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Truth-telling in the Church

Truth-telling in the Church

Last updated on: August 25, 2026 at 2:28 pm by Talley Cross

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Truth-telling in the Church 2026-08-25T14:28:41-04:00 Talley Cross

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Truth-telling in the church

The Prophet Nathan rebukes David for adultery with Bathsheba. Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794 – 1872), a German painter., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This post was first published by the author under the title Truth-telling as a Witness to Christ via Substack / Anglicans for Truth, Renewal, and Accountability (ATRA) on August 17, 2026. Truth-telling in the Church.

The Church’s primary calling is to reflect and proclaim Jesus Christ, the One who is Himself the Truth. Everything the Church does—its teaching, pastoral care, and public witness—should be ordered toward making Christ visible. This essential focus on truth-telling in the Church does not mean the Church must reveal all information or abandon confidentiality; truthfulness is not total disclosure. Rather, truthfulness means refusing deception, distortion, or concealment where sin, harm, or injustice is present. When the Church names reality faithfully—especially where wrongdoing has occurred—it bears witness to Christ. When it hides or manipulates reality to protect power, preserve reputation, or maintain illusions of righteousness, it obscures Christ, even if it continues to confess Him publicly.

Indeed, when the Church sacrifices truth for political advantage or institutional reputation, it commits a form of idolatry: it places something not of God over God.

When Leaders Hide Truth: A Scriptural View

Scripture repeatedly shows that Israel’s witness collapses when its leaders conceal injustice or maintain illusions of righteousness. Isaiah opens with a searing indictment of leaders who perform religious duties while hiding corruption: “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right; seek justice, defend the oppressed” (Isaiah 1:10–17). Their worship is rejected because it masks injustice. Later, Isaiah condemns leaders who “go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord” (Isaiah 29:13–15), rebuking a leadership culture committed to secrecy. Jeremiah exposes the practice of minimizing harm for institutional stability: “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:13–14). This is narrative management—leaders projecting an image of health rather than naming reality. Micah describes leaders who “detest justice” yet claim divine favor: “Is not the Lord among us?” they ask. (Micah 3:9–11). These leaders sanctified themselves with a veneer of righteousness to defend and perpetuate their power.

Moving to the Gospels, in Matthew 23, Jesus famously rebukes the Pharisees for staging righteousness while practicing unrighteousness. They amplify their religious displays—public piety, meticulous tithes—yet ignore justice and mercy. Their righteous acts are hypocritical, hiding spiritual rot underneath.

When Leaders Hide Truth: A Modern View

Wade Mullen’s work in Something’s Not Right helps us understand these dynamics with contemporary clarity. Mullen shows how institutions—especially religious ones—can construct what he calls a “false reality” to maintain an image of goodness. Through impression management, selective disclosure, and spiritualized rhetoric, organizations can create a curated version of themselves that hides harm and protects power. Mullen argues that abusive systems rely on “deceptive performances” designed to shape perceptions and prevent people from seeing the truth. This is not simply a sociological problem; for the Church, it’s also a theological one. When the Church attempts to craft a false image of its own goodness rather than resting in its identity in Christ, it stops relying on Christ. It falls into idolatry—putting itself in God’s place.

Anglicans for Truth, Renewal, and Accountability (ATRA) sees patterns in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) that seem to prioritize institutional protection over truth-telling in the Church:

