Dear Posterity,
We were unaware of the most recent allegations to come against Ravi Zacharias until a representative from his organization contacted us. Apparently feeling it prudent to communicate to its supporters, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) sought to notify and update us on how they were approaching this lamentable development—notably how they’ve “hired a regional law firm to investigate the matter thoroughly.” We were immediately struck by what a difficult position this represents both for RZIM – as a renowned standard-bearer for the Gospel – and indeed for its employees specifically, in a role which has surely become more complicated amidst COVID and Ravi’s recent passing.
Given the past experience we’ve both had with Christians failing to live uprightly and finish well (Hannah as a staff member at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale during the fall of its senior pastor, Bob Coy, and Ryan as a congregant of Countryside Bible Church, TX when it split), and the great measure of respect that we retain for the organization with its uniquely dialectic Gospel-spreading mission, we were grateful that an RZIM representative reached out. Since they mentioned sending them questions or concerns, we spent an afternoon praying and discussing the details with heavy hearts before offering the following specific recommendations to RZIM on how the organization might come back from these blows, stronger and better equipped for another generation of ministry.
Complements of my husband, Ryan:
1. RZIM must change its name
Having been dedicated as an infant at Moody Memorial Church in Chicago – around the corner from Moody Bible Institute – I’m no stranger to excellent ministries whose names retain links to their founders. I’m also convinced that such prominent eponymous links are, at very best, awkward for Christian organizations. We know that evangelists like D.L. Moody and Ravi Zacharias consistently acknowledge God as the ultimate leader and glory-receiver of their ministries, but the saying “it’s all in a name” applies here.
Names are short and precious, and from time immemorial society has expected an organization’s brief name to capture as much of its essence as possible. Organizational names captures 1. Who we are, and 2. What we do…i.e. “Johnson Accounting,” or “Shady Grove Oil and Tire.” Even laying aside the (most recent) allegations against Ravi Zacharias, retaining his name as a centerpiece of the organization’s name suggests that he was the cornerstone of the organization and will continue to play an outsized role in its destiny.
The focus should be Jesus, not Ravi. If RZIM doesn’t take immediate action to recast its name (certainly preserving the “International Ministries” part, of course), your supporters and society at large will wonder, “What if the organization really WAS built around just one man?” Even if Ravi himself for years and, now, the organization posthumously expends time and effort countering that perception, it will surely persist. I think the Ravi, who I’ve seen on stage humbly acknowledging Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith, would agree with this change, scandal or no.
2. RZIM must report the recent allegation to law enforcement for appropriate investigation, and make that report known to its community of supporters
Of course we know that media exposure and individual reports could spur criminal inquiry in this case, but the organization must communicate to its supporters that it has filed a police report regardless. There is no downside to this step – it reassures all involved that the organization is above reproach, dilutes the possibility of fresh scandal if/when an actual investigation is indeed announced, allows your leadership a conscience clear of any suggestion that the organization was complicit, and will provide more conclusive absolution than any internal inquiry.
Self-reporting to law enforcement extracts the question of when/whether anyone at RZIM developed suspicion from the internal workings of the organization itself and into the public sphere. American Evangelical organizations have recently, repeatedly, and rightly come under fire for lukewarm or obfuscatory responses to sex crimes (in the case of the Southern Baptist Convention and numerous individual churches nationwide) and for circling the wagons around high-profile offenders. It’s worse than wasted effort for RZIM to point out the obvious – that the allegations don’t comport with the character who everyone knew and loved at the organization. Since such statements should go without saying, to say them only increases suspicion among supporters and degrades the organization’s ability to project its Gospel message.
Either the allegations are viciously false – in which case the slanderers will be held to account and the organization continues – or they’re true, in which case the organization must repudiate, purge, and divulge on a wholesale scale to preserve its integrity and continue its mission. Worse than failing to make a police report is to reassure supporters that a private law firm is “investigating.” Law enforcement agencies investigate; private law firms represent the interests of their clients. RZIM will never succeed in convincing supporters or the world that retained counsel have objectively and competently completed a full investigation, because RZIM’s law firm represents the interests of the organization which hired it – an organization which happens to be named for the individual it is investigating.
