*** Church leaders revictimize abuse victims when they fail to respond appropriately to abuse. Theology can be used to minimize the sin of perpetrators and sometimes blames abuse victims. *** *** I've been following the story of Pastor Steve Wingfield at First Christian Church of Florissant and was notified that the largest paper in St.… Continue reading Church Leaders Who Revictimize Abuse Victims and Theology That Harms Both Victims and Perpetrators
Tag: Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual Abuse: What Motivates Abusers? Fear?
*** What motivates those who spiritually abuse? Is it fear? I recently read this quote by John Steinbeck and was thinking about it in the context of spiritual abuse and those who use their position of authority to control and abuse church members. *** *** What do you think? Is it fear that is motivating spiritual tyrants… Continue reading Spiritual Abuse: What Motivates Abusers? Fear?
Pastor Mike Sperou: Guilty on all 3 counts of sex abuse, sentenced to 20 years, while his devoted followers discount their own adult childrens’ testimonies of sex abuse
*** Update on an earlier story: Pastor Mike Sperou of North Clackamas Bible Community Church found guilty on all 3 counts of sex abuse of minor under 12 and is sentenced to 20 years. This is one of those cases that leaves you shaking your head, thinking that you couldn't make this stuff up… Continue reading Pastor Mike Sperou: Guilty on all 3 counts of sex abuse, sentenced to 20 years, while his devoted followers discount their own adult childrens’ testimonies of sex abuse
Survivor Shares about Abuse in Which He Puts the Blame Ultimately on the Teachings of Bill Gothard
** Abuse Survivor Shares Experience with Bill Gothard's Teachings (IBLP) and Holds Him Responsible ** *** A comment was left by "Dash" very early this morning on an old article from October of 2014, Bill Gothard’s New Program/Ministry: Total Success Power Teams. When someone comments on an old post, you know they used search engines to… Continue reading Survivor Shares about Abuse in Which He Puts the Blame Ultimately on the Teachings of Bill Gothard
When Spiritual Leaders Use Contempt to Control
*** Contempt and Control by Christian Leaders (Mark Driscoll, etc) *** *** My friend, Brad Sargent, has been working tirelessly on behalf of spiritual abuse survivors for decades, documenting people/cases, analyzing outcomes, watching behavioral patterns, etc. He spent over 300 hours documenting and compiling the BGBC Lawsuit Archive which chronicles my defamation lawsuit brought on… Continue reading When Spiritual Leaders Use Contempt to Control
Some Pastors Think They Get to Control the Details of Your Lives, Even the Colors of Clothes You Wear
*** Pastors who use their assumed position of authority to control personal lives. *** for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Hebrews 13:17 *** This is finals week at school, so in the interest of time, I'm going to resurrect an old post from March of… Continue reading Some Pastors Think They Get to Control the Details of Your Lives, Even the Colors of Clothes You Wear
A Personal Story: Spiritual Abuse through Word of Faith Teachings during Tragic Infant Loss
*** Loura Lawrence shares her personal story of infant loss and spiritual abuse through Word of Faith occult-like teachings *** October is the month designated for pregnancy and infant loss awareness, so this story is timely. Last week, I received a personal story of infant loss and spiritual abuse. Imagine combining the tragic loss of a… Continue reading A Personal Story: Spiritual Abuse through Word of Faith Teachings during Tragic Infant Loss
Reformed Complementarians Take on the Patriarchy Movement and Errant Ideologies
*** The errant Patriarchy Movement is getting some well-deserved attention by voices in Reformed Christianity *** Vyckie Garrison wrote an article which has been spread around quite a bit. If you haven't read, it please be sure to do so. In the article, How Playing Good Christian Housewife Almost Killed Me, she discusses her life in… Continue reading Reformed Complementarians Take on the Patriarchy Movement and Errant Ideologies
SSB Sunday Gathering – July 27, 2014
* Spiritual Sounding Board - This is our place to gather and share in an open format. Feel free to join in the discussion. * *** As many of you know, I've gone back to school and am currently taking classes over the summer. In my sociology class, we are reading Amazing Grace, by Jonathan Kozol.… Continue reading SSB Sunday Gathering – July 27, 2014
Emotional Chaos after Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual abuse can leave damaging scars, some resulting in real difficulties, including anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, etc. *** Longtime SSB reader, Refugee, left a comment with questions regarding the difficulty she is facing after having experienced spiritual abuse. Because she responded to an older article and I really want her to get answers (and likely… Continue reading Emotional Chaos after Spiritual Abuse
SSB Sunday Gathering – July 20, 2014
Spiritual Sounding Board - This is our place to gather and share in an open format. Feel free to join in the discussion. *** *** This is your place to share your church struggles and concerns. Let's also use it as a time to encourage one another spiritually. What have you found spiritually encouraging lately?… Continue reading SSB Sunday Gathering – July 20, 2014
Invitations and Altar Calls: Is it Manipulation or Evangelism?
