Survivor Sanctuary

Ignite Life Center, an Assemblies of God Church in Gainesville, Florida, has been in the news since last summer due to repeated arrests for the sexual abuse of minors. So, how do three predators end up in the same church? We chat about it on today's episode.

A common theme among survivors of clergy sexual abuse is victims feeling a responsibility to protect their abuser from being "found out." On today's episode, we're taking a look at Tammy Woods's open letter to Mike Bickle of IHOPKC, and tackling the question, why do abuse victims so often feel the need to protect the people who abuse them?

The plot has thickened in the IHOP KC / Mike Bickle saga, with two women claiming that Bickle began sexually abusing them when they were only 14 and 15 years old, dating all the way back to the beginning of Bickle's ministry in the 1970s. Are we dealing with a "struggling" sheep, or a wolf who is struggling to keep his sheep's clothing from slipping? We chat about it on today's episode.

Today we're finishing up our chat with Andy Weber and Paige Weber, MA, MO-PLPC, EMDR, former staffers at International House of Prayer, where founder Mike Bickle has been accused by multiple women of grooming and sexual abuse.

The allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse by International House of Prayer founder Mike Bickle keep piling up, and on today's episode, we chat with Andy Weber and Paige Weber, MA, MO-PLPC, EMDR, both of whom served on staff at IHOPKC in the past. Paige and Andy give valuable insight into the culture at IHOP that has led to the current situation making headlines.

Surprise, surprise, another SBC pastor has been accused of covering up sexual abuse. But there is so much more to this story than the headlines may lead you to believe. You might have seen the recent news that staff members and deacons of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas are alleging that their pastor, Dr. Steven Smith, failed to disclose the sexual abuse of children to the congregation. But that's just the start of this crazy story. This one has some pretty wild twists and turns, including the involvement of none other than Josh Duggar's child porn trial defense attorney. Sometimes I think church sex abuse cover ups can't get any crazier. Spoiler alert: they can.

A decade ago, around 1/3 of all child sexual abuse offenses were committed. New statistics, however, show that number has dramatically increased, making children the top perpetrators of child sexual abuse. What gives? We chat about it on today's episode.

On today's episode of the podcast, we finish our chat on the integration of mind, body and soul for sacred wholeness with Joshua Yoder

On today's episode of the podcast, we chat with friend of the podcast, pastor, personal trainer and certified nutrition coach Joshua Yoder on the integration of mind, body and soul for sacred wholeness after sexual abuse.

From the moment a child is abused, it seems the whole universe conspires to keep them silent. Whether internal or external, the voices that silence us are most often speaking from a place of shame. We'll chat about that shame, and how to recognize it, on today's episode.

On this episode of the podcast, Survivor Sanctuary goes to the movies! We're discussing some of the controversy surrounding the movie Sound of Freedom, and the lengths some people are going to discredit the film because they don't like Tim Ballard or Jim Caviezel's politics. Hey, if anyone involved in the making of the film (or the rescue of enslaved kids) voted for Donald Trump, it *must* have no redeeming qualities, right? And if someone on the alt right hates pedophilia, we should downplay its prevalence... right? Lest you think conservatives are off the hook here, we'll also talk about how this film is evoking outrage for oppressed children from a group that largely ignores the sexual abuse rampant in their own churches. Double standards, anyone? Join me as we annoy everyone from the right to the left on this episode of Survivor Sanctuary.

(EDIT: I mention in the podcast that Tim Ballard rescued 200+ kids. That is the number of kids rescued in the specific operation that the movie details. Overall, Tim Ballard's organization is credited with rescuing over 3,000 children from human trafficking. Have a nice day.)

Artificial intelligence is pretty incredible, and it's exploding in a big way. But experts are warning that AI could lead to an increase in real-life cases of child sexual abuse. Are AI-generated images of child sex abuse "victimless," or something more sinister? We chat about it on today's episode.

Sometimes it feels like the bad guys are winning, like there's nothing we can do to stop predators within the church. It's not like child molesters typically commit their crimes in front of multiple witnesses to make it easy on us. But before you give in to discouragement, there *are* still things that we can do to stop the men and women who wish to harm children. We are not powerless. We discuss on today's episode.

