Thread by @samanthapfield

Me, watching the second half of the "Reflections: A #GC2Summit on responding to sexual harassment, abuse, and violence"

oh goddess they're singing again

First in the afternoon: "Ashes to Beauty: When Jesus Heals" by Jeanette Salguero.

"Could it be that Jesus was intentionally look for those who are hurt ... ostracized, marginalized? ... You must *see them.* Not only did Jesus see her, he made sure others saw her, too."
#churchtoo #GC2Summit

I really appreciate Jeanette's compassion here, but her talk is coming in the middle of a garbage fire so it's just hard for what she's saying to escape that context.

She's finished and honestly I had a hard time finding a real point to her talk. It sounded really pretty and sincere, but... NO ONE so far at this thing has said anything that offers real-world, pragmatic, practical direction. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

oh look it's a "Christmas is really about salvation" sermon ... from someone. I don't know who's talking right now.

Omg evangelicals do NOT know how to "lament." We're in a "Time for Lament and Prayer" and this dude is telling everyone to pray for Jesus to send them "comfort."

-_-

Lamentations is not about being quiet and seeking comfort. It doesn't not look like easy listening piano solos.

Y'know what lament looks like?

It looks like me kneeling in a middle of a road in DC in the pouring rain, singing "somebody is hurting my sister" and sobbing my guts out, waiting to get arrested.

Not journaling quietly in church. just. wtf.

and it was exactly 3 minutes.

ok nvm he sat back down again and there's more quiet guitar strumming.

Next is "Mobilizing a Movement: Why We Must Not be Silent on Issues of Violence and Pain." Here's to hoping Belinda Bauman actually tries to say ... anything real. Like, maybe, how to "mobilize a movement." #churchtoo #GC2Summit

Belinda is doing a ... play? with a woman of color who hasn't appeared yet today.

I think her name is Ashley Ireland, Belinda is introducing her now. She is a "reconciler." No explanation for what that means.

I think Belinda's favorite word is definitely "kairos" today, she's said it ... half a dozen times?

Three main points of her outline:
1) Violence against her is violence against God
2) Violence against her is violence against me, against us
3) We must admit our silence becomes violence

#churchtoo #GC2Summit

"There is war happening 'out there' and we feel the violence against women."

Again with the missing the point on #churchtoo. It's not "out there."

She's attributing the silence in the face of sexual violence to "awkwardness." In my personal experience, no one has ever been silent toward me when I'm talking about being raped because they feel "awkward." It's always because they don't believe me. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

"When we stand and applaud we when should sit and grieve"

just say you're talking about Andy Savage, c'mon. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

"When pastors and elders become the safest people to talk to, then we'll know we have a movement."

How about talking about all the pastors that are the ones that are rapists and how churches bend over backwards to cover it up and boost their careers? Anyone? No?

Figures.

A few people today have mentioned "structures and systems" and everyone's on a kick about how we need to be able to "name" what's going on and how "powerful" "naming" can be... and I'm just sitting here going ... sooooo..... you gonna name it? Or not? #churchtoo #GC2Summit

Belinda's done. Next is "Protecting Our Children" by Kelly Rosati. If she doesn't talk about mandated reporters and reporting CSA to the police instead of keeping it "in house" I'm going to light something on fire. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

"Tell us practically what we can do so we can do better." She wants to let them know about "Ministry Safe."

"If you're looking to hire someone: you'd be looking for someone who is conspicuously helpful. Particularly nurturing, caring? What about someone's who's thoughtful-- who notices what needs to be done? Who believes in trust and teamwork?"

"Bad news: predators have these."

What I've seen today: counselors and lawyers are the only ones here who know what's up. Anyone who's more "ministerial" or "pastoral" has been basically useless.

I knew *immediately* when I looked at the speakers that this is what was going to happen. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

She really wants everyone to use Ministry Safe, but this is relevant:

https://twitter.com/MRossYoung/status/1073323406483972096

Kelly Rosati has been promoting an org called "Ministry Safe" that is actually pretty terrible. An alternative: intoaccount.org I heard someone from Into Account present at a conference in October and I was really impressed.

Kelly was probably one of the most helpful people today. Hit some of the basics, but at least those got covered. Now we're onto Laurel Bunker, on "A Generation to Change the World: How Young People View Equality." #GC2Summit #churchtoo

I listened to Laurel on Stetzer's radio show to prepare for today. There's a lot of stuff we agree on (prison reform, notably) but she said a bunch of stuff about how "women's bodies aren't meant to be on display." They were talking about what she was going to say at #GC2Summit.

Now she's talking about her daughter's developing bodies and how men are dangerous and she's taught them to carry keys b/w their fingers.

Notice the link between "men are predatory" and her stance on women's "developing bodies" and how they shouldn't "display" them. #churchtoo

"What do young people value? I'm not guessing here ... they want to know "do you live the gospel you profess?
They don't want coffeeshops, no smoke and mirrors. They don't expect you to be Hillsong. They want you to love the Lord Jesus Christ."

hmmmm. ok. >_>

So she's spent a while talking about how "young people" value diversity ... but there's been a few phrases that tell me pretty clearly she's alright with that as long as they mean racism or sexism but not LGBT affirmation. #GC2Summit #churchtoo

"These young people want to be in relationship" "maybe with people they disagree with," they want to be close to "some people" that would make adults say they're not "spiritual enough."