Investigations, audits, and church trials that seem more focused on protecting leaders than revealing the truth. For example:
- 2026 — Provincial Trial for Archbishop Steve Wood: The Province granted a request by the Archbishop, who is accused of sexual misconduct and other charges, to make his trial private. (Source: Provincial communication)
- 2026 — Provincial Trial of Bishop Stewart Ruch: The Court declined to release a transcript of this trial, which was plagued by controversy. Among other things, the Provincial Prosecutor resigned mid-trial due in part to his perception of court bias favoring Ruch. (Source: report here and resignation letter)
- 2026 — Post-Ruch Trial Review: The ACNA Executive Committee retained the Lathrop Group to review the Provincial Office’s handling of the Ruch proceedings. Given Lathrop’s reputation for defending institutions facing misconduct allegations, along with the Committee’s limited review scope and refusal to release the engagement contract, questions remain about the review’s independence. (Source: The Living Church)
- 2024-2025 — Diocese of Christ Our Hope: Allegations of clergy misconduct were handled internally with limited transparency and no independent review, resulting in survivor reports of leader‑protective processes. (Source: ACNAtoo)
Survivors pressured into silence or sidelined. For example:
- 2026 — Diocese of the Carolinas: During the ecclesiastical proceedings involving Archbishop Steve Wood, the ACNA court reported that witnesses were afraid to come forward and that the prosecution faced a lack of cooperation from Wood’s home parish, raising concerns about pressures that discouraged testimony. (Source: Provincial communication)
- 2025 — Diocese of Christ Our Hope: In a letter, bishops declared matters involving clergy misconduct resolved and minimized conflicts as “interpersonal”, effectively marginalizing survivor voices, regardless of intent. (Source: Diocesan communication, ACNAtoo)
- 2025 — Chaplains Letter: ACNA Chaplains issued a public letter alleging that several ACNA bishops obstructed their allegations of misconduct against Bishop Derek Jones. (Source: The Living Church)
- 2024-2025 — Diocese of Christ Our Hope: Survivors of clergy misconduct were dismissed, subject to retaliation, and pressed to comply with confidentiality agreements (Source: ACNAtoo)
Messaging focused on “mission” vs. truth-telling. For example:
- 2025-2026 — ACNA communications during Bishop Ruch’s trial and at the ACNA’s Provincial Council emphasized the disruptive effects of scandal on the church’s mission. Whatever the intent, such messaging can shift attention away from accountability, truth-seeking, and necessary institutional self-examination.

Please note that the examples provided above are not exhaustive. For more, see the Wall of Silence podcast by Rev. Chris Marchand and the ACNAToo website.

These practices do not reflect Christ. They reflect idols of power, control, and reputation. They reveal a Church that has forgotten the God who exposes darkness for the sake of healing. They reveal a Church that has forgotten its mission, not a church focused on mission.

Truth-Telling in the Church as Repentance, Renewal, and Worship

Scripture shows that renewal begins when truth is spoken plainly. Nathan confronts David with the truth of his sin, and only then does repentance begin (2 Samuel 12:1–13). Josiah’s reforms begin when the Book of the Law is read aloud, and the truth of Israel’s disobedience is exposed (2 Kings 22–23). After the exile, Israel’s renewal begins with a long public confession naming generations of wrongdoing (Nehemiah 9). Isaiah 58 insists that true repentance requires naming injustice directly, not hiding it behind religious performance. Joel describes priests “weeping between the porch and the altar” (Joel 2:12–17), publicly acknowledging the truth of Israel’s condition as the first step toward restoration. In every case, truth-telling is the catalyst for renewal.

This biblical pattern aligns precisely with Mullen’s argument: healing begins when reality is named. Abusive systems thrive in darkness, but people begin to heal when truth is spoken without euphemism.

Telling the truth, even when it reveals sin, acknowledges that the Church’s hope does not rest in its own perfection but in the mercy of God. Truth-telling honors the imago Dei in survivors by affirming the reality of their experience. It restores communion by removing the barriers created by unnecessary secrecy. It aligns the Church with Christ, who exposes darkness not to shame but to heal. Truth-telling is fundamentally pastoral. It’s a way the Church becomes more fully its (true) self, more fully like Christ, for the sake of the world.

Ways to Institutionalize Truth-Telling in the Church

To encourage truth-telling in the Church as a default posture, the Church must formalize structures and practices that guard against idolatry and self-protection—that promote institutional courage. Some of these practices might include:

Independent oversight by impartial third parties that prevents truth from being subordinated to internal politics.
Establishing checks and balances within leadership structures to prevent unhealthy concentrations of power and dependency.
Transparent communication that resists the temptation to protect appearances and addresses concerns, rather than ignoring or dismissing them.
Cherishing the whistleblower: create policies and a culture that honors people for speaking up even when it’s hard.
Gathering regular feedback through confidential surveys that use proven research practices.
Using the church to address the problem, not to silence the one who raises it.

These are not just administrative and institutional reforms. They are acts of worship that ensure Christ—not politics, reputation, or worldly, institutional success—remains the Church’s center.

ATRA’s conviction is simple: truth-telling is a key way that the Church reflects Christ to each other and to the world. When the Church tells the truth, it proclaims the gospel. When it hides the truth, it proclaims an idol. A Church that tells the truth becomes a Church capable of repentance. A Church capable of repentance becomes a Church capable of renewal. And a renewed Church becomes a more credible witness to the God of all Truth.

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About Talley Cross

Talley is a compliance manager at a global payments company. She received her Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the American University in Cairo, where she was a University Fellow, and worked with the Anglican Diocese of Egypt on Muslim/Christian interfaith dialog projects. Talley has a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Sewanee / The University of the South. You can read more about the author here.

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