When they go on to fill pulpits

Paul Gess

ABUSETHE NAMESTRUSTWORTHINESS

4/29/20252 min read

We have been discussing why saying names matters and how Ethnos360/New Tribes Mission missionaries who have harmed children have been known to seek out ministries with further access to children. Pastoral roles are another job they go on to do that should raise alarm bells. When a missionary leaves or retires from missions work, their position and experience as a missionary, and the respect that comes with it, frequently results in the opportunity to become a pastor. The nature of a pastoral role gives a person authority, and having someone who has exploited a child in that role of authority is dangerous.

One example of an Ethnos360/New Tribes Mission missionary who went on to pastoral roles is Paul Gess. Paul Gess was a New Tribes Mission missionary for many years and reportedly a dorm parent at times during his tenure (which, according to him, began in 1968). Paul Gess is on Ethnos360's list of missionaries who have sexually abused children. It has been alleged that New Tribes Mission leadership knew about the abuses for decades. Upon his return from South America (early 2000s), he continued to serve for nearly a decade as a New Tribes Mission missionary at the retirement homes in Sanford, Florida, until he retired in 2010. Although leadership allegedly had this knowledge for a very long time, it wasn't until 2017, according to their list, that they decided to officially part ways.

It has been alleged that the abuse was not dealt with when leadership first learned of it, and that delay allegedly led to harm to additional children Because of the nature of the ministry and organization, he had access to countless children within the organization during the decades he was still a member, as well as the children of churches, supporters, and people living in the areas he served as a missionary. Upon his departure from Florida, he has been serving in a pastoral capacity at several churches in Michigan. His LinkedIn even describes his skills as "youth ministry" and "campus ministry," among others. It is unknown what these churches knew about his past harm to children, but it can only be assumed that all of the parents of children in these congregations were not aware of this history.

Recently, these churches have been informed. All but one of them seemingly ignored the concern that they have allowed a man to preach in their congregations who had a history of using his position and authority as a missionary, adult, and dorm parent to harm children. The one church that did respond claimed to be aware of what they admitted were his crimes, but they were apparently undeterred. I can't help but wonder if Ethnos360/New Tribes Mission had taken this abuse more seriously from the beginning, if they had communicated what their investigation found about the harm this man had perpetrated against children, would these churches have taken it more seriously? Would they have made a different decision about giving him a platform and the reverence of a place in the pulpit?

This is yet another case of a person Ethnos360/New Tribes Mission knows has harmed children continuing to have access to children as a beloved and respected missionary. This is why saying names matters.

Churches with a public connection to Paul Gess:

Collateral Damage 360