Some of those entrusted with the care of the soul are more interested in the pleasures of the body than the things of the spirit. That conclusion could be reached from a new Baylor University report on the prevalence of Clergy Sexual Misconduct (CSM). Although much attention recently has been focused on clergymen, especially priests, who have had sexual encounters with boys, the Baylor study, conducted by the university’s School of Social Work, examines sexual activity between ministers and adults.

The survey, released earlier this month, indicates that one out of every 33 women who regularly attend a house of worship has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader. Conducted nationally in 2008-09, the survey involved 3,559 respondents and included additional interviews with people whose lives were affected by CSM, such as husbands, friends, other parishioners and church staff members. Data indicated that 67 percent of offenders were married to another person at the time. Victims were members of 17 varied religious affiliations – Catholic, Protestant and Jewish.

Diana I. Garland, Ph.D., dean of the School of Social Work at Baylor and co-investigator of the study, said, “CSM does not occur evenly across congregations, but these statistics indicate the widespread nature and refutes the commonly held belief that it is the case of a few charismatic and powerful leaders preying on vulnerable followers.”

Garland said, “This is the largest scientific study into Clergy Sexual Misconduct with adults. Many people – including the victims themselves – often label incidences of Clergy Sexual Misconduct with adults as ‘affairs.’ In reality they are an abuse of spiritual power by the religious leader.”

The research determined that congregations and denominational groups do not always respond in a timely manner when incidents of clergy sexual misconduct are disclosed, and in some cases pastors are defended and protected by the church denomination and by parishioners. Victims are blamed, discredited and urged to forgive and forget. Sometimes families and friends are not supportive. Even in cases where the pastor is removed or moves on the pattern may persist because past indiscretions are not always a barrier to obtaining a new position.

Rebekah Miles, a theology professor who teaches ethics, has written, “A colleague of mine reminds seminarians that the things a good counselor does to establish a strong therapeutic relationship are the very same things people do to get someone in bed. The goals are different but the techniques are similar. Given this dynamic and our natural drives, it is no surprise that parishioners are sometimes attracted to pastors and vice versa.”

Part of the problem also may be linked to the fact that bad pastors sometimes are good preachers – men who are spell-binding speakers with the ability to fire up a congregation, raise funds and command loyalty. Such leaders stimulate church growth and are sought by many congregations.

Victims of sexual misconduct, the study shows, often went to the pastor initially during a time of family crisis, grief, distress and, in some cases, for marriage counseling. The pastor was sympathetic and presented himself as able to address unmet needs and provide direction. When a vulnerable woman trusts her pastor, she may believe it if he says a sexual relationship is part of God’s plan and will diminish her pain.

Afterward, the victim often faces a healing process that involves spirituality and the woman who remains religious may find herself in the awkward position of having to deal with a person cut from the same cloth as the one who exploited her. Some victims, therefore, come to distrust all religious leaders and some lose their faith.

Sexual misconduct by clergy for many years was a problem whispered about but not openly discussed. Such attitudes are fading.

To deal with problems in this area some local churches are providing seminars on preventing pastoral sexual misconduct and creating accountability structures to ensure guidelines are obeyed. As of now, only two states have laws in effect to guard against CSM – tTexas and Minnesota.

“Although no one knows with any certainty,” Garland said, “it appears that the abuse of women is a much more pervasive problem than the abuse of children.”

(George E. Hardin worked as a photographer, reporter and editor, and in public relations during a long career before he retired. His column appears every other week.)