10 Ways Churches Should Respond To Sexual Abuse

After a few decades of publicity surrounding the issue of sexual abuse in the broader culture, one might think that churches have developed better ways of handling it.  However, there are regularly reports that indicate otherwise.  Especially churches without a Safe Church . . . Continue reading →

With Presbygirls On Abuse In The Church

Dr Clark joined the Presbygirls podcast (part of the Presbycast media empire) with Sarah Morris, Sean Morris, and Josh Squires this week to discuss how the church should and should not address abuse. Here is the video version: RESOURCES Subscribe To The . . . Continue reading →

A Faithful Elder Stands Up For The Sheep

Last year, Hohn Cho concluded Grace Community Church had made a mistake. The elders had publicly disciplined a woman for refusing to take back her husband. As it turned out, the woman’s fears proved true, and her husband went to prison for child . . . Continue reading →

Review: Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Michael J. Kruger

Michael Kruger has written a gem of a book, addressing one of the most prominent issues troubling the church today. Increasingly, we are faced with stories about pastors who misuse their position of authority to achieve their own selfish ends to the . . . Continue reading →

What Happens When A Bloke Looks At The Facts About Wilson

Language Warning: He Quotes Wilson

 (HT: Examining Moscow) RESOURCES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian Support Heidelmedia: use the . . . Continue reading →

They Are Not Pastors

In the course of catching up with goings on in the evangelical world, there was a striking confluence of news stories about men who are no longer pastors, if they ever were. As we scan and digest these stories we should draw . . . Continue reading →

PCA SJC Takes Jurisdiction In Herron Case

The Presbyterian Church in America’s (PCA) highest ecclesiastical court is taking over a case allegedly mishandled by an Indiana presbytery, a letter from the presbytery shows. The case surrounds a former Indiana pastor accused of sexually harassing multiple women. The move comes . . . Continue reading →

Justin Holcomb To Speak On “Abuse, Healing, And The Church” At Christ Reformed in D. C. May 12, 2022

Jesus is the Great Physician, and the church is his hospital. It is a place for sinners—and those who have been wounded by the sins of others—to heal. Justin Holcomb describes in his speaking and writing how the heartbreaking statistics on abuse . . . Continue reading →

It Can Be Difficult But We Need To Open Our Eyes And Pay Attention To The Facts

I am not going to quote this article on the Heidelblog because some of the language in it is not fit for a family publication.

Former Mars Hill Elders Plead For Driscoll To Resign Over Continuing Abuse Of The Sheep

Kate Shellnut posted a story yesterday at Christianity Today revealing that 39 elders from the former Mars Hill church, from which Mark Driscoll was removed because he abused the staff and members, have published a letter calling for him to resign from . . . Continue reading →

Julie Roys Interviews Insiders From Mark Driscoll’s Current Congregation

And the hits just keep coming. Not only is Christianity Today producing a podcast series doing a post-mortem of Mars Hill Church

Are P&R Churches “Wholly Inadequate” To Investigate Abuse?

Julie Roys reports that, on May 14, 2021, the Central Indiana Presbytery (PCA) approved a committee report recommending that the Presbytery bring charges against a pastor (Teaching Elder).

A Follow Up Regarding Abuse In The Church: We Are Talking About Practice

Last week I wrote an introduction to spiritual abuse and how laity and officers should respond. A correspondent writes to ask what the laity are to do when when ruling elders and ministers refuse to address a situation. May a lay member . . . Continue reading →

It Happens In The Church

I grew up in the church. Some of my favorite memories come from the time I spent there — Sunday school, AWANA, VBS, youth group, and fellowship meals. For hours we would play hide-and-seek, run up and down hallways, and occasionally sneak . . . Continue reading →