*** What is going on when a pastor gives an altar call or invitation? Is this appropriate? Is it manipulation? When I was a kid, at church there was a weekly altar call with the hymn, "Just As I Am" playing and we knew that if God was working on someone's heart, they'd get out of… Continue reading Invitations and Altar Calls: Is it Manipulation or Evangelism?
SSB Sunday Gathering – July 13, 2014
*** Spiritual Sounding Board - This is our place to gather and share in an open format. Feel free to join in the discussion. *** This is your place to share your church struggles and concerns. Let's also use it as a time to encourage one another spiritually. What have you found spiritually encouraging lately?… Continue reading SSB Sunday Gathering – July 13, 2014
SSB Sunday Gathering – June 28, 2014
Spiritual Sounding Board - This is our place to gather and share in an open format. Feel free to join in the discussion. Last Sunday, I posted this article, The Difficult Sundays after Spiritual Abuse, and invited discussion on the topic of what it is like on Sundays after having experienced spiritual abuse. Because of the big response,… Continue reading SSB Sunday Gathering – June 28, 2014
A Glimpse into the Heart of Spiritual Abuse
What can #TakeDownThatPost teach us about the nature of spiritual abuse? Thoughts from Boz Tchividjian and Patricia Evans. by Cindy Kunsman I don't know what the publishers of the Leadership Journal at Christianity Today hoped to accomplish when they published the article that initiated the #TakeDownThisPost campaign. In the wake of the problems,… Continue reading A Glimpse into the Heart of Spiritual Abuse
Loss of Perspective: The Cost of Enduring Abuse
Do individuals suffer harm when they remain in verbally or emotionally abusive relationships? Cindy Kunsman illustrates the effects through an account of spiritual abuse. By Cindy Kunsman, UnderMuchGrace.com After reading Julie Anne's post questioning whether divorce from an abusive spouse is actually a “sin,” I found myself thinking of the loss of perspective and… Continue reading Loss of Perspective: The Cost of Enduring Abuse
Spiritual Recovery and Leaving a High-Controlling Church: Free to Plant, Free to Bloom, Free to Be
*** What does freedom feel like for those who have left a high-controlling or spiritually abusive church? *** ** About a month ago, I was sent beautiful pictures by SSB's friend, BeenThereDoneThat (BTDT). At first I was drawn to them because cobalt blue is my favorite color. Cobalt blue exudes a soothing peace and tranquility for… Continue reading Spiritual Recovery and Leaving a High-Controlling Church: Free to Plant, Free to Bloom, Free to Be
Crumbling Foundation: How Do We Move on after Doug Phillips and Bill Gothard, our Spiritual Leaders, Have Failed Us?
*** How do we move on spiritually when we have based our lives around the teachings of spiritual leaders like Doug Phillips or Bill Gothard who have fallen? *** With the recent scandals involving Doug Phillips and Bill Gothard, it is as if the spiritual rug has been pulled for some families. These men were so… Continue reading Crumbling Foundation: How Do We Move on after Doug Phillips and Bill Gothard, our Spiritual Leaders, Have Failed Us?
Lourdes Torres-Manteufel vs Doug Phillips Lawsuit Informational Resource Page
* * * * * * * This is an ongoing reference post following the Lourdes Torres-Manteufel vs. Douglas Phillips lawsuit. It includes key information on the case, court documents, background story, key individuals, links to news articles, etc. * * * * * * * * * * * * * *… Continue reading Lourdes Torres-Manteufel vs Doug Phillips Lawsuit Informational Resource Page
Calvary Chapel Pastor Bob Coy’s Story of Moral Corruption Leads Calvary Chapel Members to Share Their Personal Stories
*** The moral scandal of mega-church pastor Bob Coy leads others to come forward to tell their personal stories of corruption and abuse among the Calvary Chapel franchise of churches. *** *** You may have heard of the recent scandal by Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale Pastor Bob Coy. The church elders called a special church meeting… Continue reading Calvary Chapel Pastor Bob Coy’s Story of Moral Corruption Leads Calvary Chapel Members to Share Their Personal Stories
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