RZIM to cease apologetics ministry

RZIM will stop its apologetics ministry and become a grant-making entity, the leaders of the organisation said in an email to staff on Wednesday.

The announcement, which Eternity has seen, comes just days after the RZIM Board made its first public call for victims of sexual abuse at the hands of its namesake Ravi Zacharias to come forward, as well as announcing its intention to change the name of the organisation.

Ravi Zacharias


“RZIM cannot – indeed should not – continue to operate as an organisation in its present form,” the email reads. “Nor do we believe we can merely rename the organisation and move forward with ‘business as usual’.”

Grants will be available to support ministries seeking to “preach the gospel through questions of culture” and also projects to support the prevention of and caring for victims of sexual abuse.

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“In this way, we hope to honor the intent of the gifts our donors have sacrificially made to further the gospel,” the staff announcement reads.

RZIM says it has already seen a “steady decline” in financial support to the organisation since the allegations against Ravi Zacharias were made public shortly after his death in 2020. The organisation is no longer soliciting or accepting financial contributions.

The organisation also announced it expected to reduce its staff by 60 per cent, with cuts being made as early as this week. Leadership change is also expected in the months ahead, as the organisation pivots to its new grant-making function.