If you followed the Josh Duggar trial, you know that he was recently found guilty on two counts of possessing child pornography. Maybe you also noticed some similarities between how much of the Duggar family and The Church d…
As promised, in this episode of Survivor Sanctuary we are piggy-backing off of our last episode on vaccine mandates and protecting the bodily autonomy of survivors of sexual abuse. We're chatting with Joshua Yoder, host of t…
It seems every other day in South Florida we see a new story of a teacher sexually abusing a student. And in fact, this past week, it was literally every other day, as two female teachers were arrested in Miami-Dade county f…
As we've watched the tragic story of Gabby Petito unfold over the last several weeks, it's been triggering to survivors of all kinds of abuse. For survivors of sexual abuse in the church, specifically, we may not be able to …
On today's episode of Survivor Sanctuary, we chat with Mendy Hood, a survivor of sexual abuse by her youth pastor at age 13. Mendy's fighting spirit is contagious as she shares her story and refuses to hold back in her quest…
"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 v…
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 …
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…
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…
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 a…
Evangelical Christianity has its own music, movies, books and catch phrases, so it stands to reason that we need our own therapists as well. Right? Well, maybe not. While Christian movies may only make you cringe and despera…
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse know all too well that churches often miss the mark (by a lot) when it comes to supporting survivors. But what pours salt into their deep wounds is that these same churches often demonize …
While experts and offenders debate whether child predators should be rehabilitated or imprisoned, victims of sexual abuse receive an automatic life sentence. ---
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You're ruining the reputation of the Church. You're hurting the cause of Christ. You're turning people away from Christianity and sending them to hell. If you're a survivor of sexual abuse, you've likely had all of these acc…
I lost my brother last month, and as a result, my fiercest protector. In his honor, this episode of Survivor Sanctuary is dedicated to "protectors" like him, and their role in helping us heal from sexual abuse. Support Survi…
For many survivors of sexual abuse, finding their voice leads to speaking out and advocating for victims of abuse. But before you dive head-first into the world of advocacy, there are four things Kelly would like you to know…
Sometimes life throws curveballs that teach unexpected lessons. The last three weeks have been crazy, scary and riddled with anxiety, but the silver lining is a lesson in protecting the vulnerable that is invaluable for pare…
I read two articles this week about institutions dealing with "offenders" in their midst. One was about a church in Florida that hosts a ministry of love and acceptance to sex offenders. The other was about how an aquarium i…
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 tim…
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 …
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 da…
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 pili…
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…
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'…
