Naomi Zacharias, daughter of Ravi Zacharias, has announced that she is stepping down as director of Wellspring International, the humanitarian arm of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). In her announcement, Zacharias alluded to the pain she is dealing with as a result of her father’s sexual misconduct, but did not mention the victims of his abuse.
“When I look back at 20 yrs of a calling, it was ignited by passion and belief but woven together by threads of my own brokenness,” Naomi Zacharias said in an announcement on Instagram. “Perhaps one day I will look back at this unanticipated turn, too, & see a faint trace of wings shaped not in spite of but through it.”
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The website of Wellspring International has gone private. However, on the website of End Violence Against Children (which partnered with Wellspring), Wellspring describes itself “as an extension of the central focus of RZIM, where we live out what we preach and defend. Through a process of due diligence, the vision of Wellspring is to identify and financially equip existing organizations aiding women and children at risk, as well as to provide individual scholarships to support education, healthcare, and basic living needs.”
While it is not clear what Wellspring’s future is, a metadescription in Google may indicate that the organization permanently closed on March 25, 2021.
Naomi Zacharias Bids Her Team Farewell
In her post, Naomi Zacharias thanked her team and “the people & organizations around the world with extraordinary courage I had the opportunity to witness.” She did not directly mention her father’s sexual misconduct, but she did mention “cancel culture,” which Zacharias called “untenable.” Zacharias also referred to the love her father showed her during “an unanticipated life turn” when she was afraid her parents would love her less.
“Some voices have held us,” she said. “Others have told me I am filthy because of my last name; that I need to know my dad had no love for me; asked if I will change the name to hide identity.” Naomi Zacharias’s response to this question is a clear “no.” She concluded her post, “Life carries mystery in its threads. My name is Naomi Zacharias. I am the daughter of Ravi Zacharias. I am the daughter of God my Savior. I will raise my head. For I am being called to carry on.”
The news that Ravi Zacharias, a beloved apologist, was in reality a prolific sexual predator is arguably the most shocking recent story of abuse in evangelicalism—stories which only seem to proliferate.
For further background on Ravi Zacharias’s abuse, see the following articles.
Sexting, Spiritual Abuse, Rape: Devastating Full Report on Ravi Zacharias Released
The Story Behind the Ravi Zacharias Allegations (Part 1): Lawsuits, NDAs, and Email Threads
RZIM PR Manager Says She Was Shunned For Asking Questions
As Zacharias Institute Leaders Apologize, Ravi’s Son Still Pushing Back
