Ravi Zacharias Allegations and Full RZIM Report

What can the church learn from the abuse allegations against the late Ravi Zacharias?

RZIM has released the full report on the investigation into the late Ravi Zacharias. The report is horrific, shocking, and details dozens of victims spread across the world who were manipulated and abused by a celebrity evangelical leader. I’m convinced the church must not be silent about this. We need to learn, see the warning signs, try to understand how this happens, and be clear to victims, and potential victims that we will listen, and take allegations seriously.

I’ve heard from many that the church shouldn’t speak publicly about this issue. Rather we should let those affected deal with their abuse privately. I believe this is shortsighted, as we must publicly denounce abuse in the church and make it clear to victims that we will stand against it.

In December of 2020, RZIM released an initial statement that they believed the allegations against Ravi Zacharias were credible. This was a shocking admission that led me to believe that the full report would be much worse than originally anticipated, which turned out to be true. The report is available online through RZIM, but details evidence that led them to conclude Ravi Zacharias was engaging in abuse.

This is arguably one of the largest scandals in the history of the evangelical church due to the scope and scale of RZIM’s ministry. Ravi was a worldwide name who’s celebrity grew his fame and fortune. We have to be careful about putting any church leader on a pedestal and convincing ourselves they are beyond temptation.

Christian celebrity and fame bring with it the influence that can be used to minister to the masses, but it also can bring power to use others for your own pleasure. Ravi had tremendous gifts for ministry, but this reports brings allegations that he was using those gifts to coerce women into unwanted sexual relationships both digitally and in person. He was the architect of his own accountability arrangements and was therefore easily able to get around them.

What can we learn from the fall of Ravi Zacharias?

First, we should never be surprised by anyone’s fall. Do we really believe there is a person who is incapable of falling into severe sin? The cult of Christian celebrity enables us to have a small glimmer of someone’s gifts and ministry strengths and not see the day in and day out struggles with sin.

Secondly, we must consider the situations Ravi Zacharias was putting himself in that enabled this alleged abuse. He was frequently alone in massage rooms with women. This was not denied either by Ravi or RZIM. If he desired to keep himself from temptation, there’s no reason his multiple million dollar ministry couldn’t hire a full time assistant to be with him at all times, to keep him free from any allegations of abuse.

Third, we can use our gifts to either love and serve others and build God’s Kingdom, or we can use them to use and abuse others. If God made you physically strong, will you use that to take from others? To harm people who are weaker than you? Or will you use your strength to serve and protect those God has put into your life?

The same is true for someone with great ministry gifts. Will you use them to build God’s Kingdom? Or will you take them and manipulate others? Will you gain trust to “serve” others through ministry so that you can then take advantage of them? This is what Ravi Zacharias is alleged to have done, used his ministry gifts to prey upon vulnerable women.

And fourth, the Scripture makes it clear we must consider ourselves lest we also be tempted (Galatians 6:1). Do I desire the fame, fortune, and celebrity that Zacharias achieved? Do I desire the influence he wielded? Do I believe that I could hold that type of power and not be tempted to abuse others?