I’m so glad you’ve joined me at the intersection of faith and true crime here at The Unlovely Truth. Does your church or ministry struggle with physical, emotional, or spiritual safety issues? I’m your host, church safety advocate Lori Morrison and I’m so glad you’ve joined me today. Our churches need to be the safest places in our communities, so our mission on this podcast is to find actionable steps to improve every aspect of safety in our houses of worship and beyond. We’re going to do that by investigating The Unlovley Truth about real crime news stories that are happening in real churches. I’ve got new cases for us to investigate today, so let’s dive right in. 

Highlights from this episode include:

• Pastoral counseling crosses the line into spiritual abuse

Ezekiel 34:7-10 NLT

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.

Even if shepherds lose their sense of responsibility to their flock - God does not. It’s bad enough when a neglectful pastor allows their congregation to be vulnerable to predators. It’s worse when those pastors themselves are the ones harming those they are meant to serve. God is very upfront in his assessment of pastors like this. He calls them His enemies. If you see a pastor abusing anyone in any way, please, let god work through you by speaking up. I know that can be scary and if you’ll reach out to me I will help you. 

On the flip side, if we see one of our pastors suffering, we need to stand up for them as well. No of us should abandon anyone when we have a chance to help them stay safe. 

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