That's just all code for queer people, folks.

ngl everything Laurel's said only really applies to Gen-Zers and don't get me wrong I love Gen Z and think they're great ... but I'm getting the feeling that everyone at #GC2Summit has already written off Millennials as hopeless apostates.

20 minute break now. Stetzer is promoting "Covenant Eyes." Because porn and sexual abuse are OBVIOUSLY related. 🙄

and we're back for the last session. Ed Stetzer is up next with "Seeking Accountability, Authenticity, and Safety For All Those in Our Care."

pray for me.

"Power is a gift." Power is about "ensuring the flourishing of others." -Ed Stetzer.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH [breathes] HAHAHAHAHAHAH

"I don't believe that Christianity is a "created faith" like we see around the world."

omfg he really can't help himself, can he? #GC2Summit

"A power differential eliminates consent." "Pastors do not have affairs with people they counsel, they abuse people they counsel."

He's gonna pull a bait and switch. I can feel it. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

"Character is the key here." Goes to Titus 5.

.... I mean character is great and all, but you can have plenty of "character" by every standard in Titus 5 and still cover up abuse and silence victims. #churchtoo

OOOOOOO he just called Jesus washing his disciples' feet "awkward"

your homophobia is showing, Ed. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

he's on a rabbit trail of not letting your parishioners give you money which is like ok sure fine but I think there's a whole bunch of stuff you COULD be talking about like I dunno what pastors should do when they found out a buddy of theirs raped someone #churchtoo #GC2Summit

It's almost like ... like... Ed Stetzer might not actually know a lot about this area or have any real experience with appropriately responding to sexual abuse...?

tell me if I'm wrong.

two more talks left: "The Journey to Healing" with Nancy Beach and "A First Step Towards Healing" with none other than Max Lucado.

Yaaaaay.

"Can men and women work together without falling into sexual sin?" -- Nancy Beach

well the Billy Graham Rule might be rearing its head here today at the Billy Graham center at a program put on by the Billy Graham Institute. I hope not.

"The inner circle benefit in some way from the 'refracted light' of being around the key leader." -- Nancy Beach, speaking on how institutional leadership enables abuse of power, including a circle she was a part of. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

"Forgiveness is the only path to healing." She does point to the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation/reunion, but I'm sorry I've never forgiven my rapist and I'm healing just fine. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

"There can still be forgiveness so that we can be free of the bitterness poison." -- Nancy Beach

See: my bio. "Bitter" is there for a reason, y'all. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

Another theme I've spotted at #GC2Summit: only one kind of victimhood or survivorship is allowed. You're loud and angry and full of rage and want to light the world on fire? Not at #GC2Summit, you don't. No, you have to be somber but full of hope-- watery eyes, but no tears.

If you're a victim of sexual violence, your voice can tremble but not get loud. You can act upset, but only in a performance poem.

The "safe space" they've talked about isn't actually available to them to really be vulnerable and honest with their pain.

I don't doubt that these survivors are being genuine, but it's still a glaring red flag that there wasn't a SINGLE woman on that stage who ever got messily upset.

And we're on to Max Lucado. Never actually heard him talk before. Somehow he is not what I expected him to sound like.

First up: he wants everyone to know that he'll repent "if" he's ever hurt a survivor.

"If." Somehow I very much doubt that should be an "if" there. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

omg kill me now with his alliterative slice-of-life sermon illustration

"Is there anything more fragile than a bruised reed?"
"Is there anything more fragile than a smoldering wick?"

I feel like you have to pick one or the other with this phrasing, doc. #nitpicky

His text passage is Veronica's story, or the Woman With the Issue of Blood.

Y'all. y'all. It's my favorite Bible story. I don't know if I can watch him butcher it. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

"All she has is this crazy hope ... sounds like a good definition of faith"

ugggggghhhh noooooo whyyyyy with the ablism

uhuh. Yup.

https://twitter.com/politicssam/status/1073351634351202306

This could've been such a wonderful time to talk about the long road of suffering victims walk, and how every institution that's supposed to help us fails us until finally everyone just starts ignoring us and our pain.

Y'know. TO TALK ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CHURCH #churchtoo

All day long I've had "healing" shoved down my throat. Virtually every speaker has spoken on how healing is possible, how to find healing, how great it is, blah blah blah.

They have neglected their obligation to talk about literally anything else. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

This wasn't a summit to "reflect" on "sexual violence." This was an opportunity for Ed Stetzer to shove a bunch of people in a room and tell victims that the biggest problem with #churchtoo is that victims just haven't healed yet. #GC2Summit

"Healing starts when we take a step in the direction of Christ." -Max Lucado.

As someone pointed out earlier today-- this is not the only way it happens. Jesus seeks the sheep, the lost coin. Jesus comes to us when we need him. #churchtoo #GC2Summit

And that's a wrap on #GC2Summit.

Thank you everyone who joined me today. Talking to y'all is the only way I got through this.

omg the final prayer. "We pray that people will not disdain the invitation to healing."

Somebody's been watching twitter. #GC2Summit #churchtoo

A few of you have asked, so I'll toss this out here again: if what I did today was helpful and you can spare it...

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