Five women in California sue International Churches of Christ over alleged systemic abuse

Five women in California have filed a lawsuit against the International Churches of Christ (ICOC), a global discipling movement with roots in mainline Churches of Christ, alleging a “systemic scheme of abuse.” The complaint was filed Dec. 30, 2022, by Darleen Diaz, 33; Bernice Perez, 31; Ashley Ruiz, 31; Salud Gonzalez, 30; and Elena Peltola, 23.

The plaintiffs accuse ICOC leaders and associated ministries of actively concealing acts of sexual abuse against minors to “avert discovery by child protective services and the police.” Diaz and Perez both identify David Saracino, described in the lawsuit as a convicted sexual offender, as their abuser. The women accuse church leadership of failing to adequately protect them from his actions. These are allegations in the lawsuit.

The complaint also says that financial pressure from leadership caused anxiety and depression among many members, later leading some to take their own lives. “Members were forced to tithe and give at least 10 percent of their gross income to the church and participate in special contributions for missions approximately twice a year equaling approximately 40 times their normal tithe amount,” the lawsuit states. “The ICOC was relentless in its pursuit for funding, and church leadership would resort to interrogating members about their income, going so far as to demand copies of the members’ pay stubs.”

Among other charges, the women filed a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The lawsuit also names as defendants Hope Worldwide, Mercy Worldwide, the International Christian Church and the City of Angels International Christian Church, as well as former leaders Thomas McKean and the estate of Charles Lucas.

A second lawsuit was filed Dec. 31, 2022, by Anthony M. Stowers and Erin Tomlinson against the ICOC, its associated ministries and three congregations: the Crossway Church, the Cornerstone Church of Christ and the Chicago Church of Christ. That suit alleges similar acts of abuse that, it says, leadership did not report.

The ICOC’s website states that it has more than 700 churches in 150 countries. Emails seeking comment from the ICOC were not returned by the time the article was published.

Jimmy Hinton, a minister in mainstream Churches of Christ, is a nationally known advocate for victims of sexual abuse. He preaches for the Somerset Church of Christ in Pennsylvania. “What we are seeing with the ICOC is exactly what was revealed through investigations into the Catholics, Southern Baptists, independent fundamental Baptists, Amish and Mennonites and more,” Hinton said. “I am certain sexual abuse of children is still happening on a large scale in the Churches of Christ because I’ve had dozens of victims reach out to me over the past few years.”

The case’s implications extend beyond the ICOC, according to a victims advocate quoted in the report. The ICOC has been associated with multiple movements and names since its inception, including the Boston Movement and the Crossroads Movement, and it formally split from Churches of Christ in 1993.

Source: Read the original report