My Words About the Bride of Christ…

The Bride of Christ

When the Church Is Not the Safest Place!

In My Words…

I love the Church.

And because I love her, I have to tell the truth.

Somewhere along the way, we began confusing protecting the institution with protecting the people. In that confusion, something devastating has happened: victims have been silenced, minimized, or spiritually managed—while predators have been shielded, excused, or quietly relocated.

This is not an exaggeration.

And it is not rare.

Churches are often described as safe havens, but for many, they have been anything but. Predators know this. They understand that churches offer trust, access, language that can be twisted, and communities that are often more concerned with reputation than reckoning.

Abuse does not stop at the church doors.

Sometimes, it hides behind them.

The most dangerous environments are not always the loud or obviously broken ones. They are the places where appearances matter more than truth, where “forgiveness” is rushed, where accountability is avoided, and where those who speak up are labeled divisive, bitter, or unspiritual.

Jesus never protected predators.

He protected the vulnerable; and He confronted systems that crushed them.

If the Church is to reflect Christ, then we must be willing to ask hard questions:

• Who are we really protecting?

• Who is paying the cost of our silence?

• And what would it look like to believe victims first?

This isn’t about tearing the Church down.

It’s about calling her back to integrity.

Awareness is not an attack.

Truth is not rebellion.

And listening to survivors is not a threat to faith; it’s evidence of it.

If the Church is to be a refuge again, it must become a place where light is welcomed, not feared… even when that light exposes what we wish wasn’t there.

Until next time…

Keep being Amazing You!