An extended review of a 2025 book by Bob Stenhouse and Randal Rauser
Note: Our print issue contains a shorter version of this review. Faith Today welcomes your thoughts on any of our reviews. We also welcome suggestions of other Canadian Christian books to review: Contact us.
Veritas Solutions Press, 2025. 185 pages. $15 (ebook $6)
Faith Today audiences may remember our 2024 cover story and podcast episode featuring Albertans Randal Rauser and Bob Stenhouse, whose company Veritas Solutions conducts independent abuse investigations and offers training and consulting to churches and other organizations.
Last year they published this practical guide to equip churches against abuse.
The book offers an introduction to types of abuse, three common profiles of an abuser, hallmarks of a culture of abuse, points at which the Church is vulnerable to abuse, and a step-by-step guide through a workplace investigation into abuse in a local church.
In its favour, the book is concise and accessible. It is written with a measured tone, avoiding extremes or sensationalism. Many of the examples given are at the more minor end of the abuse spectrum, which is a wise choice as it avoids making the book too intense or making it seem exaggerated.
For me the most helpful part of the book are the definitions and concise explanations with examples of six types of abuse: harassment, bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, discrimination, spiritual abuse. These are important concepts for all of us to familiarize ourselves with to ensure we have healthy communities that comply with legal regulations. In Christian circles especially we need to acknowledge how these abusive behaviours are easily papered over with euphemisms, avoided and unjustly excused – often masking human sin with spiritualizing language.
The second half of the book illustrates some typical incidents in a fictional church that lead an employee to file a complaint, some possible responses considered by the human resources leader and board chair, and then, when they choose an external investigation, how the investigation proceeds and ends up.
Some of the expert commentary alongside this fictional investigation gets complicated, which makes reading these parts harder but also demonstrates the importance of expertise – and specific ways in which an internal investigation is likely to be insufficient, only partially effective and likely to lead to further problems for the church community.
The fictional story realistically acknowledges some of the negative side effects of the investigation (gossip, for example) and ends with some unhappiness and suffering on all sides. But it also identifies the cleansing and God-honouring nature of truth-telling. Among other effects, the right amount of truth-telling prevents the offender from simply moving on to a new, entirely ignorant community where they are likely to repeat the same offences. Truth-telling can also lead to a hopeful new start for a church or Christian organization where the level of prioritization of safety is presented honestly.
This self-published book is a bit narrow in that it outlines the methods and thinking of a single administrative investigative organization. Veritas Solutions, as Canada’s largest consultancy of its kind, is worth listening to. But the book is not a comprehensive examination drawing on a range of experts with a range of views. For example, I didn’t notice any reference to Plan to Protect, which is a major Canadian organization working in the same Christian spaces.
This book is a good place to start for organizational leaders and volunteers needing a basic overview. It took me two evenings to read the 185 pages. There are practical tips and warnings against common mistakes in abuse situations. But as is often the case, the biggest take away for readers who finish such a book is realizing just how much more we congregants, church leaders and volunteers need to learn on these topics. It’s much better to be aware of our weaknesses than to think we don’t have any.
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