Over the weekend, there was great discussion on how we can best help friends who still remain in an abusive church. It is so frustrating to be on the outside knowing they are seemingly stuck in that spiritually abusive environment. I thought of Pastor Ken Garrett and his experience in an abusive church/cult and wondered if… Continue reading Instrumental Voices in Leaving an Abusive Church Environment
Category: Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual Abuse: Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Raymond has been a regular blog reader and his very sad personal story is posted here: Can Spiritual Abuse Destroy a Marriage? Paul's Story. At that time, he was going by the pseudonym, "Paul". Raymond is trying to move on with his life after his heart-wrenching church experience. It has now been around 9 months… Continue reading Spiritual Abuse: Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
How can we best help friends who remain in an abusive church?
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land— the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand.Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes? Jeremiah 5:30-31Reader Rebecca Kvenvolden asks a great question and suggested it as a topic for a post. I think… Continue reading How can we best help friends who remain in an abusive church?
A Sign of Hope Among the Mayhem in Church Abuse
Why do bloggers expose church leaders who abuse? Because there is a PROBLEM. The problem leaves lasting effects - sometimes eternally. We will never know the full outcome of destruction caused by pastors who abuse - whether they abuse spiritually, sexually, emotionally, etc. And church leaders will not be motivated to fix anything until they… Continue reading A Sign of Hope Among the Mayhem in Church Abuse
Blogger Faces Possible Excommunication
There appears to be an ongoing problem with churches and spiritual abuse bloggers. I've been sued for blogging about my former church, attorneys for Calvary Chapel Visalia are apparently working on a defamation lawsuit against blogger Alex Grenier, YouTube blogger, Kevin Oliver had his YouTube account deactivated after posting this video: Kevin sued YouTube and later… Continue reading Blogger Faces Possible Excommunication
Pastor Bob Grenier of Calvary Chapel to File Defamation Lawsuit Against Son and Blogger?
*      *     *      *      * Not too long ago, I followed quite a few referral hits on my blog and came upon the Calvary Chapel News blog run by Alex Grenier.   Alex had been following my lawsuit story and shared my… Continue reading Pastor Bob Grenier of Calvary Chapel to File Defamation Lawsuit Against Son and Blogger?
Polish-a-Shaft Pastor Signs Plea Deal for Sex with Minor
Remember the former "polish-a-shaft" pastor, Jack Schaap of 15,000-member mega-church Hammond First Baptist Church in Indiana I discussed here: Too Crazy for Words? Just in case you missed the video the first time around, I dare you to watch it. Do you suppose anyone in the church could have imagined that this dude had some… Continue reading Polish-a-Shaft Pastor Signs Plea Deal for Sex with Minor
Beware of the Lone Pastor
One glaring red flag we missed in our abusive church situation was the fact that our pastor seemed to have no real relationships with pastors in the local area. He knew pastors, but I do not recall him saying he respected any of them. How could a pastor in his first pastorate have no need… Continue reading Beware of the Lone Pastor
A Pastor Speaks Out: The Church and Abused Women
The church, domestic violence, women, pastors, spousal abuse    A couple days ago, I was informed about a note a pastor had written to another pastor regarding spiritual abuse.  This spiritual abuse is specifically regarding women and how their role as women is regarded in the church - or perhaps I should… Continue reading A Pastor Speaks Out: The Church and Abused Women
Edwin Young and Touch Not Mine Anointed $1,000 Challenge
It may seem that I am picking on Faith Tabernacle and Edwin/Jordan Young. It is true that their names are in the media spotlight lately, but they represent a lot of what is going on in churches. I'm attempting to highlight the spiritual abuse patterns that are showing up in churches all over. In order… Continue reading Edwin Young and Touch Not Mine Anointed $1,000 Challenge
Jordan Young Arrested Yet Again and Faith Tabernacle Pastors
There have been two posts here (Buh-Bye Pastor Edwin Young and How Did Pastor Edwin Young Treat Women?) about Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Junction City, Kansas, regarding the senior pastor, Edwin Young, who abruptly resigned recently and also his son, Jordan Young, who has been charged with all sorts of sexual abuse crimes against children. Uncovering… Continue reading Jordan Young Arrested Yet Again and Faith Tabernacle Pastors
Spiritual Abuse: Friends Left Behind and Moving Forward
There were people who warned me that my former church was not a healthy place. They were concerned by what they heard when they listened to recorded sermons. They were alarmed when they visited the church. One friend had gone to a high school graduation ceremony for a few homeschool graduates. The pastor spoke and… Continue reading Spiritual Abuse: Friends Left Behind and Moving Forward
Warning Issued for Eagle Heights Community Church Members
**Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.(Ephesians 5:11 ESV)Â I recently posted two articles by Eric and Raymond Ernst. Â Here is Eric's story: Â Personal Story of Spiritual Abuse by Eric . Raymond told his heart-wrenching story of the break up of his precious marriage. Â In that story, he chose… Continue reading Warning Issued for Eagle Heights Community Church Members
Pastors Who Plagiarize
“You shall not steal." Exodus 20:15 Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work,[1][2] but the notion remains problematic with nebulous boundaries.I woke up early this morning thinking about the comments yesterday regarding pastors who… Continue reading Pastors Who Plagiarize
I Like the Red Sox and I Like Your Hat
"If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but… Continue reading I Like the Red Sox and I Like Your Hat
How Did Pastor Edwin Young Treat Women?
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. Proverbs 31:10Ok ladies and gentlemen, I found another video at SpiritualAbuse.org. It was very difficult to listen to the first videos I posted earlier. Here is another recording from Pastor Edwin Young abruptly resigned from Faith Tabernacle in Junction City, Kansas a short… Continue reading How Did Pastor Edwin Young Treat Women?
Chuck O’Neal of Beaverton Grace Bible Church Issues Press Release
Sheep-Dog, a regular reader here, wanted to see the original press release from our former pastor. Â The link to the original "press release" is no longer working at The Wartburg Watch and the document was apparently removed from the BGBC website. Â A reader sent O'Neal an e-mail and this press release was included in O'Neal's… Continue reading Chuck O’Neal of Beaverton Grace Bible Church Issues Press Release
Personal Story of Spiritual Abuse by Eric
"Spiritual abuse is not God’s will for your life!"  "We thought we were the problem, for so long. We cowered in fear, shame and confusion, for so long. YOU ARE NOT ALONE." A public note to Eric from Julie Anne:  Eric, A lot of people won't like what they are reading from you.  They… Continue reading Personal Story of Spiritual Abuse by Eric
Buh-Bye Pastor Edwin Young
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 I think there was a reason why our Wednesday evening services were not taped. The truth would have been undeniably exposed. Instead, we are left to deal with people like FB who say our problem is that we have an issue of… Continue reading Buh-Bye Pastor Edwin Young
The Pressure to Serve in a Controlling Church
* Â Â * Â Â * A common trait of a controlling church is that you may be kept so busy, there is little time for anything outside of church. Â I'm going to use SQ's comment below to springboard two posts. Â This first post will discuss the pressure to serve. Â The second will… Continue reading The Pressure to Serve in a Controlling Church
Spiritual Sounding Board 