Ministry and #MeToo
Episode 4
A Safe and Respectful Church Community
Dale Ingraham
The statistics of sexual harassment and abuse point to a sad truth: our churches are full of survivors. For too long, church leaders have been unaware. In this episode of the Ministry and #MeToo learning journey, pastor Dale Ingraham describes how he learned about the reality of sexual abuse in his church and the process he went through to understand the right pastoral response. Learn how victims and abusers present themselves in ministry communities, where churches often go wrong and some best practice to address abuse allegations in our congregations.
Running time: 42 minutes
Resources Mentioned:
- Tear Down This Wall of Silence, by Dale Ingraham
- Speaking Truth in Love Ministries
- 1 Peter 5:2 “Be shepherds of God’s flock …”
- Jude 4 “For certain individuals…have slipped in among you…”
- Ezekiel 34:4 “You have not strengthened the weak…”
- Matthew 18:14 “Let everyone be subject to governing authorities …”
- Catholic Church Sex Abuse Scandal
- Penn State Child Sex Abuse Scandal
- Jerry Sandusky
- Sugar Ray Leonard
- Boz Tchividian
- Romans 13: 1-5 Let everyone be subject to governing authorities…”
- Nehemiah 3 Nehemiah rebuilds the wall
- Nehemiah 8 Nehemiah reads the Law
- 2 Corinthians 13:1 “In the mouth of two or three witnesses…”
- Matt 18: 1-14
- Ministry Safe Child Protection System
- Plan to Protect Child Protection System
- Safe Church, Christian Reformed Church Child Protection System
Additional Resources:
Books:
- Tear Down this Wall of Silence by Dale Ingraham
- This Little Light by Christa Brown
- Why Does He Do That: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men by Lundy Bancroft
- The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Dr. Dan Allender
- A Cry for Justice: How the Evil of Domestic Abuse Hides in Your Church by Jeff Crippen and Anna Wood
- Protecting Your Church from Sexual Predators by Voyle Glover
Websites:
- Speaking Truth in Love Ministries, Dale Ingraham’s ministry
- Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
- Ace Overcomers
- mksafetynet.org
- Plan to Protect Abuse Prevention and Protection
- Ministry Safe, child safety system
Bible Passages that Deal with Abuse:
- Matthew 18:1-14
- Proverbs 18:5
- Romans 13:1-5
- Luke 17:1,2
- Ephesians. 5:21-33
- Proverbs 17:15
- Ezekial 34:4
Dale Ingraham
Pastor; Co-founder of Speaking Truth in Love Ministries
Dale Ingraham, a pastor for over thirty years, is also the husband of Faith, a survivor of incest. Together they founded Speaking Truth in Love Ministries, to address the realities of sexual abuse and domestic violence within our Christian communities. Ingraham wrote the book Tear Down This Wall of Silence: Dealing with Sexual Abuse in Our Churches (an introduction for those who will hear) with Rebecca Davis as a call to churches to be prepared to understand the sin of sexual abuse, to believe and speak the truth, and to take action to help those who are affected by the abuse.
