A year after the death of her father, the late apologist Ravi Zacharias, Sarah Davis of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries issued an apology over his reported misconduct. Notwithstanding, her brother Nathan said that she is not speaking on behalf of the family.
Ravi Zacharias, one of the most well-known figures in American Christianity for decades, died in May last year. An independent investigation discovered evidence of the apologist's extended habit of abusive conduct. His daughter said she made a mistake by dismissing charges against her father and supported him.
"My goal and my heart were not to attempt to cover up the sins of my father, or any sin," she said in a video statement last week addressing the victims, the Christian Post reported. "I did not serve well, and I did not love well. And for this, I'm deeply sorry,"
"I still replay memories, over and over in my head. How could this make sense with the man that I knew and what we now know to be true? Was it all a lie? Could he have done these things?" she continued.
"For the rest of my life, I will have to hold the tension with this man that I knew and love, with the man that we know now committed these actions," she concluded.
Nathan Zacharias wrote a swift response to his sister's speech, in which he said that he supports his father:
"My sister, Sarah, recently gave a video statement on the situation with my Dad," he said. "There was no new information given, and she did not say anything she has not already said in her previous statements over the past few months. It was the same talking points."
"She is not speaking for the family. As has been clear, we do not share her take on this situation," he clarified.
Nathan asserted in a May 7 blog post that the Miller & Martin probe was "driven by a predetermined agenda." He also criticized RZIM's handling of the claims.
The late apologist's son asserts that RZIM has twisted the Scripture James 3:1 to support their intent to litigate his father's case in the limelight.
He discovered that even his father's legacy, built on a reputation for credibility and commitment, was largely overshadowed by what he believed was an innate bias to ignore and discredit positive aspects of Ravi's life. This, he predicted, ensured that Ravi's accomplishments would have no lasting impact on future generations, and that he would only be remembered for his alleged sin.
Abdu Murray, who co-authored a book with Nathan's father and has led RZIM since 2017, was interviewed in May.
"I think that we have this mentality in somehow ministry is itself sacred, that ministry is the same as God is ... and so when an allegation of abuse happens, we find it unbelievable because these people could not possibly have done it," Murray said.
Since the Miller & Martin report was released earlier this year, RZIM has announced that it is changing its name to become a grant-making nonprofit helping evangelism and abuse victims, as well as laying off the bulk of its personnel.
Several publishers also dropped Ravi Zacharias' books in May, apologizing for how he and the ministry handled public statements.
