Church Abuse: Protecting Ministries, Destroying Souls
Dr. Diane Langberg, author of Redeeming Power
Speak Life
How do we respond rightly to abuse and make the church of Christ a place of healing and hope, rather than a cover for predators?
Glen Scrivener recorded this interview with Diane Langberg in the wake of the Ravi Zacharias scandal and within days of the Jonathan Fletcher scandal breaking. Christians were stunned and confused and asking why.
Overview of video with timestamps
0:14 Video begins with Diane Langberg giving an overview of how she came to an understanding of abuse, trauma, and the church. (Don’t skip this part!)
05:30 Church leaders with trauma and church leaders as perpetrators
10:15 The playbook of the abuser; how the abuse happens; the cover-up, the role of deceit
15:37 What dynamics in a church that make us blind to abuse?
19:31 How do wolves develop?
21:42 How should leaders use that knowledge to keep watch over themselves and over the flock? What are some practices Christian leaders need to emphasize? What are some marks of a wolf?
27:26 Why people rightly fear to make disclosure of abuse: The deck is stacked for the community to side with the abuser.
36:00 Duty of bystanders where there is spiritual abuse or bullying going on.
38:12 Defining spiritual abuse, grooming, and trauma
47:16 Help for caregivers: Do’s and Don’ts in helping people who have been traumatized; the importance of closeness with Jesus for caregivers themselves
