Dear Supporters of GRACE,

The Board of Directors is grateful to announce Laura Thien, MSW, LISW-CP, as the next Executive Director of GRACE. This decision follows a months-long search process that included both internal and external candidates. Throughout that discernment, the Board sought a leader who embodies Christ-centered compassion, professional excellence, and a deep commitment to protecting the vulnerable. Laura’s heart for the Church and her conviction that God calls us to create safe, accountable, and compassionate communities aligns profoundly with GRACE’s mission. 

For more than eighteen years, Laura has walked alongside survivors of child abuse, sexual assault, and other trauma—as a clinician, advocate, trainer, and leader in efforts to equip and empower the Christian community to reflect God’s love and justice. She currently serves at Canterbury Counseling Center in Greenville, SC, providing mental health care and leading ministry partnership development to increase accessibility and affordability of mental health services in her local area. Her extensive experience includes a strong record of nonprofit board leadership, including ten years of faithful service on the GRACE Board, and three of those years serving as Board Chair.

The GRACE Board of Directors

"In the child protection constellation, Laura Thien is one of the brightest stars. Laura's work as a mental health provider, educator and advocate has positively impacted the lives of countless children and adult survivors of maltreatment. Laura's deep understanding of the spiritual impact of abuse will allow GRACE to expand our work in assisting the Christian community in responding to abuse through a trauma-informed lens." 

— Victor Vieth, GRACE Board member & Director of the Center for Faith & Child Protection at Zero Abuse Project

A note from Laura:

 “As we look to the next chapter at GRACE, I want to note profound gratitude for the legacy of courage and care experienced through our two previous Executive Directors, Pete Singer and Boz Tchividijian (GRACE’s founder). The foundations laid in their tenures make it possible for GRACE to continue its work with diligence, excellence, boldness, and compassion. I look forward to continuing the work they started.

Everyday, survivors of abuse walk into our churches and communities looking for safety, compassion, and belonging. GRACE’s vision for a global Christian community that reflects God’s heart for these survivors is compelled by hope– hope that the Christian community can fully live into the sacred calling of protecting the vulnerable and speaking truth, with courage. I am humbled, and honored, to continue this hope alongside the entire GRACE team and Board of Directors, as we carry out our mission with faithfulness. In the words of the psalmist, I am confident that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)”

To read more click here to read Laura’s full bio.

Dear Friends,

It is with profound sadness that we share news of Pete Singer's passing on the morning of May 1, 2025. He faced his journey with such courage, and now, we trust, he rests in that perfect peace, his faith fully realized.

For the five years he led GRACE, Pete did so beautifully. He was a man whose life spoke volumes of faith, of an unwavering integrity, of a heart dedicated to service, and a compassion that knew no bounds. His presence among us was a true gift, one that enriched each of our lives in ways we are only beginning to fully understand in his absence.

In moments like these, we often find ourselves drawn to the enduring hope found in scripture, like the powerful words from Isaiah: "He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears." It's a promise that sustains us, a vision of a future where sorrow is no more, and it's with that hope that we can look forward to seeing Pete again, in that ultimate reunion.

Please keep Pete's family and those closest to him in your thoughts and prayers during this tender time. May we, as a community, continue to extend grace and support to one another and to continue Pete's legacy of service to the "least of these" (Matthew 25:34-45). 

With heartfelt sympathy and abiding hope,

- The GRACE Board of Directors and Team

G.R.A.C.E. (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) is assisting churches in Central Florida in tackling abuse through comprehensive training. By equipping church leaders to recognize, respond to, and prevent various forms of abuse, including clergy sexual misconduct and child abuse, G.R.A.C.E. aims to address gaps in education and ensure safer church environments. This initiative emphasizes the importance of proactive measures and trauma-informed care within faith communities.

WSAW in Wausau, WI recently featured GRACE in a news report about a recent investigation into clergy abuse. The report takes a good look at what goes into a GRACE investigation, as well as our overall mission and purpose.

