Image from the Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month campaign. The campaign takes place every January.
It can be hard for people who have suffered abuse to speak about their experiences, and it’s important that when they do, we find a way to listen and support them.
Writing in Relevant magazine, John Hollingsworth explores some unhelpful responses to church abuse stories, inspired by the manipulation and exploitation he experienced during a mission trip.
The responses range from compelling the abuse victim to think about unity and reconciliation instead of their hurt, to direct admonishment about the tone or emotions of the person sharing their story. In each example, a common theme is that the person hearing about church abuse is worried more about defending the church than supporting the person sharing their story.
Read the six responses, and let us know what you think; if you’ve had these experiences, what happened, and how did people respond to you? How do you think people should respond?
Posted by David Streever