"The church cares more about their reputation than protecting abuse victims."
How it sounds in your head: I reported what happened and they asked me to be quiet 'for the sake of unity.' They moved him to another campus instead of removing him. They protected the abuser and silenced me. Image matters more than justice.
"Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."
-- Proverbs 31:8-9Source: Institutional self-preservation that sacrifices the wounded to protect the brand, replicating systemic abuse patterns.
She told leadership about abuse and was met with NDAs, confidentiality clauses, and requests to forgive and move on. The abuser still has a platform while she was asked to find another church 'for healing.'
Hagar was abused by Sarai, blamed for the situation, and ran away into the wilderness, completely alone and convinced no one saw or cared. God met her there immediately and she named Him 'El Roi—the God who SEES me'—and He saw her when everyone else looked away.
I REFUSE the lie that image matters more than my pain. IT IS WRITTEN to speak for the speechless, and God hears my voice even when leadership silences it. I am not crazy, rebellious, or divisive for telling the truth. IT IS WRITTEN that God is El Roi, the God who SEES, and He saw every moment they minimized and every word they dismissed. The BARAK blessing over my life means I am protected even when institutions fail to protect me. I am the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, and no corrupt system can remove what God has placed on me.
Your Father is FURIOUS at the shepherds who scattered the sheep to save their image. He's not asking you to submit to a system that protects abusers—He's running toward you in the wilderness where they sent you, calling you by name, seeing every tear, and preparing justice you can't see yet.