Reclamation: A beEmboldened Initiative

In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, Melanie Beerda graciously shares her journey of healing from abuse as a child and the sequels that it brought to her life. Through this conversation, Melanie reveals how acknowledging and embracing God's goodness amidst life's darkest seasons has catalyzed a profound transformation for her. Be sure to listen to the insightful reflections shared by Melanie and Naomi in this conversation, as their wisdom may provide guidance for your own healing journey.

To learn more about Melanie, check out her media and podcast:
Instragram: @melanie.beerda
Website: https://www.melaniebeerda.ca/rekindledfaith
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rekindled-faith-with-melanie-beerda/id1723210330

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In this new episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we're honored to host Tim Barnett (@redpenlogic) and Alisa Childers (@alisachilders), authors of the book, The Deconstruction of Christianity. Join our conversation to learn more about the complexities of doubt, examine the nuanced definitions of deconstruction and evangelicalism, and offer insights on supporting loved ones in the deconstruction process.

Get Alisa and Tim’s book: https://alisachilders.com/the-deconstruction-of-christianity/

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In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, Josh Klein tells his story of the spiritual abuse he saw and experienced in his position as a youth pastor, which ended in his termination. Don't miss this conversation where he shares his experiences, warning signs, and his thoughts in retrospect.

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In this episode of Reclamation Podcast, we welcome Richard Suttles, who has spent his career working against terrorism, to talk to us about his focus of study: radicalization. Don't miss this exciting and interesting conversation! ----------------

When we experience grief and mourning from a trauma (or other situation that causes us pain), we may rethink many things about our faith, or doubts may arise, especially if our grief comes from an experience within the Church. In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we had a very insightful conversation about suffering, faith, and beauty with Alanzo Julian Paul (@alanzopaul). Alanzo is delightful and offers such comfort in his approach. Let us know what you think!

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Please meet Alexandra Roark of Desert Road Ministries! She and Naomi talk to us about Neurofeedback on today’s episode of Reclamation: what it is, how it works, and how it can help us to manage the consequences of trauma. You can't miss this exciting conversation! Check out the links below to learn more about Alexandra's work: https://www.hnbraincenter.com/alexandra-roark https://desertroadministries.org/ @desertroadministries

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In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, Naomi welcomed Matt and Tracy Bowen (@thehardworkofhope) to share with us their experience of spiritual abuse, including the challenges they faced as a couple and the journey of finding a healthy community. Don't miss their vulnerable story!

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In this episode of Reclamation Podcast, Ale Sanabria (@psicologaalejandrasanabria), Clinical Psychologist, joins Naomi to talk about a reality for many who have experienced spiritual abuse: Religious Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Don't miss this valuable conversation that will bring light to the subject and hope for those who are suffering in silence.

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Have you considered what your philosophy of celebrating is? Different religious circles can land in different places, but a common thread can be all of the do’s and don’ts (heavy on the don’ts). In this episode, Michael Jones of @InspiringPhilosophy joins us to talk about celebrations, including the true origins of Christmas.

If you’ve been told a bunch of don’ts, then check out this thoughtful conversation!

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In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we have a special guest, Jennifer Brallier, who shared details of her story and her experience with spiritual abuse, the journey of studying God's word personally, and the change it continues to have on her life.

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In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we are honored to welcome Professor Nancy Pearcey to talk with us about what this word should represent. Don't miss the facts, statistics, history, and biblical perspective on masculinity. Nancy Pearcey is the author of The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes, as well as Love Thy Body, The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and Total Truth. She is a professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She has been quoted in The New Yorker, and Newsweek highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today and hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual.” Plus, she’s incredibly kind.

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In this episode, Naomi and Cat join us to talk about the docuseries Happy Shiny People, created by Amazon Prime and released a few weeks ago. They took a wider lens and looked at the bigger issues present within IBLP and Bill Gothard’s teachings, which can also be found in so many other spiritually abusive contexts. Listen in to hear impressions of the show and a review of how the docuseries portrays Christian "fundamentalism."

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We keep getting hit with the docuseries about cults: new cults, past cults, both in and out of the religious arena. It’s a big area of interest for a mass number of people, and there are pros to this, but how does consuming lots of content of this nature affect you? In this conversation with Cat Morgan of Fierce Freedom, we discuss the benefits and the disadvantages of binging cult content and some tips we can apply to ensure we’re okay when we finish the last episode.