On June 22nd, 2021 public statements were made questioning GRACE’s commitment to survivors and external reviews in response to abuse allegations. The person who made those comments has since apologized. The following is a statement, made on June 29th, 2021, regarding those comments.

Dear Supporters of GRACE,

The GRACE board is thrilled to announce that Pete Singer will succeed Boz Tchividjian as the next Executive Director of GRACE beginning on January 1, 2021.  Boz looks forward to continuing his service as a member of the GRACE board.   

Peter Singer, MSW, LICSW, is a licensed independent clinical social worker having 30 years’ experience working with trauma in a variety of settings, including schools, group homes, foster care, home-based services, outpatient therapy, law firms, and more. He comes to GRACE after serving for the past 15 years as the co-founder and Executive Director of Care In Action Minnesota (CIAM).  Care in Action is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the quality of life of abused or neglected children, strengthening families, connecting communities, and preventing childhood maltreatment. Pete’s work provided timely support to families served by Child Protection or Welfare Services and youth aging out of foster care. 

In addition to his leadership at CIAM,  Pete has provided ongoing consultation and training to organizations in the legal, healthcare, human service, and education fields including for the Child Friendly Faith Project, Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health, Minnesota School Social Workers Association, Minnesota Department of Education, and for local schools and faith communities.

The entire GRACE team is extremely excited and humbled that Pete will bring his gifted leadership, wealth of knowledge, and kind spirit to lead GRACE into a new era as we continue pressing forward to educate and empower faith communities to welcome and safeguard the vulnerable as well as to recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse. During the coming weeks, we very much look forward to introducing Pete to the broader GRACE community, convinced that the more you get to know Pete the more confident you will be that the future of GRACE is bright and that our best days are ahead.

- GRACE Board of Directors

“Through his writing, teaching, advocacy, and care for survivors, Pete Singer has comforted the oppressed, called the church to genuine repentance, and brought faith and child protection leaders together to address the needs of maltreated children. GRACE has chosen a leader uniquely gifted to to teach Christians everywhere that service to Christ is hollow unless we are also prepared to serve the children God has entrusted to our care.”

- Victor Vieth (GRACE Board Member)

To read more click here for Pete Singer’s bio.

Dear Supporters of GRACE:

I am writing to share some exciting news about my future and the future of GRACE. This May, I will be stepping down as the Executive Director of GRACE in order to return to the full-time practice of law representing abuse survivors against institutions who have failed to protect them. Though certainly sad about this decision, the GRACE board and the GRACE team has been nothing but supportive and encouraging to me about my future.

“As I step away from being the Executive Director, the GRACE team isn’t going anywhere and will continue with our Safeguarding Certification Initiative and our Independent Investigations.”

Follow this link to read more.

GRACE Board Member Dr. Justin Holcomb was quoted in an article by Christianity Today, noting “Ten percent of Protestant churchgoers under 35 have previously left a church because they felt sexual misconduct was not taken seriously.”

“These findings reveal that congregations assume the best about themselves and assume the best about their leadership. Unfortunately, these churchgoers’ optimistic views do not match up with the reality of a majority of churches.”

Follow the link to read more: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/may/lifeway-protestant-abuse-survey-young-christians-leave-chur.html?share=5igbVkGnm3yr3AkBo%2Fl36pHf8UyfwMty&fbclid=IwAR2edg06XjqwhlRyd1yfp-BSXAS2TtpMODLvQIXd00zJe2FVdCQ50DGkLws

In response to report by The Houston Chronicle, GRACE Executive Director Boz Tchividjian was interviewed by the NPR radio show, All Things Considered.  You can read the recording or listen to the segment here: https://www.npr.org/2019/02/11/693668194/southern-baptist-leaders-grapple-with-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct-by-pastor

The Houston Chronicle has released a three-part report on abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention titled “Abuse of Faith.” David Pittman is featured as one of the survivors in the article. David is one of our incredible Certification Specialists.

