’s Grandson Is on a Mission to Root Out Sexual Abuse in the Evangelical Church], slate.com, USA, May 7, 2014[http://www.guidestar.org/profile?id=20-3297830 Guidestar entry for Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment] Page accessed January 24, 2016Amanda Marcotte for Slate. May 7, 2014 [http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/05/07/boz_tchividjian_is_on_a_mission_billy_graham_s_grandson_wants_to_root_out.html Billy Graham’s Grandson Is on a Mission to Root Out Sexual Abuse in the Evangelical Church]

See also

References

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