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In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we are honored to speak with Melodie Bissell, founder of Plan To Protect (@plantoprotect), about the importance of having proper policies in church and parachurch organizations for addressing and preventing spiritual abuse. Content Warning: Sexual Abuse and Abuse. Today's video discusses information about sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and other forms of mistreatment. Prioritizing your mental well-being and exercising self-care while watching this video is encouraged. Click here to learn more about Melodie's organization: https://www.plantoprotect.com/en/home/

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"I learned it, I practiced it, and then I passed it on to others." This simple line from Dr. Scot McKnight's book “A Church Called Tov” describes how culture happens in any group or organization. Sometimes individuals stick around in hopes of changing a toxic culture into a healthy one, but that’s rarely what actually happens. Why? Listen in to find out! ----------------

The Enneagram has gained tremendous popularity, even within many churches. Some love it, while others condemn it. So, is the Enneagram something to be afraid of or is there a silver lining? In this episode of Reclamation Podcast, we invite Jay Medenwaldt (who is currently writing a book about this topic) to have a conversation. ----------------

In this Podcast, Naomi was pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Kruger to talk about his latest book, Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of spiritual abuse in the church. This book was primarily written for leadership, but it is proving helpful from every angle of the issue. In this conversation, Dr. Kruger shares his insightful perspective, comments, and even recommendations for Church leadership in regards to spiritual abuse. Please don’t miss it!

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In this week's episode, Dulce and Derek of "The Honest Messy Life" join us for the first in a two-part series to share their personal stories. In Part 1, they open up about their lives within the cult and the painful impact on relationships, from family to close friends. Don’t miss this beautiful couple’s vulnerability and transparency–we think you’ll relate.

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Tracy Brown is a Somatic Nutrition Therapist, a registered Licensed Dietitian, and an Attuned Eating Coach. Today she is joining us to talk about the relationship between trauma and food: How does the first influence the second? What about within spiritual abuse? Naomi lived this struggle herself, and she knows she wasn’t the only one. In this conversation, Tracy will give us key information to understand this complex topic.

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In this episode, Joshua Stringer, one of bE’s mentors, shares his history with spiritual abuse. He vulnerably talks about his challenges in the aftermath and how it has shaped his life in many ways, including in his role as a bE mentor. Listen in and hear where your stories overlap!

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In this episode, Naomi and Anna, a bE mentor, discuss beEmboldened’s mentoring services and the nuances of the religious abuse context. Whether you are a professional in the field or a person who has experienced spiritual abuse, you don't want to miss this conversation!

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Religious abuse and twisted-up doctrine go hand-in-hand. This leaves us confused, discouraged, and sometimes angry. It also leaves us vulnerable to re-victimization. In this episode, Rebecca Davis, author of the "Untwisting Scriptures" book series, joins us to provide helpful tools and insights on the road to biblically sound doctrine.

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After suffering spiritual abuse, being part of a community–whether religious or not–can cause a lot of anxiety and confusion. I mean…it didn’t go well the last time, right? Is it really necessary and beneficial to be part of a community? What does it even mean for a community to be healthy? In this episode, Naomi welcomed Mary Jo Sharp, who has experienced firsthand the imperfection of the Church. Listen in as she brings valuable insights and ideas to consider for your own journey.

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Grief is a primary emotion when healing from religious abuse. When we walk away from a damaging community, we are faced with many different forms of loss that demand our attention. They either get our attention, or they fester and come out in all sorts of less productive ways. In this episode, Naomi invited Ryan Ramsey to share about the great value of allowing ourselves to feel grief and to incorporate rituals as a tool in this complex process.

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In this episode, Naomi talks with Holly Pivec and Doug Geivett about the New Apostolic Reformation, known as NAR. Even if NAR doesn’t sound familiar, you do not want to miss this conversation. As we get into some signs of the movement, you’re likely to realize you’ve encountered some of them already. This is a big one for victimization prevention–Please don’t miss it!

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In unhealthy religious communities, emotional health is not a topic of conversation. This concept is disregarded and ignored in the abusive religious groups we engage with here at bE. Join Roger Sharp and Naomi as they have a conversation about the importance of emotional health and spiritual maturity. You don't want to miss this meaningful conversation.

