Abuse & Church Resources

If you are a pastor, church leader, Christian counselor, or simply a concerned church member or individual I want to welcome you to this page! Unfortunately, domestic abuse is not only an issue in the secular world, but also alive and well in the church, and the marriages/relationships represented within the church. The statistics of 1 in 4 women are no less in the faith community. Isn't that so heartbreaking to know?

If you read my page on "What is Domestic Abuse" you will recall me sharing about coercive or covert abuse. This is a much more subtle/hidden form of abuse that often goes unseen, unnoticed, and undetected by church leaders, family, and friends. The impact is no less detrimental, and in many cases more harmful, than physical abuse alone.   

Victims may not even fully comprehend that what they are experiencing is in fact abuse/oppression. They are silently suffering, or when they do bravely speak up to their pastor, are re-victimized as a result of the pastor/church leaders lack of understanding and mishandling of the situation. 

They need the body of Christ to surround them with our love and support. We have been commissioned by God to be a voice to the voiceless, bring hope to the hopeless, defend the defenseless, and provide liberty for the oppressed.

I have compiled some various resources that have been very helpful in my journey of learning all I can about domestic abuse (there is a lot to learn!). At the bottom you will find an 8-minute video about becoming a domestic abuse advocate with Called to Peace Ministries (click on the green link to be taken to their website). I personally went through this 12-month training. It's a wealth of information and worth every penny!

If the advocacy training isn't a direction you want to go. I suggest listening to as many Peaceworks Podcasts as you can, purchasing the "Counseling Care for Domestic Abuse" DVD, and reading "The Heart of Domestic Abuse" by Chris Moles and "Is it Abuse?" by Darby Strickland. This will give you a really good foundation to build upon. Links below for all that I mentioned.