Survivor Sanctuary

On today's episode of Survivor Sanctuary, I'm chatting with advocate and predator expert Jimmy Hinton. After turning in his own father for sexually abusing children more than a decade ago, Jimmy has dedicated much of his time to speaking out on behalf of victims and educating churches on how to prevent and respond to sexual abuse within their walls. Jimmy's knowledge of abusers is invaluable, and his heart for victims of abuse is a breath of fresh air. In part one of our discussion, Jimmy shares part of his story, and how he delved into the world of advocacy. 

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Speaking Out On Sex Abuse Podcast

We talk a lot about what churches are doing wrong when it comes to preventing and responding to sexual abuse (and with good reason). But there are actually several ways that you can begin to open your church's eyes about abuse--and begin to help survivors--right now. We talk about how on this episode of Survivor Sanctuary.

You may have heard it said that the effects of sexual abuse can't be physically seen. We focus a lot, and rightfully so, on the mental, emotional and psychological effects of abuse. But while there are many "unseen" effects of sexual abuse, the trauma actually *does* leave physical marks in and on our bodies. On today's episode we'll chat about the physical effects of sexual abuse, and how this trauma can wreak havoc physically.

Whatever you call it--grooming, testing, preparing--the process by which a predator selects and readies his victims for abuse can be just as damaging as the acts of abuse themselves. Today on the podcast we talk about the damage done by grooming, and why it's important to address this as we heal.

On episode 47 of the podcast, we'll take a look at why it is so difficult for victims of sexual abuse to find healing from their trauma within the church. When a church's theology preaches freedom for the predator while piling heavy burdens on his victims, it is nearly impossible for healing to take place. What will it take for churches to address their misguided teachings about abuse and abusers?

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Julie Roys Article on Ravi Zacharias (Part 1)

Sitting in a church service watching a worship pastor with skinny jeans and perfectly disheveled hair croon the latest Hillsong chorus might seem perfectly peaceful to many churchgoers. To a survivor of abuse, though, it can be a trauma trigger. Now, before you go accusing survivors of being backsliders for struggling to be in church, let’s take a look at trauma triggers, what they are, and why church trauma is very real in the survivor community.

The SavetheChildren hashtag has become mighty popular on social media over the last few months. Awesome news for abused and trafficked children, right?! Not really, as it turns out. On this episode of Survivor Sanctuary, we're discussing the harm of this seemingly virtuous hashtag, and how you can be sure you're genuinely interested in "Saving the Children" and not actually further exploiting them for your own agenda. 

Today on the podcast we're celebrating Survivor Sanctuary's one year podcastversary (totally a word, right?). We'll take a look back at the past year, and chat about what's in store for season two of the podcast. Grab your party hat and let's celebrate!

On today's episode of Survivor Sanctuary we're chatting with Dom and Megan Benninger, the founders of BaptistAccountability.org, about their journey into advocacy for the vulnerable in churches. When they learned that a convicted child molester was serving as a pastor in their church and as a leader in the church's affiliated preschool, the Benningers refused to be silenced. At significant personal cost, Megan and Dom have continued to speak out about the injustice of hiding abusers within the walls of the church, rejecting the culture of silence that enables predators. 

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Blog Post: A Sharp Rebuke

You've found your voice and reported your abuser. So why is there a niggling feeling in the back of your head that your work isn't done? On episode 42 of the podcast, we'll chat about the instinct to protect that drives many survivors, and why your fight for justice, no matter how fierce, may never feel like "enough."