French evangelicals launch “Stop Abuse” website and form inter-denominational team to help victims

“Life is a gift from God. No one has the right to abuse his or her power to exploit, damage or destroy another person through violence, whether physical, psychological or spiritual”.

This is the starting point of the team that since 2021 works to identify and address abuse in evangelical churches. Commissioned by the National Council of Evangelical in France (CNEF), it includes pastors from a range of denominations, lawyers and other experts.

A specific website, Stop-Abus.fr, has been launched as a “listening service (…) available to anyone who is a victim or witness of sexual violence within an evangelical Protestant structure, church, union or work”.

Any person can fill a form and find an email were both victims or witnesses of abuse can share information. It also offers telephone numbers of the state for abuse victims and responds to difficult questions.

The CNEF has worked on the issue of abuse in the context of evangelical churches for some years now. In 2021, it published a good practices booklet to distribute to churches across France to give “theological insights, legal advice and practical advice” in the fight against sexual abuse in church contexts.

A charter with 6 points on which evangelical Christians should fight abuse has also been made available to download.