An Open Letter to Friends of RZIM

It pains me greatly to have to tell my story as it relates to Ravi, but I believe that there are some important lessons that Christian non-profits can glean in light of the revelations coming from RZIM ministries.

I have been somewhat reluctant to share my thoughts on this matter because Ravi was not only a friend of my father, Norm Geisler, but he gave up a speaking engagement to answer my father’s dying request 1 1/2 years ago to speak at his funeral. Ravi also did many other things for me personally to help promote our Christian ministry over the years. Nevertheless, I feel it’s important to share my personal experience with Ravi and share what I learned in my conversation with him in light of the current RZIM revelations.  I also feel that this is appropriate out of respect for the Christian values that NGIM and I stand for and that my father believed in and lived.

DECEPTIVE PRACTICES

When I lived in Singapore 10 years ago, I had heard a report that Ravi had been seen in public with another woman, engaging in somewhat questionable behavior for a married man. That report did not fit the image I had of Ravi, and since I didn’t hear anything more, I did not pursue a potential conversation with him.

A number of years later, I learned about the narrative Ravi had painted about the nude texting picture issues. I was concerned about the discrepancies in his narrative, and adding that to the former report, I wanted a further explanation from him. So a mutual friend of Ravi’s and mine told him of my concerns, and he immediately called me to personally explain the situation. Now after having read the 12-page report given by RZIM’s lawyers Miller & Martin, I can put the pieces together and tell my story as it relates to Ravi’s deceptive interaction with me.

I realize now an important truth that I didn’t understand when Ravi reached out to me by phone two years ago and talked to me for 20 minutes. During our conversation he not only denied he engaged in any inappropriate behavior, but I realize now that he actually went out of his way to make sure that I didn’t listen to anyone in the future who could actually point me in the right direction. It also saddens me greatly that Ravi never seemed to reach out to anyone for help to break out of the bondage of his self-destructive and addictive behavior, even though I know many who would have tried to help him, including my father. 

But after reading the 12-page report and understanding not only about the greater sexual abuse he engaged in, but also the deeper religious abuse he inflicted on some women, I have no choice but to condemn his highly toxic behavior!  My heart goes out any that he abused over the years. I pray that God will bring some kind of healing to their lives, and that RZIM would make restitution with each of them. 

FORGIVENESS and HONESTLY ASSESSING THE MAGNITUDE OF RAVI’S SIN

By God’s grace, I can forgive Ravi for his betrayal… and I do forgive him as Jesus commands us to do as followers of Christ (Matt. 18:21-22). 

I hope and pray that all of us who are followers of Christ can eventually choose to forgive Ravi for the betrayal we feel of the image he portrayed of a Christian leader. 

At the same time, we should be honest and admit that the kind of behavior Ravi demonstrated and the abuse these women suffered fits into a much more lethal category.

I am mindful however that some may say of Ravi’s behavior, “But all of us are sinners and none of us measure up to God’s standards” (Rom. 3:23). True, but even my father believed that there are greater sins as do I (Jn. 19:11). I believe that what Ravi did belongs in this category of greater sins. 

As Christian leaders we must be held to a higher standard (Js. 3:1) and in the case of Ravi, we must acknowledge that this abuse was severe. 

IMPACT

Recently someone passed on to me a letter that one of the RZIM staff wrote to the RZIM Board giving a detailed history of their concerns. Now after reading this letter, I am concerned that there are many current RZIM staff that have also suffered greatly as a result of Ravi’s incredibly abusive and toxic behavior. 

It appears that Ravi also mistreated those staff who expressed their concerns about the appearance of evil or certain financial expenditures. My heart goes out to each of the current RZIM staff members for what they have endured all these years. I am also so sorry for those who felt that no one would listen to their concerns and so quietly left, adjusting their lives and careers to make the best of a very bad situation. I am so thankful to God for those great RZIM staff who faithfully served the Lord for so many years despite this mistreatment.

May I suggest that as the body of Christ we not take out our anger on those RZIM staff members who have faithfully tried to follow God’s calling. Let’s find a way to support what they are doing in ministry to help the body of Christ all around the world! 

