More Wolves than Shepherds

So many of us have escaped abuse in the church & are left wondering why God hasn’t intervened so our abusers are still there. They and the church seem to thrive. We’re healing in truth and they seem to thrive in lies and cover ups, often slandering victims. Authors like Pamela Cooper White, Diane Langberg and others have written about it. Churches, pastors, elders, denominations who function in lies and deceit have left God for their own devices. Those who live in lies but preach eloquent sermons are called wolves. Jesus warned us there would be wolves.

We, Christians, were supposed to protect the church and each other from wolves. But after watching the church, denominations and evangelists for these last five years, I think the wolves have taken over. In these spaces, God has washed His hands of it. They make it sound like it’s of Him, that they love Him, they’re protecting Him, but that’s the lie. He’s not there. Christians were to keep the wolves out, but too many of them wanted “a king they could follow” and there were plenty of wolves (power hungry narcissists) willing to step in to be adored and followed by the people. Church became consumerist. Listen, if church leaders, pastors and congregants truly love and follow Christ, they simply won’t tolerate abuse and will stop it and deal with the abusers. What they do love is power, social clubs, virtue signaling, good sermons, cool stage effects and moving music. 

In spite of the enormous wolf-led organizations calling themselves “church,” I do believe there are some true God-loving, truth-loving, safe churches. I just believe they are now the exception, rare and difficult to find. So it’s a gamble for abuse survivors to find one without stepping into many unsafe spaces first. This has become such a huge problem, I don’t know how we get the wolves out.

I continue to pray that God will show Himself again and rescue us. But how will we keep from getting ourselves right back here? How will we get back to the church that Christ built with new believers in Acts? A sad realization. God is big enough to take care of the wolves, but I think He wants His believers to care enough to do it.

 also want to acknowledge and thank all of you who are using your voice, platform and resources to call out abuse and abusers, to call out wolves, to beg churches and denominations to protect the sheep. There are many of you who have risked and lost so much fighting for truth and justice