Clergy sexual abuse of adults causes deep trauma, requires urgent reforms
By Aaron Weaver, Baptist History & Heritage Societity
WACO, Texas — Churches remain one of the least accountable institutions when it comes to sexual abuse by clergy, a reality that must change if healing and justice for survivors is ever to be realized, said Baylor University social work professor Dr. David Pooler.
Speaking during the May 21 closing plenary session of the 2025 joint annual conference of the Baptist History & Heritage Society, the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and the Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals, Pooler offered a research-driven and clinically-informed presentation on Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse (ACSA)—a form of abuse he said is often misunderstood, mislabeled, and ignored in congregational life.
“This problem just didn’t arrive in 2025,” said Pooler. “Religious leaders do harm and sexually abuse people in their care—and have always been doing it. We’re just now talking about it.”
Drawing from his own national research and clinical work with survivors, Pooler defined ACSA as occurring “when a pastor uses their power, position, their role to exploit and sexually abuse an adult who is trusting and relying upon them.” He emphasized that what churches often call a “consensual affair” is, in fact, abuse.
“Consent is not being sought or obtained,” he said. “There’s no other helping profession that views sexual interactions in the way that we allow ministers to get away with. If I were to be sexual with someone in my care, it would immediately be labeled abuse and misconduct. A minister, however, in 2025, can still say, ‘It was consensual.’”
Pooler repeatedly underscored the role of power—not attraction or mutual desire—in clergy abuse. “We are talking about coercion,” he said. “The person with the most power is always the one responsible for maintaining boundaries that keep people safe. That’s how it works in medicine, social work, psychology—everywhere except ministry.”
Citing his 2015 study of 283 survivors, Pooler shared sobering findings about the psychological toll of ACSA. Thirty-nine percent screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder, with many more reporting symptoms consistent with trauma, including avoidance, disconnection, and distrust of religious spaces. “These survivors experience PTSD at very high levels,” he said. “Higher even than survivors of military sexual trauma and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.”
Pooler also highlighted the long-lasting and complex nature of clergy abuse. “It is not a one-time event,” he said. “The average duration of abuse in my study was four years. In some cases, it lasted 17 or even 20 years.”
Far from targeting “vulnerable” adults, Pooler said most perpetrators deliberately choose deeply committed church members. “The ideal congregant—the loyal, engaged, regular attendee—is often the target,” he said. “Abusive pastors play on core human needs like belonging, purpose, and connection. Then they become the primary way those needs are met.”
What makes clergy abuse particularly insidious, Pooler said, is how abusers embed themselves in victims’ lives through “enmeshment,” developing relationships not just with the survivor, but with their spouse, children, and extended family. “It reduces suspicion,” he explained. “If the pastor is close to the whole family, people are less likely to believe abuse is occurring.”
One of the most harmful responses to survivors, Pooler said, comes from the churches themselves. “Poor responses from churches were more hurtful than the actual abuse itself,” he said, referencing a statistic from his research in which nearly 50 percent of survivors strongly agreed with that statement.
“The status quo in 2025 is tragic,” he said. “Churches blame victims. They protect leaders. They focus on image and liability. We give too much benefit of the doubt to our leaders and not enough to survivors.”
Institutional betrayal, he added, creates a second layer of trauma. “We’re seeing a lack of support, disbelief, blaming, and even expelling survivors from congregational life,” Pooler said. “It’s no wonder that only half of those with PTSD from ACSA remain involved in church.”
Pooler challenged faith communities to develop trauma-informed responses and survivor-centered policies, noting that most congregations lack even the most basic frameworks to handle allegations. “Churches are not qualified to investigate abuse allegations within their own walls,” he said. “There are too many competing interests.”
He also called out what he described as the “weaponizing of forgiveness” in religious contexts. “There’s enormous pressure placed on survivors to forgive quickly—so the institution can move on,” he said. “Forgiveness becomes a way to minimize the abuse rather than confront it.”
Justice, Pooler concluded, must begin with accountability and truth-telling. “Survivors want sincere apologies, the perpetrator held accountable, and assurance that the person cannot harm again,” he said. “But too often, churches re-platform abusive leaders as quickly as they can.”
Despite the grim realities, Pooler ended with a message of hope and resilience. “Survivors get better,” he said. “The number one predictor of resilience in my research was faith in God. Many survivors are learning to disentangle their faith from the institution and from the abuser—and they’re finding their way forward.”
He urged attendees to believe survivors, center their voices, and take responsibility for change. “These survivors have so much to teach us,” he said. “They are the wisdom. They are the prophets.”
The joint annual conference of the Baptist History & Heritage Society featured 27 paper presentations exploring diverse Baptist topics alongside four plenary sessions focused on the theme of Addressing Abuse in Baptist Communities.
Learn more about the Baptist History & Heritage Society and how you can become a member or church partner of our 87-year-old organization committed to “helping Baptists discover, conserve, assess, and share their history.”
2025 Annual Conference Recap:
Abuse survivor David Pittman urges truth-telling at Baptist conference
Baptist leaders urge accountability, concrete reforms to prevent abuse
Panel urges Baptists to address abuse with integrity and courage
Dr. T. Laine Scales named 2025 W. O. Carver Distinguished Service Award recipient
American Baptist Historical Society recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Assessing and Preserving Baptist History
Baylor University Department of Religion honored with Carolyn Blevins Meritorious Service Award