However, after reading this letter written to the RZIM board and reading the 12-page report listed on the RZIM website, I am convinced that those at the very top of RZIM leadership have some further explaining to do and maybe a broader apology. This apology needs to be directed first to the teaching staff and office staff in RZIM who expressed some concerns about Ravi’s behavior in the past. But there also needs to be some kind of greater explanation to the evangelical community at large that has financially supported the work of RZIM all these years. I also believe that it may be time for new leadership in RZIM.

LEADERSHIP

The problems Ravi developed that led to religiously and sexually abusive behavior were intensified because many treated Ravi as an exceptional Christian leader and placed him on a huge pedestal. I believe that Christian leaders often get in trouble when they begin to see themselves as somehow “special” in God’s eyes. This perspective can more easily lead to greater temptations and power struggles and eventually to abusive behavior. This happens when we start to believe all the positive things that people are saying about us rather than having a humble perspective about who we really are apart from Christ, as scripture teaches (Ps. 103:14; Jn. 15:5; Rom. 3:23; 12:3).

In light of the RZIM revelations, may I suggest that all para-church ministries should do some re-evaluation of their procedures and practices. My father taught me that a Christian shouldn’t have any more influence than what God wants them to have. He certainly lived his life that way, and I think it’s great advice to follow. But if that’s a true statement, then we should not be creating a culture that gives greater influence to those people we think should have influence. We also should not be creating a culture in our ministries that enables people to do questionable things. We can’t afford to give special exceptions to those in authority. The devil can easily turn one bad decision by our leaders into multiple bad decisions, leaving them feeling trapped and unable to break the bondage. It’s time for this culture of protecting esteemed men of God with no accountability to change.

May I suggest then that it’s time for Christian non-profits to make some adjustments in keeping their top leadership from falling into these kinds of abusive practices on the scale it did with RZIM. In our own organization, we have made some adjustments and I personally have made some further adjustments at the president (See our recent accountability statement at https://ngim.org/accountability-statement/ ) We are making these adjustments to ensure we avoid any appearance of evil and instill greater accountability in our organization. 

I also think there is an important principle we Christian leaders should keep in mind to keep us from so easily becoming abusive, and instead becoming more and more healthy Christian leaders. Some of you may be familiar with the domino principle in apologetics. This principle holds that once we acknowledge that God created the universe out of nothing, other implications follow! As my father would say, “If God can do the big miracle, He certainly can do the little miracles,” such as ensuring that His Word is communicated to us accurately even using imperfect people.

There is also a domino principle when it comes to discipleship, found in Matthew 5:3-4. This domino principle in discipleship unleashes other things that God wants to do in our own lives! Furthermore, when we continue to acknowledge our spiritual poverty and mourn over it (Matt. 5:3-4) throughout our life, it actually provides us with an additional layer of protection as Christian leaders. If we acknowledge that we are spiritually poor apart from Christ (Jn. 15:5), we may not so easily become proud of all our accomplishments and think we are indispensable to God. The bible warns us that for “…anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Cor. 10:12)

TRUTH

As Christians we know that the spiritual truths that Ravi taught are true regardless of who teaches them (1 Cor. 15:14,19). But Ravi’s betrayal of those truths should reinforce all the more greatly that it is not enough to know the truth, it must also be applied in our lives! (Matt 7:16) We can be equipped to answer many of the questions we are asked today about our faith, but there must be a character transformation for this knowledge to have the greater impact God wants us to have. 

May I also suggest that all of us who follow Christ should consider what we can learn from this tragic story. Specifically, I believe that we should all be willing to take some time to reflect upon whether our lives actually reflect the gospel message we say we believe. We should also have an attitude of thankfulness for God’s amazing grace (Matt 11:28), remembering it is only by God’s enablement (Jn. 15:5; Phil. 2:13) that we as followers of Christ can live the way God wants us to live. Let’s continue to live and strive to know the Truth that will set us free (Jn 8:32; Jn. 1:17).