Spiritual Abuse Episodes

We’re starting Reconcile Stories because we believe the public square today is the Internet, and the best way to get the gospel there is by sharing real, messy stories of God’s grace through podcasts and video. I’m Will, pastor at Reconcile Community Church, and with Ben—our podcast guy—we want to amplify testimonies from our congregation and ministry partners so people can hear how Jesus actually shows up in everyday lives. You’ll hear people from wildly different backgrounds, and our hope is that someone listening will either go, “I resonate with that,” or “Man, God did something crazy”—both are wins. We also talk honestly about church hurt and how empathy, listening, and the kind of community Jesus modeled can be a place of real healing instead of just more side eye. So come hang with us, hear the stories, and yeah—pray for us as we try to do this well and keep it about Christ and his work in people.

We dig into why people stay in abusive relationships — Dawn shares her story of being married to Sean, the years of coercive control, shame, and the church pressure that told her to “do the right thing” even when it cost her health and identity. I (Dawn) talk about how a fast courtship, an unexpected pregnancy, isolation, and messages about submission made me doubt myself, stay in survival mode, and even feel “so incredibly faithless” at times. We unpack how well-meaning pastors focused on behavior modification instead of root issues, how a friend and counselor (shout out to Brandy and Andrea) finally helped give permission, and how worship and reclaiming the gospel became the lifeline that led me to leave. Ben and I also wrestle with how churches can enable abuse by telling victims to go back, why one person believing a victim matters, and how marked repentance — not platitudes — is the line between restoration and danger. I share the painful aftermath — Sean’s suicide, my journey to…