Survivor Sanctuary

Maybe you've seen the news that Hillsong founder Brian Houston has been formally charged for allegedly concealing his father's sexual assault of children. He is "devastated" by these charges, but perhaps not as devastated as the children who could have been protected had Brian Houston done the right thing. 

"Speaking out about sexual abuse doesn't ruin the reputation of the church... Sexual Abusers ruin the reputation of the church..."

I'm sure they "meme" well, but when people use this logic to combat those who silence abuse victims, they're only feeding the monster. The impact of sexual abuse is much greater than the tarnishing of a person's or institution's reputation. We chat about it on today's episode. 

We know that many survivors of sexual abuse are judged by Christians for walking out of the church. But what about the survivors who choose to stay? It turns out many of them are also being judged, just by a new set of people--some of their fellow survivors and survivor advocates. On this episode, we'll chat about it, and the importance of allowing survivors a voice when it comes to their own spirituality. 

Of all the places that could offer a second chance to people who sexually abuse children, The Church is arguably one of the most dangerous. This is not solely because abusers are often put back into leadership roles there, or because those in leadership tend to be blindly trusted by congregations; it's not even because there are children present on most church campuses. Rather, the church inadvertently serves as a catalyst to sexual abuse recidivism thanks to a perfect storm of bad theology, lack of legal oversight, mistrust of science and a voracious appetite for redemption stories. We discuss on today's episode of Survivor Sanctuary.

Resources:

Released Sex Offender Charged with Sexual Abuse of Two Boys

According to most preachers, Jesus is the example we should all be following. So why do so many of them fail to emulate Christ and his willingness to lay down his life for his sheep? If Jesus willingly gave up his rights as God, humbling himself to the point of a humiliating death on the cross, then why can't a preacher caught sexually abusing someone even humble himself to the point of stepping down from the pulpit? It baffles the mind, and we chat about it on today's episode.

The title of this episode is pretty self-explanatory. We're chatting about former SBCer Russell Moore and his letters which were leaked this week, revealing things about the SBC Executive Committee that really don't surprise us, but should definitely grieve us. Until those at the top of the SBC are as grieved and angered over sexual abuse as the Lord is, the denomination will not be safe for the vulnerable OR the wounded. 

Sometimes, speaking out about sexual abuse can cost you family relationships. That's often because the perpetrator is a member of the family. But what about family members who resent your voice for other reasons? In this episode, we'll chat about those super fun people who resent our advocacy, and do a quick recap of the "why" behind speaking out about sexual abuse. 

In this episode of the podcast, we're going to finish our conversation about Wolves, and why the Church has so much trouble recognizing them in its midst. To start, it's very difficult to recognize a wolf when you don't even know what a real sheep looks like. Yes, we will know them by their fruit, but we often have a very warped idea of what "good fruit" actually looks like. 

Repeat after me: Likability is not a fruit of the spirit. Knowing lots of scripture is not a fruit of the spirit. Being a great speaker is not a fruit of the spirit. People can be "nice" while plotting and carrying out the sexual assault of your children. 

It's there in black and white, and sometimes in red. The warnings about wolves are weaved throughout the tapestry of the New Testament, admonishing us to be on the lookout for the ravenous predators disguised as sheep in our midst. And yet when churches are alerted to predators in their fold, there is an absolute refusal by most to believe that the predator is in fact, a predator. Instead, this man or woman who has been seeking bodies and souls to devour through unfathomable levels of deception and perversion is labeled a "fallen" brother, a "sinner" who is "saved by grace" and who needs to be "restored" to the flock. What kind of shepherd--or sheep, for that matter--restores a WOLF to a flock of lambs? As long as we refuse to believe what Jesus himself told us about wolves in our midst, we will continue to attempt to rehabilitate ravenous predators with our misguided wolf-to-sheep conversion therapy, putting the vulnerable at risk of being devoured. Repeat after me: 

Wolves EXIST among us.

A wolf is a WOLF.

Wearing a fluffy white disguise doesn't make a wolf a lamb. 

A wolf can NEVER be converted to a sheep, just like a sheep can NEVER become a predator.

Sexual. Predators. Are. Wolves.  

"They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals." (2 Peter 2:13)

It can often feel to survivors that pastors who truly care about sexual abuse are mere legends. Sure, we've heard they're out there, but has anyone ever actually seen one up close? As it turns out, yes. And while we aren't actually seeing him, in this episode we continue our chat with Bryan Holt, a pastor whose childhood experience with a predator has shaped the way he cares for victims of sexual abuse.

RESOURCES:

Bryan's Church Website