NEW YORK (AP) – Ravi Zacharias, who died in May after a distinguished career leading a global Christian ministry, became involved in sexual misconduct with massage therapists and maintained many loving extramarital relationships by text message and email, according to a hard-hitting, detailed report from a law firm hired by the ministry.
Five of the therapists said that Zacarias touched them inappropriately and one said that she was raped, according to the report. According to the report, researchers looking for Zacharias’ mobile devices found more than 200 photos of younger women, including nude images of a salon employee in Malaysia.
In striking terms, the report Miller & Martin, of Atlanta, said that Zacharias lied when he stated in 2017 that “I never got involved in any kind of inappropriate behavior”.
Coinciding with the report’s release on Thursday, the board of international ministries Ravi Zacharias issued a statement “corporate regret”. The council apologized for earlier statements that downplayed the accusers and promised measures to support the victims, combat abuse and harassment and reevaluate the management structure, which is overseen by Zacharias’ eldest daughter, ministry CEO Sarah Davis.
“We are devastated by what the investigation has shown and filled with sadness for the women who have been hurt by this terrible abuse,” said the council.
Zacarias, who died of cancer at age 74, was a very popular author and speaker, with many celebrities and Christian leaders prominent among his admirers. Then Vice President Mike Pence spoke at his memorial service in May, praising him as a great evangelist “armed with intellect, girded with truth and love”.
Zacarias founded his international ministry, known as RZIM, in 1984, with the mission of getting involved in “Christian apologetics” – defending Christianity with powerful intellectual arguments. Headquartered in the Atlanta suburb, RZIM has operations in about 20 countries and a list of dozens of traveling speakers.
In recent months, the organization has gone into crisis, precipitated by a September 29 article in the evangelical publication Christianity Today. The article stated that over a period of about five years, Zacarias sexually harassed three women who worked as massage therapists at two spas he owned in a suburb of Atlanta.
The RZIM leadership initially contested the allegations, saying that the allegations “are in no way consistent with the man we have known for decades – we believe they are false”.
However, it hired Martin & Miller in October, which in turn hired the services of a private investigative firm composed of former federal police officers. The law firm said more than 50 people, including more than a dozen massage therapists, were interviewed, and investigators were able to access data from four mobile devices used by Zacharias.
According to Martin & Miller, the data included loving communications with several women and more than 200 photographs of women.
Among the photos were six of Lori Anne Thompson – a Canadian who said Zacharias “prepared” her for sexually explicit conversations online and eventually sent out indecent photos.
In 2017, Thompson and her husband sent Zacarias a letter demanding $ 5 million in exchange for releasing claims against him and the ministry. In response, Zacharias sued the Thompson for extortion, but he soon dropped out and the parties finally reached a private settlement.
Martin & Miller said Thompson’s claims of being exploited were reinforced by discoveries about Zacharias’ communications with other women, as well as by his evasive and angry responses when asked about his telephone records at the time of the extortion process.
“We interviewed witnesses within RZIM who were not satisfied with Mr. Zacharias’ explanations, and some reported their belief that they were marginalized for raising issues,” said the report.
The RZIM board, which had previously ridiculed Thompson’s allegations, apologized to her on Thursday.
“We believe that Lori Anne Thompson told the truth about the nature of her relationship with Ravi Zacharias,” said the board. “It is with deep regret that we recognize that because we do not believe in the Thompson and because we privately and publicly perpetuate a false narrative, they have been slandered for years and their suffering has been very prolonged and intensified.”
“It leaves us heartbroken and ashamed,” added the statement.
Thompson, in a message to The Associated Press, said that she and her husband “are deeply grateful to all the victims and whistleblowers who spoke not only for themselves, but also for us”.
The law firm’s report and board statement are “an initial step in what we anticipate will be a long and arduous journey towards institutional responsibility,” she added.
The board described several steps “to ensure that nothing like this happens again”.
Between them:
__ Hiring a prominent victim advocate, Rachael Denhollander, to “educate and advise” the council and serve as confidential contact with survivors of abuse and harassment.
__ Hiring a consultancy, Guidepost Solutions, to evaluate the structure, culture, policies and finances of RZIM.
The scandal had already had a negative impact on the ministry before the law firm even released its report. Several radio stations abandoned RZIM programs, booksellers withdrew Zacharias’ books from their offerings, and a network of missionary teams led by students operating on British university campuses asked speakers affiliated with RZIM to withdraw from upcoming events.
Last month, RZIM’s affiliate in Canada announced that it would suspend fundraising for three months, and some of its employees resigned.
Dan Paterson, a former RZIM speaker 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 responses earlier,” he tweeted. “There is no part of the evangelical creed that honors cowardice or sacrifices conscience.”
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