Baltimore megachurch promises investigation after dozens allege childhood sex abuse
Greater Grace World Outreach, a global nondenominational Evangelical megachurch headquartered at Greater Grace Church in Baltimore, Maryland, has pledged to commission an independent investigation after dozens of former members say they were sexually abused as kids primarily by prominent male church members or leaders.
"As a church staff and community of Believers, our hearts are grieved at the thought that anyone who was ever a part of this church could have been a victim of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse of anyone — especially children — is sinful, abhorrent, and reprehensible. Period," church elders stated in a recent announcement.
"We are committed to addressing this situation, hearing from victims and/or their families, and ensuring we have the safest environment possible to minister to adults and children," they added. "The Church will hire a nationally recognized, independent firm with expertise in dealing with sexual abuse, to conduct a thorough investigation and assessment of Greater Grace World Outreach."
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The statement follows The Baltimore Banner's four-part investigative series on a group of former members who call themselves The Millstones.
Some 32 people told The Millstones group, which formed in 2019, that they had been sexually abused as children by men of Greater Grace. Another 18 survivors had come forward to tell the group they had also been abused. The victims and their family members alleged that high-ranking church leaders failed to adequately respond to the allegations.
Reacting to the declaration of Greater Grace World Outreach's promise of an independent investigation, The Millstones rejected it in a statement on Facebook.
"Nothing Greater Grace World Outreach leaders say can undo the harm they have done," the group stated.
"We do not trust any promises made by GGWO given their repeated disparagement of victim-survivors, and the track-record of current leaders who have dismissed abuse and vilified any criticism of GGWO. They still have not taken any responsibility for the information that is already public or their continued pattern of victim-blaming."
Greater Grace World Outreach, founded by Pastor Carl H. Stevens Jr., is led by presiding elder and overseeing Pastor Thomas Schaller. The ministry's website boasts of a "growing family with over 750 churches in approximately 80 countries with 3,500 Bible college students, and 1,000 Christian workers throughout the world."
Survivors and brothers, Jediah Tanguay, 43, and Ben Tanguay, 41, are among the victims who have spoken out against the church.
Their alleged abuser, a former youth leader Raymond Fernandez, has already been convicted and imprisoned for his crimes against them. He was arrested in 2013 after they contacted authorities.
"One of the most beautiful effects of healing is having a voice to speak what was silent for too long," Ben Tanguay told The Baltimore Banner.
He said his older brother did not realize that Fernandez had abused him until he revealed the abuse to his family as an adult while he was trying to come to terms with his trauma.
"He had no idea I was a victim, and I had no idea he was a victim," Ben Tanguay said. "That was a big moment for both of us."
Arrest records cited by The Baltimore Banner said Fernandez's former landlord told Baltimore County police she witnessed boys enter the basement apartment he rented from her in Nottingham and would hear noises suggesting he was "pleasuring himself."
She said she wrote an anonymous letter to the church warning them about the youth leader, but it was unclear if they read it. Ben Tanguay confirmed that Fernandez abused him in the apartment, among other places, as a minor.
Greater Grace's top youth pastor told police that he never suspected Fernandez was a pedophile.
"Mr. Love advised that he never saw Mr. Fernandez alone with any of the youth. He never thought that Mr. Fernandez was abusing any of the youth at the time. No one ever said anything to him at the time about Mr. Fernandez abusing them," the court documents say.
A third man also came forward to reveal that he was abused by Fernandez and is still active in the church. The man who The Baltimore Banner did not identify had high praises for how the church responded.
"I believe in the power of forgiveness and that through the person of Jesus, anyone can find healing and hope," he said in a statement. "The Greater Grace Church was an important part of the investigation, trial, and my road of recovery. During my trial many of its pastors and members came to support me, sit with me, and even cry with me. Since those early days I've found that the only way to move forward was ultimately through the hard but necessary work of forgiveness."
Elders said in their response to the widespread allegations of abuse that they expect the independent investigation by an unnamed firm is expected to take "six months or more."
"This firm will have wide latitude to do its work in a thorough, objective, and unbiased way. They will provide a comprehensive assessment of how this church has responded to such cases, and especially how we have listened to and cared for victims. This firm will then conduct a detailed critique of our culture, policies, processes, and practices. We intend to hire a firm in the next several weeks," the church elders said.
"We expect this assessment to take six months or more and ask for your prayers during this process. We'd also ask for your patience, as we will not be able to provide additional information about this matter while this work is ongoing," they added. "Once this process is concluded and we receive a full report, we commit to be transparent about the findings and about any work we need to do to ensure a safe environment for all our families in the future."
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