Responding to abuse in the church
While we might like to imagine our churches are safe havens for everyone, they can carry hidden, dark secrets that we never know about or we ignore. People in the church experience abuse. There might be a spouse who suffers physical abuse at home, or there might be people who suffer abuse at the hands of people in the church itself.
Either way, we all need to recognize abuse and treat it seriously to help fight it and prevent it.
What your church can do to help respond to abuse
Keep power in check — Don’t let your church’s hierarchy get out of control. No leader or group of leaders should have unchecked power. They should all be scrutable, questionable and held accountable.
Establish transparent systems — With keeping power in check comes establishing a transparent system. Don’t do things behind closed doors or hide things from the congregation. Everything should be transparent and accessible.
Educate the congregation — A lot of people fail to get the help they need for abuse simply because of lack of education. They might not know where to go to get help or that they even need help. Others might not know how to help and could benefit from education on what to do if someone suffering from abuse approaches them for assistance.
Make it easy for people to get help — Your church should have resources for people to safely get in touch with someone if they are suffering from abuse. Establish protocols for who to contact in your congregation. Make phone numbers and emails and other contacts easily findable and accessible. Just knowing that there are people willing to hear and help may push someone to take the step to reaching out when they need it.
Defer to real authorities — One of the most heartbreaking things to hear is that someone didn’t get the help they needed for abuse because they went to someone in church who then buried the situation. They didn’t go to a real professional for help because a person they trusted told them not to and worked to help hide the problem instead.
Unless you are trained in responding to abuses, you should not position yourself as an authority in these situations. Offer your help and support and be there for them as they go through the process of getting help, but most importantly, help them connect with professional assistance.
Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey
At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. Do you want to grow in your faith, or are you simply curious about who this Jesus guy is? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.