Have you ever stumbled upon a situation online where one Christian was calling out another Christian publicly for sin? I’ve seen this when someone holds a belief that doesn’t align with Scripture, but I’ve also seen instances where people are publicly accused of abuse or of covering up abuse. Inevitably, someone in the comments will say, “You should follow Matthew 18.” When I see comments like that, I usually ask myself, “Does Matthew 18 even apply here?”

How do we know if church discipline is being used against us instead of for us?

As is often the case with whistleblowers, we sometimes feel guilt and regret for our actions. If you’re in a situation where you feel like you may need to call out spiritual abuse, I hope this is an encouragement to you; the road may be long, and you may lose some people along the way, but find hope in the knowledge that you are doing what is biblical and right. I also want to point out that for some of you, you may not feel safe calling out the abuse. I’ll offer some suggest

"This story is a composite of many true experiences I have both observed and read about.  They are filled with healing and relief against a backdrop of soul destroying evil.  What is it about a sensitive horse that can be a bridge toward relational healing for one's soul?  What about other aspects of creation such as mountain top gazing of a stunning landscape, or experiencing the sights, sounds, and earthy scents of an emerald forest, or admiring the beauty and perfume scent

I was at an event recently, and the topic of church hurt came up over coffee. (I find that coffee is usually involved when heavy issues like abuse arise.) I shared a bit of my own story with the group, which led to someone else sharing her story, telling me that it took her a while to recognize that what she experienced was wrong. She reminded me that church hurt is the result of people, not God, and that’s true. 

My first memory of a pastor being removed from his position was Jimmy Swaggart, a popular televangelist in the 80s...

I honestly thought I had moved past it all, but about a month ago, I was a couple of hours away from the place where it all went down...

I think I believed that once I left my spiritually abusive situations, talked through them, took a break, and re-entered a solid church...

Creo que pensé que una vez que dejara mis situaciones de abuso espiritual, hablara de ellas, me tomara un descanso y volviera a una...

The process of re-engaging at a church after leaving a spiritually abusive one has been MUCH longer, slower, and more difficult...

El proceso de volver a participar en una iglesia después de dejar una que ha sido espiritualmente abusiva, ha sido MUCHO más largo, lento...

Many of us have internalized the message that we should simply not allow difficult things to affect us.

If anyone should have been able to recognize and call out spiritual abuse, it was us. But, as obvious as it was, it came on so slowly and...

I woke up early, ready to attend the church service. I was ready in good time, prepared breakfast, and we headed to the church. As we parked

If you're reading this post, you most likely know what it's like to doubt your salvation. To feel fear that you might be wrong and that...

Anna Kitko is a cult and new religions specialist with Ratio Christi, where she serves as the campus apologist at the University of...

Whether we are aware of it or not, we all more than likely know someone who has or is experiencing religious harm on one level or...

I was struggling to handle my anger well. My husband would say something to me, that while not truly the same, felt too similar to things...

On October 6th, The Michigan Daily published a Campus Life article entitled, “‘We will not be silenced’: UMich student survivors of Young...

Do you know that feeling of not being good enough? That combination of heaviness and tightness in your chest, with overwhelming sadness...