A former leader in the ministry of Ravi Zacharias, the disgraced apologist who engaged in ‘sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape’ according to a new report, has spoken of the ‘harrowing dark night of those… abused’ by the evangelist.
The former head of Ravi Zacharias Ministry in Australia, Dan Paterson, said: ‘I feel heavy-hearted for those who loved and looked up to Ravi, who now have wake up to a dark reality that months ago seemed so unthinkable. May their faith be purified by the Lord as it comes under fire, knowing that a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.’
Until his death of cancer at age 74 in May last year, Zacharias had been one of the best-known figures of American Christian radio and TV. Former US Vice President Mike Pence described him as ‘the greatest apologist of this century’ at a memorial service watched live by more than 1.2 million people round the world. However, preliminary findings into complaints against Zacharias found ‘significant, (en, February 2021) credible evidence’ that he engaged in sexual misconduct over the course of many years.