Abuse in the Church

MARKINC Ministries

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Abuse in the Church

a Conversation With Darby Strickland

Darby Strickland

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. About 2 in 4 women have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors (e.g. slapping, shoving, pushing) and in some cases might not be considered "domestic violence." These statistics do not include abuse of men. These are just a few of domestic abuse statistics on the National Statistics Domestic Violence website. Many more people do not report abuse. If these stats are true, it’s likely 1 in 4 women sitting in our church pews have experienced severe physical violence. Sadly, the place where wounded women should feel safest – the church – is the one place they are too ashamed to be transparent. In this informative but at times disturbing interview, Darby Strickland draws from years of not only studying the impact of abuse but her interaction through counseling abused women. Darby is passionate about equipping local churches to be a safe place for the abused. To go deeper, you can order her newest book: Is it Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims

When Your Wife Dies

Dr. Chuck F. Betters, Jim Meyer

Did you know that every year about 100,000 men are widowed? Though a widow’s grief is just as deep as a widower, men often respond differently to the loss of their wives. In this moving conversation Dr. Chuck Betters talks with Dr. Jim Meyer who lost his first wife. Jim shares the story of his family’s sorrow and cautions listeners that though someone who is broken might look whole on the outside, grief and depression might be ever present companions. Jim describes the depression he experienced and how his journey produced in him a passion for offering help to others who are grieving. Jim also shares how the Lord is redeeming his pain through his marriage to Kathy.

Faith Wears Pink – Breast Cancer

Christine Runge, Sharon Betters

Christine Runge Weiss, Founder of Faith Wears Pink, an online support platform for women battling breast cancer, shares how she learned she had breast cancer at the age of forty-four. Her diagnosis followed wave after wave of personal crisis. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, herself a breast cancer survivor, Christine offers hope and practical help to breast cancer warriors. One evening she realized she was helping over twenty women with their questions, fears and the unknowns of their journeys. She decided they all needed a way to talk to each other so she started a “Breast Friends” Facebook page. She eventually changed the name to Faith Wears Pink and as of today over 1000 women have connected through this platform. Faith Wears Pink not only connects breast cancer warriors but also gives gifts to women just starting their journey and sponsors periodic gatherings. If you or a loved one is facing this battle, Christine’s joyful perspective will give you hope and ways to navigate what can be a most frightening pathway.

ALS - On My Way Home

Sharon Betters, Dr. Chuck F. Betters, Dale Meador

How do you face each day after a diagnosis of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, knowing you will not survive longer than eighteen months – two years? Pastor Dale Meador joins Sharon and Chuck Betters to answer this question and more as he describes how each day reminds him he cannot beat this disease. He knows his time on this earth is short. But, for Dale, this disease has renewed his confidence in heaven and God’s perfect love. In this conversation, Dale gives us a glimpse into how he is not only preparing himself but also his family for his absence and much more. Dale’s natural joyful perspective on life comes through but he wants all of us to know his perspective does not minimize the deep grief and fear ALS patients experience. His desire in sharing his story is for others to experience the same help and hope of Jesus he experiences every day. We are so grateful for Dale’s willingness to offer help and hope not only to the one diagnosed with ALS but also to those who love them.