BOOKS
Unmasking Wonderland
by Karen Alsop
“We are all mad here.”
For twenty years, Kenna lived inside a dream she didn’t create. She was the primary voice and visual storyteller for Evermore Church, a thriving, inclusive community that promised a “Disneyland” for the soul.
Recruited for her creativity and trained into the role of a loyal “Armour Bearer,” Kenna was entrusted with intensifying the expansive vision of her Senior Pastor, Austin Bradley. But beneath the polished stage lights and the promises of spiritual purpose, a meticulously crafted labyrinth of coercive control was being built.
In Unmasking Wonderland, the scales finally fall.
A Church Called TOV
by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth.
Substacks
The Naked Armor Bearer – SUBSTACK
My journey out of a High Control Religious Environment and the lessons I am learning along the way
The Willow Tree – SUBSTACK
For two decades, I lived under the canopy of a high-control church, where faith and community were used for the advancement of a vision. My story is one of spiritual abuse cloaked in righteousness, a tale far too common yet rarely spoken of. Like the willow tree, my journey symbolises resilience—the ability to bend under the weight of hardship and loss yet remain unbroken, rooting anew in the aftermath.
Book Recommendations
Bully Pulpit
by Michael J. Kruger
Something’s Not Right
by Wade Mullen
Redeeming Power
by Diane Langberg
When Narcissism Comes to Church
by Chuck DeGroat
Organisations that have supported us through this process
We provide case management and advocacy services for Survivors, families and communities impacted by institutional abuses, as well as research and community education, information forums, community development and survivor support.
We can help co-ordinate referrals for mental health care, legal representation, police liaison, social welfare and support.
This heart is at the core of GRACE’s mission to empower Christian communities to recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse. The early Church, so close to the time of Christ, played a central role in ending many abusive practices that were prevalent at that time. We believe the Church today is called to take up that mantle once again and be a safe haven for children and all who are vulnerable.
It was my work in the local church that first introduced me to the needs of abuse victims and the potential for institutional betrayal and trauma when those who are supposed to protect the victim(s) choose to protect the abuser(s). I also learned the challenge of advocating from within and how to confront the system when necessary.
Uphold exists to confront the epidemic of abuse and mistreatment of gospel workers in Christian churches and organisations. Bullying, and other forms of abuse, are sinful behaviours that do not bring glory to the Lord Jesus. We know that, one day, those who perpetrate these abuses will be called to account for their actions before a Holy and just God, but this does not mean that God’s people are absolved of the responsibility to act when faced with situations of injustice.
The Roys Report is a Christian media outlet, reporting the unvarnished truth about what’s happening in the Christian community so the church can be reformed and restored.
National Redress Scheme
We are currently working with the National Redress Scheme. If you require further information about this scheme, please visit: https://www.nationalredress.gov.au/
Contact us
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