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“Spare the rod; spoil the child.” What does this mean? The topic of discipline and discipleship can be complex, especially for those who have been through religious abuse. So naturally, when discussing discipline in our children, many can find theirselves hesitant and confused about healthy and God-honoring ways to approach it. In this episode, Naomi invited Elizabeth Urbanowicz, who has great experience, to join us and discuss this emotionally-charged topic.

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Whether you are new to Christianity, have come out of an abusive religious group, or simply haven't thought a lot about it, understanding Jesus' ordinances of baptism and communion from a biblical perspective is vital to your Christian life. In this episode with Kevin Santiago, we will unpack different aspects to understand better what these ordinances look like for healthy spirituality.

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After Crystal decided to leave the team she was involved with, she couldn't pick up a Bible. This cultish group magnified suffering in unhealthy ways, and brought confusion and chaos to her life. Happily, she has come to know that God isn't confusing or chaotic. In this episode, Crystal shares her story about how her later involvement in a Church community, along with a proper understanding of the Bible, helped her break free from the manipulation she’d experienced.

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Harmful religious groups use God as an excuse to be abusive and support it with the Old Testament. As many of you know, Naomi has experienced this in her own life. Today, she can make a distinction between what is actually God and what is humanity, and she can go to God as the safe place He is. It has been a journey of untwisting and figuring out the truth about God’s nature, though. This is why she invited Dr. Paul Copan to join her in a conversation that will bring context, perspective, and light to this topic. Don’t miss this!!

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We see teaching about repentance throughout the New and Old Testament. This practice is shown as an essential aspect of conversion and continued growth. How has this important and beautiful teaching been twisted in abusive and unbiblical ways? This week, Teasi Cannon joined us to discuss what repentance actually looks like versus what it doesn’t.

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The doctrine of the Trinity gets brought up weekly in our conversations with people who have suffered religious trauma. A better understanding of this topic will help us get a sound and biblically-based faith, as well as help us to better understand the concerns of the groups our mentees have left. With the questions we’ve been asked in mind, Naomi invited Dr. Roger Olson to join us to talk about this important doctrine of the Christian faith. What does the Bible actually teach about it?

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Christians are not necessarily taught how dramatically, and tragically spiritual warfare can impact their journey. Many times, they don’t have clarity on what’s truly happening or what it means to “discern.” Add in spiritual abuse, and things can get so much messier. Welcome back for the third and final part in our series with Sharon Beekmann on The Spiritual Realm and The Power of Christ. If you’ve missed Parts 1 and 2, in which we discussed Sharon’s story and the most common questions we get asked about spiritual warfare, you can listen to them in the podcasts before.

There is a lot of misinformation about the spiritual realm, including that it doesn't really exist in ways anymore. Because of this, we have countless individuals come to us at bE who don't know how to think about different experiences they've had. Was that dream their own? Or from God? Or elsewhere? Sharon Beekmann shares her thoughts on these and other questions in part two of our spiritual warfare series, as she reaffirms the importance of speaking about Christ's victory over evil.

When leaving abusive religious situations, many continue to be attacked in various ways. This can be a very confusing time as they usually don't know what to do. Sharon Beekmann find herself in this situation when she decided to step out of the New Age practices. In this two-part series, Sharon, who today is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and a retired Associated Faculty member at Denver Seminary, shares with us her fascinating story.

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Spiritual abuse often generates a deep sense of loneliness and isolation. This can be compounded by the reality that those who are suffering often encounter great misunderstanding of the issue both inside and outside the Church. In this episode, Naomi asked Anna Kitko a series of questions that can help you understand more about religious trauma and how to better engage people who have a story to tell.

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When Michael first became a volunteer in his church, he had no previous experience or knowledge about how to teach the Bible or lead others. Nor was he taught while in this leadership position. Unfortunately, this experience is not unique to Michael, which is deeply unfortunate because it can set the stage for spiritual abuse. Listen to Michael's story about how this affected his life and many others in his circle.

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Are there translations of the Bible that should be avoided? Or is one version better than another? These may be some of the questions you have when deciding which translation to use for yourself or your family. In this episode, Naomi and Lemon share some important tools to help you answer these questions and navigate your own decisions. Don't miss this practical conversation!

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In this episode, Naomi invited Megan to have a conversation about the overlap that exists between cults and human trafficking. Megan, herself, grew up in a cult environment and was then lured and trapped into the commercial sex industry. How did this happen to her? And how does it continue to happen to others? Listen to find out.

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