Sexual, physical, and spiritual abuse is a reality in the visible church. Those of us in the Pauline-Augustinian tradition should not be shocked or surprised since the Scriptures and the Augustinian doctrine of sin teaches us to expect as much. What remains is for Christians and particularly the visible church to decide how to address abuse and abusers. Below is a small collection of resources that we hope will help pastors, elders, deacons (who often encounter cases of abuse before others in the church) think through these issues and to resolve to address them biblically and wisely. If you are the victim of physical or sexual abuse please call your local authorities immediately. They have abundant resources to help. If you are the victim of spiritual abuse in the church, please see the resources below intended to guide you to finding help. Dear pastors, elders, and deacons, if you know about physical or sexual abuse in your congregation, you may be a mandatory reporter, i.e., required by law to report that case to law enforcement. Even if the law where you live does not require you to report abuse, you should. You are not helping the abuser or the abused by failing to report a crime.
Dear victim, there is hope and help. The grace of Christ helps and heals wounded Christians daily. Read more»
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The Heidelblog has been in publication since 2007. It is devoted to recovering the Reformed confession and to helping others discover Reformed theology, piety, and practice.
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