It follows, then, that this inquiry will never, ever serve its well-intended purpose of allowing the organization to move past this situation – even if the firm’s staff are seasoned professionals who indeed track down every last actual fact of the case. The resulting lack of confidence in RZIM’s leadership will surely play out in reduced support and, in turn, hamstring the 100+ RZIM apologists pounding the pavement for God’s glory as we speak. Therefore, I strongly recommend that RZIM communicate its cooperation with the police, undertaking any internal inquiries only as corollary organizational housekeeping, rather than relying on them as this situation’s substantive response or messaging centerpiece.
3. Ravi’s family must offer their resignations from RZIM leadership
Like eponymous ministries, family efforts that turn into high-profile international ministries while retaining folksy, cottage industry-like family involvement do so at their peril. I acknowledge that God, in His grace, can preserve such arrangements, and in this case He has obviously used Ravi’s family members to great effect for the Kingdom as part of this organization. I don’t know any of the three children personally, but I’ve no reason to believe that they are anything but devoted, devout, and tireless in their ministry calling. I can only imagine the inordinate pressure they experience when boundaries between work, ministry, and family can’t exist (a conclusion that I imagine supporters of RZIM will be hard-pressed to give up, regardless of how vociferously RZIM insists that the set-up functions).
But we – and likely many other supporters – have developed impressions about Ravi’s life during the last few weeks that we’d prefer to be false, even when we accept for argument’s sake that the salacious allegations against Ravi are untrue in their specifics. I indeed hope these impressions are incorrect, based on information inappropriately hyped by accusers and the media (neither of which are generally reliable sources of information). Until they can be dispelled, though, these impressions will exist and, if they also exist on a substantive scale, could affect this ministry that we have supported and hope to see continue successfully for decades to come.
We’ve developed the impression that Ravi drew a $360k+ salary from ministry funds from his own organization. No, we don’t begrudge ministry professionals earning a living wage, and we don’t think serving God should mean accepting poverty. Yes, we understand that this salary is probably similar or lower than that for similar roles in comparable business roles. Yes, RZIM has probably disclosed it somewhere, in a manner consistent with non-profit accountability standards, and supporters should research where their ministry donations go. But still…that salary – multiples of what most ministry workers earn, disbursed from the organization with his name on it, whose family fills CEO and other high profile roles – leads us to wonder: How did Ravi have the time to also dive into industry with a multi-site, multi-employee business?
Yes, Paul himself worked on the side while ministering…but that was to support his primary apostolic calling, and so that he would not be a burden on the body. A $360k salary is quadruple the ~$88k median household income of Alpharetta, Georgia, itself a conspicuously affluent community. The perception here is one of organizationally sanctioned corruption, and if this perception exists in a broad enough swath of Christians and non-believers, it will surely bog down RZIM’s ability to leapfrog past this situation and continue projecting the Gospel to the far corners of the world, which is our earnest prayer.
RZIM statements to the effect that information about Ravi’s salary and business entanglements were publicly available will not cleanse the caveat emptor suspicions of those who eagerly support RZIM but aren’t part of the inner circle. As long as Zacharias family members remain over-represented in RZIM senior leadership and messaging, RZIM’s mission will suffer. My opinion here is predicated entirely on organizational behavior and reputation, as I neither know nor have any problems with any specific Zacharias family member.
Having supported and prayed for RZIM over the years, we’re cheering for you all to not only bounce back from this situation, but to also use what appears to be a calamitous situation to instead re-emerge with organizational structures and focus that will propel RZIM into a continued future of God-glorifying evangelism. With so much at stake spiritually, and given RZIM’s remarkably talented and called staff and crew, we’re excited to see these trials produce growth and make the outfit stronger than it was, through God’s grace.
Joseph’s statement in Genesis 50:20 comes to mind: “You meant evil against me, but God used it for good.” The specific context of that situation was of course different, but just as Joseph’s story ultimately pointed to God’s promise to preserve His people, I think it applies here in that RZIM consists of Jesus followers intent on introducing others into the Kingdom of God, and we know the ultimate end of the story. Whether the “evil” intended against RZIM comes from groundless accusations or perhaps even a painful (but unsurprising) reminder that human nature exists even in high-profile Christian leaders, we know that God intends all things to work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose.
[Redacted RZIM representative name], you and your colleagues are guiding the organization into that good future, and we’re rooting and praying for you all! Please do share these thoughts with RZIM leadership, in the interest of adding a healthy, non-insider perspective to what is surely already an intense discussion about the organization’s future.
With every esteem and respect,