Without meaning to, Chris Rock has pegged the evangelical church when it comes to sexual abuse. Selective Outrage isn't just his latest stand-up show, it's the actual definition of the church's pearl-clutching over "grooming" by "liberals", and dead crickets when it comes to sexual abuse being perpetrated in the church at an alarming rate by "christians." We chat about it on today's episode.

You may have seen the recent video of the Dalai Lama's creepy, disturbing behavior with a young boy. We discuss it, and how he took a page directly from my abuser's playbook, in today's episode.

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After outcry in the media, alleged rapist Braylon Oliver has resigned from his position at Churchome. But is this a victory for survivors? And does it make Churchome safe? Hardly. We discuss on today's episode of Survivor Sanctuary.

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Yet again, a church is in the news for hiring a credibly accused rapist to its staff. The kicker in this case is that they ran it by the alleged victim-who was adamantly against it-and did it anyway, in a pretty callous/tone deaf/victim-discarding way. We discuss on today's episode.

John MacArthur and Grace Community Church are back in the news for *checks notes* continuing to turn their backs on victims of abuse. While the Church is busy clutching their pearls over Sam Smith's devil costume at the Grammys, these same Christians are giving a pass to MacArthur, whose absolute refusal to show an ounce of humility makes Sam Smith look like the Pope. We chat about it, and Hohn Cho, the Good Samaritan who stood up for victims at great personal sacrifice, in today's episode.

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In celebration of the 100th episode of the podcast, we're excited to announce that Survivor Sanctuary is now on Patreon! You can become a patron of the podcast starting at $5 per month, and have access to exclusive content and rewards. Your support helps us keep shining a light on sexual abuse in the church, and it also unlocks premium content to help you grow as a survivor/advocate/ally. THANK YOU for your support of this podcast for the last 100 Episodes!

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Did you hear about the woman who helped take down a child molester she met on Tinder? This story is a great reminder that an abuser can be anyone. We chat about it on today's episode of the podcast.

The Department of Justice is investigating the Southern Baptist Convention for their decades of mishandling sexual abuse allegations. It may be easy to understand why the DOJ is concerned for the welfare of children, but what about the lowest of society's low? In today's episode, we'll chat about why it is that convicts appear to care more about stopping child molesters than our churches do.

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Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim and Offender. It's a tactic used by many abusers to shame their victims and make them feel guilt over speaking out. But DARVO is also used to turn others--often entire religious communities--against the victim as well. Have you ever seen a congregation stand and applaud a man who has just confessed to sexual assault? Or witnessed church folks shaming a victim for speaking against a perpetrator? Odds are, it's DARVO at work. Today we'll chat about this favorite tactic of abusers and how to recognize it. 

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Today on the podcast we continue our chat with Justin Woodbury of the blog and book, Sheltered But Not Protected. 

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Today on the podcast we are chatting with Justin Woodbury of the blog and book, Sheltered But Not Protected. Justin shares his experience of surviving sexual and spiritual abuse in the IFB.

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On today's episode, we discuss the former boarding school principal who was sentenced to death in Indonesia this week for his sexual abuse of at least 13 students between the ages of 11 and 14. Is the death penalty appropriate for child predators? And as survivors, how do we navigate the guilt we often feel for "telling on" our abusers, especially if their lives could be on the line?

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You may have seen the "inspirational" quote floating around online: Trauma is not your fault, but healing is your responsibility. Well, on today's episode, we'll discuss why admonishments like this are a slap in the face to survivors of sexual abuse. 

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Doctors, Scientists and researchers have long been exploring the link between obesity and childhood sexual abuse. In fact, sexual abuse is now recognized as being a key factor in obesity. The church, as usual, seems to be lagging behind the research. On this episode of the podcast, Kelly opens up about her experience with sexual abuse, trauma related obesity, and why many Christians' misinterpretation of "gluttony" can re-traumatize and further alienate survivors of sexual abuse.