One of the great things about working with issues of church abuse is the people. Specifically, you get to meet some of the most wonderful people imaginable in the course of sharing your story and that of others.
And so it is with Dominique and Megan Benninger, a couple from south-central Pennsylvania who, like me, have endured spiritual and emotional abuse, including shunning and more, after they exposed wrongdoing in their former church.
I recently had the chance to chat with them about their blog, www.churchtrauma.org. Not only are the Benningers great people, but they get it. Abuse is abuse, whether it’s spiritual, emotional, sexual, relational or other.
Even better, they are doing something about it. Not only is their blog a great read, but it’s clear to me that they are working hard to protect others and make the world a better place. I expect great things will come from them, and heartily recommend their blog to you.
On a marginally related note, I’ve been a little overwhelmed with the passing, just days apart, of my maternal grandmother and my mother. As a result, I haven’t been great at keeping up with the blogs or my other activities, and I’m very sorry at the delays in getting back with folks, etc. But I do plan to write more about the Benningers in the coming days—theirs is a fascinating story, and illustrates just how pervasive spiritual abuse is in houses of worship.
Stay tuned!