Thanks to the generous efforts of non-profit investigative media organization Pro Publica, data on more that 6,000 Catholic priests has now been added to our online database. A few reflections: A data import of this sort is, especially now in the early phases, of necessity clunky. The category field of the existing database therefore has been used to… Read More »
At a time when much of organized Christianity is in decline, many are fearful and anxious about the future. But what does this mean for your parish? How can you tell that your church is in danger? In recent years, I’ve spent a lot of time studying churches, what makes them tick, and how to tell if they… Read More »
Ed: I recently asked Phil Snyder, who is being sued by his former church, Tenth Presbyterian in Philadelphia, about an upcoming hearing in the matter. Below are his thoughts. My conclusion is that the church’s efforts to silence Phil via this lawsuit, as well as its apparent smear campaign, in which it claims that Phil is mentally ill… Read More »
For several years, I served as a diocesan sexual misconduct training and prevention facilitator. The experience was tremendously rewarding, and meeting people throughout the diocese a wonderful opportunity. That said, my sense was that even the most motivated cringed at the prospect of spending the better part of a Saturday in a classroom. And it wasn’t hard to… Read More »
Ed: The following is reprinted with permission from The Wartburg Watch. Note that while I have deep concerns about the church’s conduct, I say that with utter respect for the child’s parents.Check out the references to the church’s Dead Raising Team, too. Seriously creepy. (As of this posting, the autopsy reports have not been made available to the… Read More »
More on the suicide of Alana Chan and the alleged role of Catholic priest David Nix
This just in. Unconfirmed sources report that disgraced pastor Andy Savage, who sexually assaulted a teen entrusted to his care, is holding church services Sunday evenings at the offices of Speak Communications, located at 1648 West Massey in Memphis. Speak, which allegedly is owned by Andy’s brother, does marketing communications for churches. Sources say Andy’s new church, known… Read More »
Over the past several years, I have watched with dismay as The Episcopal Church and other denominations and faith traditions discuss the sharing of information about abusers. It seems to me that this should be a simple thing: If you are clergy and engage in any sort of abuse, people need to know. Churches need to know. Parishioners… Read More »
Editor: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest denominations in the United States. With more than 4 million members, it is more than twice the size of The Episcopal Church (TEC). The two churches have been in full communion since 1999. But ELCA and share more than just the ties of being in… Read More »
Too many Christians, including church officials, don’t understand abuse or recognize it. Wade Mullen does an excellent job of exploring the dynamics of spiritual abuse.
If my experience with Episcopal priest Bob Malm has taught me anything, it’s the importance of maintaining free speech. That includes standing up for fellow bloggers. So, before we go any further, let me say this to Greg Kelley: I’m publishing about you too. If you want to make Amy “highly regret” anything, I guess you’ll need to… Read More »
Despite coming from differing faith traditions, DeDe Duncan-Probe and Blase Cupich understand abuse and how to heal.
Jules Woodson first appeared in the media roughly a year ago, when fellow blogger Dee Parsons, among others, covered her sexual abuse at the hands of her former youth pastor, Andy Savage. A teen at the time, Jules accepted a ride home from Andy, only to be coerced into a sexual encounter along a dark road. Since then,… Read More »
“When it comes to controlling human beings, there is no better instrument than lies. Because you see, humans live by beliefs. And beliefs can be manipulated. The power to manipulate beliefs is the only thing that counts.” Michael Ende link Over the weekend, I decided to Google church and pastoral abuse. Normally, we already have a situation in… Read More »
I have recently come across the work of an organisation that seeks to help promote peace, the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. The names are those of the two boys who lost their lives in the terrorist bombing outrage in Warrington in 1993. This organisation recognises that working for peace needs to have three parts to… Read More »
Shannon MacVean-Brown, the newly elected bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, recently spoke to National Public Radio (NPR) about the challenges facing The Episcopal Church (TEC) particularly in a region where relatively few attend any church, and where TEC has a small footprint. Her comments on inclusion are noteworthy, particularly as they pertain to abuse. “If the… Read More »
Years ago, activists within The Episcopal Church began clamoring for the development of programs to prevent and address sexual misconduct. The move came at a time when the church was struggling to find ways to include those who historically had been marginalized on the basis of gender, national origin, sexual orientation, and other criteria. Many among those groups… Read More »
The following excellent observations on abuse of power and church is courtesy of the Rev. Richard Newnham, His blog is here. 1. I talk a lot about how the “business model” has usurped the “family model” of church governance…the “congregation” has replaced “employees” and they have as much say about how the church is run as the average… Read More »
Reprinted with permission. Stephen Parsons, a retired Anglican priest, publishes Survivingchurch.org, a blog dedicated to church abuse of every sort. After church on Sunday I took part in two conversations over coffee which indirectly touched on the church abuse issue. Neither mentioned in any way spiritual/sexual abuse, but each of them reminded me how much and for how… Read More »
I’ll be the first to admit: I’ve often been no fan of interim ministries. Why? Because these interregnums are too often periods of turmoil and confusion, in which churches and their members are left to flounder, while giving and membership collapse. But when understood and done correctly, interim ministry is a vital step towards congregational health. Part of… Read More »
