“One leader in particular who managed our region was spiritually abusive. Our family along with a few families were in the process of leaving the organization. He gave a speech to our island outlining right and wrong reasons to leave shaming several of us in front of others. Then two pastors who have gained influence and claimed to hear from God, got up to confirm his position of leadership. It was made clear by that abusive leader that no questions were allowed. After that incident, he told us as if he knew God’s will in our life that God needed us where we were. I personally felt so overwhelmed by shame both public and private (even though interactions with this leader were limited). The narrative seemed to be that leaving the organization would be like not listening to God. He said we needed to listen to him and other leadership because God has placed them in authority over others.” -Anonymous missionary
Sadly, spiritual and sexual abuse is very prevalent in missions, with those living overseas being three times more likely to experience some kind of abuse, and almost 30% experience some kind of sexual harm. Spiritual abuse happens when someone uses religious beliefs to hurt, scare, or control you. Organizations like YWAM, MAF, and New Tribes Missions have had spiritual and sexual abuse scandals with very little repercussions.
In this podcast episode, Rebecca Hopkins who is a journalist for Christianity Today and wrote “What is a Missionary Kid Worth,” explores what constitutes spiritual and sexual abuse, why there is so much of it on the mission field, and why reporting, accountability and justice are much more difficult for global workers. We also explore how to heal from it. If you or someone you know has experienced abuse on the field, please reach out to me to tell your story, or for trauma-informed coaching by emailing me at saritahartz@gmail.com. You do not have to suffer alone. To connect with Rebecca on her substack The Whistleblower’s Guide go to https://rhopkins.substack.com/.
To listen to this important podcast go here.
For more reading on spiritual or sexual abuse in missions read my blog post here.
