More than 20% of churchgoers are survivors of childhood sexual abuse, but sadly, church is the last place that most victims of abuse feel safe to go for help. I'm Kelly Downing, a survivor and advocate who wants to see that change. Survivor Sanctuary is a community for survivors of sexual abuse who are navigating the road to healing, and for anyone who wants to be a part of the major heart renovation the church needs so that our faith communities can truly become sanctuaries for survivors.
It may seem like a no-brainer to a person who has never experienced sexual trauma, but whether your experience was actually sexual abuse can be a common question for survivors of sexual abuse. This can be true for a number of reasons, including the …
“I wish I had talked about sexual abuse from the pulpit.” It was one of the first things my dad said to me when he woke from an induced coma after having a massive hemorrhagic stroke on January 29th. He was exactly one week retired from…
An abusive religious leader is removed from his position of power. A victim, traumatized at his hands, is finally vindicated. Women, long ready for change within a denomination that has historically diminished them, organize a protest through hashta…