Hey, I've got new digs. Welcome to the new abode! There ain't no housewarming party just yet, and there's much work to do (hanging pictures, painting, interior decorating, widgets, and all that sort of stuff), but I wanted to start the year with a fresh start on the first day of the year and… Continue reading Just Moving In: Welcome!
Category: SPIRITUAL SOUNDING BOARD
10 Most Popular Articles of the Year at BGBC Survivors Blog
It's always fun to watch which blog posts are popular, so I thought it would be interesting to recap the ten most popular blog posts since the inception of the blog late February of 2012. So, here ya go: 1. Buh-Bye Pastor Edwin Young This was a huge surprise to me. I took a… Continue reading 10 Most Popular Articles of the Year at BGBC Survivors Blog
Who’da Thunk It?
Thus, I heal therefore I blog; I blog therefore I heal. ~Brad SargentA new milestone: 300,000 blog hitsThank you for reading, for walking this journey with me, for learning along with me, for spreading the word about spiritual abuse. It's not a pleasant topic, but it needs to be discussed. I could never have imagined… Continue reading Who’da Thunk It?
A Courtship Story: Chryssie Rose
* Â Â * Â Â * Over the past couple months, I've been sharing bits and pieces of the homeschooling movement as it ties in with abuse in churches. Â I've connected a number of times with Chryssie Rose who reads here and is also a blogger and asked if she could share her courtship… Continue reading A Courtship Story: Chryssie Rose
Hannah’s Purity Ring Story
After posting the article, Fathers and Daughters: Who Owns a Daughter's Heart?, it opened up a can of worms for Hannah, my 25-year old daughter. For new readers, she's my daughter who was also named in the defamation lawsuit by our former pastor (you can read her story from her perspective: Hannah's Personal Story in Her Own… Continue reading Hannah’s Purity Ring Story
Responses to Lawsuit Filed against Sovereign Grace Ministries
Earlier I discussed the impact of the internet and bloggers on churches with regard to how they handle abuse issues and ended with this paragraph:I will be highlighting one of the above church groups in the next post because there's a whole lot of shakin' going on and it is important to keep tabs on this… Continue reading Responses to Lawsuit Filed against Sovereign Grace Ministries
Are Bloggers & the Internet Having a Direct Effect on Churches and Their Policies?
Before I get to the subject of this article, I wanted to give a brief update on my court case: Â I've had a few people asking me on the blog and privately if my former pastor has paid the attorney's fees. Â He and/or the church did pay the attorney fees for the two defendants who… Continue reading Are Bloggers & the Internet Having a Direct Effect on Churches and Their Policies?
Julie Anne’s Experience at High School Summer Camp
This is a brief diversion, but something I've been wanting to share for a while. You may remember the last week of July when we found out we won the court case, I was at a high school summer camp serving as a counselor. I wanted to share a little bit about that remarkable experience.… Continue reading Julie Anne’s Experience at High School Summer Camp
Getting out of the Funk
Discussing and thinking about spiritual abuse is heavy. This wonderful video got me out of the funk this morning. My youngest boys loved it. It's only 45 seconds of pure sweetness and well worth the time investment. Enjoy!
Lessons on How to Truly Love
A former church member sent me a note about this song and expressed how much it meant: "I was thinking how much this song really mirrors our story. It made me cry when I watched the video on YouTube. We are happy and blessed to be free from lofty people and lofty judgments. May we… Continue reading Lessons on How to Truly Love
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
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
Need Help with New Blog Name
You may have noticed that I changed the name of the blog to BGBC Survivors. Previously, I spelled out the name of my former church and added Survivors with it. You also may have noticed that I write "former church" and "former pastor" an awful lot. I am purposefully not naming names. I'm ready… Continue reading Need Help with New Blog Name
New Milestone and News Article
 Wow - a milestone - over 200,000 blog hits.  That's awesome and sad at the same time.  It's always sad that there is a need for this kind of blog, but it's great that people are reading and hopefully learning, praying, and spreading the word about this real issue happening in so many churches.… Continue reading New Milestone and News Article
Can Spiritual Abuse Destroy a Marriage? Paul’s Story
* Â Â * Â Â * From time to time, I will be posting select personal spiritual abuse stories here. Â There are a number of reasons to post stories of abuse. Â We can learn from them to try to prevent it from happening again. Â We can offer support. Â Looking at someone's story might identify… Continue reading Can Spiritual Abuse Destroy a Marriage? Paul’s Story
Response to Apology – Trolls and Spiritual Abuse
Last week, Fred Butler issued a public apology to the Smith Family on his own blog per my husband's request. Comments on the post were closed, so I have copied Steve's words here (and sent Fred an e-mail):Fred, Concerning what you wrote about Hannah - your apology is accepted and I forgive you. Thank you for… Continue reading Response to Apology – Trolls and Spiritual Abuse
A Personal Note From Hannah’s Father to Fred
Thank you Fred for the apology - here. However the error has not yet been run to ground.Now would you kindly follow through with that same stream of humility and post a sincere retraction apology on your own Hip and Thigh blog where the error took root? It grieves the church to perceive GCC leaders… Continue reading A Personal Note From Hannah’s Father to Fred
Hannah’s Personal Story in Her Own Words
Readers: Â I've had this post in my "draft posts" for quite some time, but the time to post it is now and I will explain more about that very soon. Â You'll see why it is important to hear from her own words. I shared my perspective of Hannah's story in the most popular blog post,… Continue reading Hannah’s Personal Story in Her Own Words
The News and My Thoughts
As many of you know, I have been at a Christian high school summer camp as a counselor since Sunday. We had been expecting the results any day, so I had my smartphone which is really pretty much useless when you are in a remote area. There's one spot out by the flagpole where I… Continue reading The News and My Thoughts
I’d Love to Know
I'm at camp now and typing this Sunday morning. The counselors will eat breakfast soon, have a Communion service and then we will have training for the counselors. Campers come in around 5 or 6PM. I am in a cabin with 12 beds. Nine young ladies will be in our cabin. My friend who was… Continue reading I’d Love to Know
Spiritual Sounding Board 