Boz Tchividjian founded GRACE in 2004 and served as it’s Executive Director until 2020. An experienced litigator who has handled hundreds of civil and criminal cases, Boz has dedicated his career to empowering survivors of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment to step forward and seek justice against perpetrators and the institutions legally responsible for their trauma. His current practice focuses almost exclusively on representing child and adult abuse survivors throughout the country. Prior to becoming a civil litigator, Boz served as an Assistant State Attorney in the 7th Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he created the first Sex Crimes Division at the Office of the State Attorney and served as Division Chief.

He is a former columnist for Religion News Service who wrote a weekly column that focused on the intersection of abuse and faith communities. He has also been widely quoted in media outlets such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and NBC Nightly News.

Boz is the co-author of The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide for Churches and Ministries, a handbook for faith based non-profit organizations looking to improve their child safeguarding policies. He has also published scholarly articles such as, “Predators and Propensity: The Proper Approach for Determining the Admissibility of Prior Bad Acts Evidence in Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions” (American Journal of Criminal Law) and “Catching American Sex Offenders Overseas: A Proposal for a Federal Mandated Reporting Law” (UMKC Law Review). Boz also currently serves as an adjunct professor at Stetson University.

With over 60 million child abuse survivors nationwide, we are a country riddled with abuse and the effects of it. Too often, those within the Church have been uninformed about the complexities of child abuse. This has compounded its damaging effects on individuals, families, and faith communities with inappropriate and even negligent responses to signs and disclosures of abuse. Our collective failure as Christians to properly care for the most innocent and vulnerable among us has often been devastating.

As followers of Jesus, the GRACE team seeks to be faithful and obedient to his teaching and the teachings of the whole of Scripture, which we believe put great value in the compassionate care and advocacy for children and vulnerable people.

We believe that every person, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is worthy of  being treated with the greatest  dignity and respect. 

GRACE exists to equip the Church with a vision for authentic community, where responsibility, accountability, and compassion are second nature and caring for children and adult survivors of abuse are non-negotiable. Though the history of the Church can make this approach seem radical, we believe educating and empowering God's people to love the vulnerable and wounded as Jesus does is nothing more and nothing less than the fulfillment of his teaching.

We believe with proper education and training churches and ministry organizations can become the safest communities for the vulnerable and the most welcoming and loving for those who have been impacted by abuse.  We pray for a day when the hurting run towards the church for refuge and healing.  Jesus calls each of us to be a part of making that happen.  Please join us.

Peace,

Basyle, “Boz” Tchividjian

Pete Singer was the Executive Director of GRACE from 2021-2025, when he passed away after a long and valiant battle with cancer. Pete had over 30 years of experience working with trauma, abuse, and mental health in a variety of settings including as a foster parent, school social worker, therapist, youth group leader, consultant, and as the Founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit that helped equip faith communities to better recognize, prevent, and respond to child maltreatment.

Pete completed his Master’s in Social Work from the University of Minnesota, where he also received a Certificate in Trauma-Effective Leadership. He spoke nationally on trauma, trauma-informed practice, resilience, strengthening the parent-child relationship, and the role of the faith community in responding to child maltreatment. In addition, he was a Registered Circle of Security – Parent Educator, Board-Approved Supervisor, and has completed extensive training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. He served on several workgroups, including the Cultural Provider’s Network, Ramsey County Ending Racial Disparities Workgroup, Youth in Transition Workgroup, and designed an innovative support and education program for staff in trauma-saturated fields across disciplines. He published and contributed to a number of articles and book chapters, including Coordinating Pastoral Care of Survivors with Mental Health Providers; Mental Health and Healthcare System Responses to Adolescent Maltreatment; and Wounded Souls: The Need for Child Protection Professionals and Faith Leaders to Recognize and Respond to the Spiritual Impact of Child Abuse, with Victor Vieth.

Pete’s passion, leadership, wisdom, and insight have left a lasting legacy on GRACE and the communities we serve.

Churches and ministries are intended to be safe havens that foster healing and restoration. Unfortunately, they are sometimes a source of pain and abuse instead. Children are the most vulnerable. It’s hard to tell exactly how common child abuse is in the United States. According to the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, 26% of children are subjected to verbal/emotional abuse, 15% to physical abuse, and 12% to sexual abuse. Many studies indicate that rates are actually significantly higher. Others are vulnerable as well. The authority held by those in Church leadership creates a power differential that has been exploited to abuse and mistreat people of every gender, every background, and every age group. This must not be ignored by the Church, but sadly, we have not prepared our leaders to respond in a God-honoring and survivor-centered way. At times, we have misapplied the truth of Scripture to justify the abuse or our silence. At times, we have hidden from the truth or sided with those who abuse instead of those who have been abused. At times, we have further harmed children and adult survivors by using as a weapon the power God has entrusted to us. This does not reflect the heart of God, and I believe it does not reflect the heart of most people in God’s Church.

But this is not the end of the story. There is hope for prevention, healing, and accountability. Jesus modeled this hope. Hearing, loving, and protecting children and the vulnerable were central themes of Jesus’ ministry on Earth. Whether welcoming them to him, holding them up as an ideal of faith, or proclaiming judgment on those who harmed them, Jesus clearly showed a heart for children and the vulnerable. As the tangible expression of God’s presence on Earth, the Church must do the same.

This heart is at the core of GRACE’s mission to empower Christian communities to recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse. The early Church, so close to the time of Christ, played a central role in ending many abusive practices that were prevalent at that time. We believe the Church today is called to take up that mantle once again and be a safe haven for children and all who are vulnerable.

The work is not easy. It is not quickly finished. But it CAN be done. Through education, consultation, and accountability, GRACE believes we can work together for the sake of those who have been abused. We believe this movement can bring about a deep cultural change as the Church more closely reflects the heart of God toward children and all people. We long to lift our voices with yours for the sake of those who are vulnerable. Christ calls us to do no less.

Peace,

Pete Singer