Survivor Resilience

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of mental health, depression, alleged sexual grooming, and abuse. Please take care while listening. If you recognise the situation described, we ask that you respect our guest’s request for anonymity. Do not share the church name or the names of any individuals on social media or in any public forum. This episode is with a Christian pastor and includes Christian language.

Survivor Resilience

In this episode, I speak with a courageous survivor, a fellow Aussie who is now a pastor living in America.

She shares how she was allegedly groomed and abused by a pastor acting in a pastoral care counselling role within an Australian church. When church leadership, who were also his parents, learned of the alleged abuse, rather than protecting her or publicly holding the pastor accountable, they offered her the illusion of agency and choice before sending her across the world to keep the alleged abuse hidden.

She opens up about the slow, painful realisation of what had been done to her; the courage it took to seek justice, confront the church, face the pastor who allegedly harmed her; and the role her faith has played throughout her healing.

Together, we explore the realities of adult grooming, the devastating impact of institutional betrayal, the vital need for education, and what it truly means to reclaim your power after profound harm.

We challenge churches:

If someone reaches out to tell you that alleged historical abuse happened under your roof, show some institutional courage.

* Meet with them, listen to their story, and acknowledge their pain.

* Tell them you are deeply sorry for the harm that happened within the four walls of your church.

* When you know better, do better - and that means DO BETTER! Knowing is not enough. Put some action behind your awareness.

Now, my guest is modelling exactly that kind of courage.

She is using her voice to push for change, determined to make the church a safe space for all. If someone were to come to her and disclose that abuse was happening in their church, she would respond with both moral and institutional courage.

Her resilience, faith, and determination offer both challenge and hope to anyone impacted by abuse in faith communities.

Thank you to my guest!

If you need support please reach out to the following hotlines:

Support Hotlines:

Link to all support hotlines in NSW, Australia: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/services/Pages/support-contact-list.aspx

Link to USA hotlines:

https://www.apa.org/topics/crisis-hotlines

Contact me:

https://www.jaimesimpsoncounselling.au

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