In October 2021, it was announced that Sarah Davis, the CEO of RZIM and Ravi Zacharias’ daughter, was leaving the embattled organization to start a new apologetics ministry. Less than a year later it has shut down, with a message on social media explaining “currently, we believe God is leading us to prepare for shutting down the organization. This decision was not easy, but we seek to be good stewards of the time, money, & resources entrusted to us. Given our small team & the growing financial challenges that lie ahead, we believe this is the right decision & timing.”
The group never gained traction, with most of their Facebook posts and live video streams receiving one or two likes and shares- and frequently none. The same goes for their YouTube channel, whose views were sparse.
Ruth Malhotra, former public relations manager for RZIM, was highly skeptical when Lighten (Encounter) was initially launched, noting that it was comprised of former RZIM employees and funded with RZIM money, and likely to propagate the same destructive tendencies that their old organization did.
That appears to be the case. Lighten concludes by noting that while this season was shorter than they hoped, their website, YouTube channel, & Instagram will “remain active for the next year in hopes others will view the content & be equipped & encouraged.”
