In the Fall 2024 issue of the PR Theological Journal, Prof. C. Griess draws on the sexual abuse cases that John Calvin and his body of elders dealt with in Geneva back in the 16th century, and draws some valuable practical lessons for Reformed churches today who are increasingly dealing with such matters.
After giving some historical context to the Genevan situation and providing examples of actual cases that Calvin's Consistory dealt with, Griess lays out ten lessons for church leadership today. We give two of them here (numbers 3 and 4), urging you to read the entire article and all ten lessons. This material is not only relevant for consistories and officebearers, but, as you will see from the third lesson, for all of us.
"3. Church members who are aware of sexual abuse must be urged to
report these sins to church and state immediately.
"The consistory urged those who knew of instances sexual abuse
to make these cases known to the consistory without going the way of
Matthew 18. Church members were even ecclesiastically chastened if
the consistory discovered that people could have reported them and
did not. In the case of Rojod’s rape of his two maids, the consistory
discovered during its investigation that Rojod’s wife knew at least
about the second rape and had urged the young maid to abort the child,
or to bring the child to her after it was born so that she could kill it
and thus keep the matter secret. The maid did not heed her mistress’s
instruction, but the consistory put the wife under church discipline
for her advice and for not reporting the sin of which she was aware.
"Even more telling, however, is that the consistory also discovered
that a neighbor lady had known about the matter. This neighbor did
many things right. She urged the maid not to abort the child as Rojod’s
wife advised, but rather to bring the child to the deacons of the church
who, she promised, would help the maid. Thankfully, the maid took the
neighbor’s good advice. Notwithstanding, the consistory put the same
neighbor under church discipline for a short time for not reporting the
rape to the consistory.
"The point is that the consistory was right to urge people to report
these sins. These kinds of sins may not remain privately known to
family members and others for years. In the vast majority of cases,
others will suffer because of the silence of the family members. Again,
the family members must report the matter for two reasons: the safety
of others, and the abuser’s own spiritual need of civil punishment in
his life.
"4. The consistory ought to question all parties involved while
believing the victim if it is reasonable to do so.
"Investigating a 1557 case involving a man named Michel Pointeau,
the consistory learned that throughout the course of his marriage,
Michel had repeatedly solicited his wife’s sister and at least in one
instance had wickedly fondled her. The sister rejected his advances.
As the consistory investigated, it learned that Michel’s behavior had
begun before he and his wife were married and while the sister was yet
a minor. When Michel’s wife discovered her husband’s behavior, she
rightly informed the consistory. When the consistory pressed Michel,
he said the whole thing was the sister’s fault: She was pursuing him
and flirting with him all these years. The sister denied this, and so did
the wife. The consistory believed the sister, sent the case immediately
to the civil authorities and put Michel under church discipline. The
consistory eventually excommunicated the man and banished him
from the city of Geneva."