On the heels of the long awaited release of the final report on the two-year long independent investigation of Bob Jones University’s response to sexual abuse disclosures, GRACE, (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) is pleased to announce the development of the National GRACE Center for the Protection of Children. This center will fundamentally change the way the Christian community understands and addresses the many difficult issues associated with child abuse. Taking this step will give GRACE a greater ability to bring awareness, provide training, and develop curriculum that will enable ministry organizations and their leaders to better protect the children under their care from sexual abuse.

The in-depth independent investigation of Bob Jones University was done at the request of the school’s Board of Directors, in response to their growing awareness of problems at the university. Conducting such investigations is extremely difficult work, and while it is important, it is not the main focus of GRACE.

As its primary work, GRACE assists Christian churches and organizations with educational programs and effective child abuse prevention policies. They also provide consultations to help ministries properly and effectively respond to abuse disclosures. GRACE also provides a wealth of resources that can educate and assist churches and organizations minimize the opportunities for abuse to occur.

“The National Grace Center for the Protection of Children has been in the planning stages for several years, but we believe the time is now to launch this unprecedented center”, said Boz Tchividjian, Executive Director of GRACE. The organization has authorized a $320,000 launch budget that, when funded, will allow the center to be operational within a few months.

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About GRACE:
Founded by a former prosecuting attorney who is a grandson of Dr. Billy Graham, GRACE’s team includes former prosecutors and top Christian psychologists who have a background in dealing with child predators. GRACE is an organization that understands offenders, is native to the culture of the modern evangelical church, understands the protection of children, and has a heart for helping churches ministry compassionately to abuse survivors in their midst.