Excerpt:

“It's not just a recent problem: In all, since 1998, roughly 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct, the newspapers found. That includes those who were convicted, credibly accused and successfully sued, and those who confessed or resigned. More of them worked in Texas than in any other state.

“They left behind more than 700 victims, many of them shunned by their churches, left to themselves to rebuild their lives. Some were urged to forgive their abusers or to get abortions.”

Read the three-part series here: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/article/Southern-Baptist-sexual-abuse-spreads-as-leaders-13588038.php

"We found a culture of systemic abuse that was fueled by a leadership on the field that was so concerned about spreading the gospel of Jesus that it ultimately ended up overlooking, and at times, in my opinion, sacrificing their own children."

That was one of the quotes shared by GRACE Executive Director Boz Tchividjian during a recent interview by NBC News. The organization in question is New Tribes Mission, now Ethnos360, which was investigated by GRACE in 2009-2010.

We are grateful for these survivor's voices and the national attention their experiences are receiving. These horrific stories deserve to be heard, and those responsible held accountable.

The GRACE Report into New Tribes Mission can be accessed on our website here: https://www.netgrace.org/new-tribes-mission

We applaud these women for shining a light and thank NBC News for this report.

Watch it here: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/new-tribes-missionary-abuse-victims-break-their-silence-1439146563666?fbclid=IwAR1ldPEdHe03Wmty2fRs0DosgQxbvoV5ilZlojSctjOS61d17pGgL7zMKjo

Joshua Pease of RELEVANT Magazine wrote a wide-ranging article examining several instance of Christianity’s failure to deal with abuse—of all kinds—properly, and how that has created a tidal wave of #MeToo disclosures.

GRACE Executive Director Boz Tchividjian and GRACE Board Member Dr. Diane Langberg are quoted in the article.
 

“The question facing the evangelical church right now is, ‘What are we going to do?’ We need people who will roll up their sleeves and realize they are called to a true, fundamental, culture change within their churches.”

—Boz Tchividjian

“[Victims’ claims] are a disruption of what we want to believe is true. We protect our institutions because often, they’re our god.”

—Diane Langberg

To read more, follow this link:

https://relevantmagazine.com/issues/issue-96/itstime/

In this profile of GRACE Executive Director Boz Tchividjian and Rachael Denhollander, The Christian Century reports on the efforts to hold abusers accountable within Protestant Christianity—long before #MeToo erupted.

“We are still drawn and seduced by power and influence. And so, as a result, when there is abuse within churches and faith communities, children are the ones who often fall through the cracks. The powerful and the influential, the perpetrators, those are the ones that we embrace.”

If you would like a picture of the history leading to GRACE’s founding, read the story here:
https://www.christiancentury.org/article/people/metoo-boz-tchividjian-has-held-abusers-church-accountable

In a recent New York Times op-ed by Peter Wehner, GRACE Founder and Executive Director Boz Tchividjian was quoted as saying:

"When something does surface, all too often the church leadership quiets it down. Because they’re concerned about reputation: ‘This could harm the name of Jesus, so let’s just take care of it internally.’ When somebody says that, it’s a lie. Keeping things in the dark and allowing souls to be destroyed by abuse, that shames the Gospel. Jesus is all about transparency.”

To read more about what Wehner calls the Church's "Great #MeToo Awakening," follow this link: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/12/opinion/sunday/the-great-metoo-awakening.html

On December 7, 2016, the GRACE Board of Directors issued a public statement in response to credible allegations that Tullian Tchividjian had engaged in clergy sexual misconduct against multiple women.

July 17th, 2013, GRACE released this public statement signed by over 70 Christian leaders registering our concern for survivors and resolve to confront the growing crisis of abuse and cover-up within the Body of Christ.

This statement was made in the wake of the scandals brewing over the institutional cover-up in Sovereign Grace Ministries (now Sovereign Grace Churches).

”Protecting an institution or organization rather than a living, breathing lamb is to love ministry more than God and to value a human name or institution more than the peerless name of Jesus.”