For the Greater Good?
The American Evangelical Movement is facing a significant problem. A large part of their focus seems to be on anti-trafficking work in foreign countries. They place a tremendous amount of rhetoric on human trafficking at the United States’ southern border. The problem with this is there are serious issues within their own leadership. There have been allegations against two prominent charismatic evangelical leaders, Robert Morris, and Mike Bickle, highlighting the hypocrisy within the movement. https://julieroys.com/emails-challenge-elders-claim-100-counts-molestation/
The Evangelical Movement needs to address these internal issues if it wants to continue providing assistance and support globally. In other words, to use an old saying, “They need to clean their own house,” before trying to “save the world.” https://antihumantraffickingbadactors.com/843-2/
It’s important to note that the issue of child sex trafficking and exploitation worldwide is not being dismissed. However, there is a concern regarding the fact that most major NGOs combatting trafficking and exploitation are financially supported by the American Evangelical Church. These NGOs are forming partnerships with megachurch pastors and non-denominational entities, leading to a lack of accountability within their organizational structure. This raises the question of how this is related to child sex trafficking and exploitation in foreign countries. The issue ties back to donations and the personal branding of leaders. The growth of non-denominational churches and their partnership with NGOs has resulted in numerous autonomous pastors with no accountability. Additionally, organizations and church boards are often comprised of friends and family, creating a network of nepotism that has allowed the system to grow unchecked. https://antihumantraffickingbadactors.com/the-top-five-bad-actors-of-anti-trafficking-in-thailand/
According to Matthew D. Taylor, a religious studies scholar and author of “The Violent Take it by Force,” the relative lack of accountability in these structures is attractive to certain personality types. “There’s a lot freer rein in a non-denominational space for them to build their empire.” This isn’t the case for all evangelical leaders; however, it is an open chasm for unscrupulous leaders who are driven by fame, power, and money. Anti-trafficking work is “big business.” There is a lot of money that flows through these organizations. It begins with the offering and distribution through the local evangelical church. The money then flows into an NGO bank account where it is divided up into salaries and “operating expenses.” Yes, I understand it takes money to run an effective organization; however, it’s disturbing, and being exposed at an alarming rate to the financial mismanagement of these funds. The stories of sexual abuse and money mismanagement are surfacing at an alarming rate about evangelical leaders. The lack of accountability is incentivized because of everything that is at stake financially.
The growing problem within the American Evangelical Church is the influence that charismatic leaders hold over their followers. These leaders use their charisma to entice parishioners, who become entranced by their power and influence. As a result, organizations and churches invest significant time and money into building their brand. Unfortunately, the focus has shifted from addressing important issues like human trafficking to protecting the institution. Both NGO leaders and evangelical pastors have convinced their followers that their leadership is indispensable to their mission. They believe that holding these leaders accountable would do more harm than good to their anti-trafficking work. These evangelical leaders subscribe to the philosophy of Utilitarianism, arguing that their actions provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. In their view, they are deserving of fame and fortune, even if it involves making unethical decisions. They believe that protecting their brand and sweeping their abuse under the rug ultimately serves the greater good.
Sex trafficking has morphed into the protection of evangelical wealth and power. The desire to end trafficking and exploitation has dissipated throughout the years. There is less focus on ending it than there is on marketing it. Evangelical and NGO leaders are getting too much fame and Hollywood status to address issues head-on. The celebrity status is in full effect. Christian celebrities, media, and megachurch leaders all working together to build a multi-billion dollar enterprise. While these organizations are taking in millions of donation dollars, the statistics of human trafficking numbers continue to rise. When will the church stand up to these bullies? When will good-hearted Christian individuals do their research? The hypocrisy continues to flow like an unchartered river. Am I supposed to believe that evangelical organizations and their NGO partners are doing ethical work? They claim the number of victims around the world continues to rise, as well as the numbers within their personal bank accounts.