RESEARCH ON MINISTERS SPIRITUALLY ABUSED BY OTHER MINISTERS. For her D.Min. project, Barbara Orlowski did a research survey of spiritual abuse survivors who were paid ministers or high-level volunteers in churches/ministries. Her results and analysis were published in 2010 ... + by Wipf & Stock in *Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Dynamic Research on Finding a Place of Wholeness*. At this point, this is the only resource I am aware of that focuses on ministers abused by other ministers. Barbara based her work on a 26-question survey.

churchexiters.com/take-the-surve…

@MaryDeMuth Thanks for the historical info and your big-picture insights on Xn publishing and platforms, Mary.

A thought to add from my vantagepoint as researcher/writer on ministry systems of abuse is how there are interlocking directories of "platformed" people who endorse each other's + @MaryDeMuth publications and projects, speak at each other's events and on their podcasts, etc. What happens to reputation of these co-endorsers when one or more of them is revealed:

To have plagiarized?

Bought their own books to get on a best seller list?

Committed clergy sexual abuse?

@MBostick7 What apologists for Mr Wilson may not realize is that, from a survivor/advocate/research writer point of view, it can take thousands of words and hundreds of hours to convey the documentation of events plus analysis. + @MBostick7 Since 2007, I have focused on research writing of case studies dealing with spiritual abuse by individual ministers and their toxic institutions. Several of these were in real time, following events for a full year and investing over 300 hours to post 40,000-55,000 words on each.

THOUGHTS ON "BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW" 🧵

"Worldview" was the term I used in the 1970s and '80s. Over time, I shifted to other terms like "framework" and "paradigm system." I also got far more specific in categorizing the identifying elements involved and how they are interconnected: abstract concepts + concrete practices; individual + institutional dimensions; deep-level drivers of actions + surface-level manifestations in culture and modes of collaboration, isolation, or control.

Unfortunately, "biblical worldview" has transmogrified into a clobber term.

SYSTEMIC ABUSE AND RESIDUAL TOXIC STRUCTURES. (c) 2018 Brad Sargent

Those who hijack an organizational system offer accomplices various forms of prestige, power, and platforms. That is part of the enticement for enablers to stay engaged with the system. + Systemic abuse always includes a degree of manipulation to get people hooked in and keep them there. It also includes a degree of deception in order to hide the truth.

So, the longer people who abuse the system hold on to power, the more their underhanded processes and +

PYRAMID OF ABUSE--THOUGHTS ON AVOIDERS. I continue to reflect on roles that show up in an institution that has been infused by toxicity. In the bottom layer of Pawns are the Avoiders. These are insiders who have seen, heard and experienced enough to know the Pyramid has problems. But, they don't say or do anything about what they've observed. Or perhaps they did so before, and Procurators worked hard to extinguish their conclusions, gaslight them to implant self-doubt, and reinforce the necessity for loyalty to the system. So Avoiders are in a tough spot.

@jztimm @Dave_Pittman @DanKoch @sacwriter A few initial thoughts. The switch from Mark Driscoll/Mars Hill to the SBC could be useful because of a far larger scale of imposing compliance (whether overtly or covertly): individual conditioning, institutional control, ideological conformity, and socio-political influence. /1 @jztimm @Dave_Pittman @DanKoch @sacwriter Also, there is a large accessible reservoir of both internal documentation on the SBC--resolutions, statements, press releases, etc.--plus investigative reports, blog and social media posts. A lot of leads to that kind of info here:

sbcabusesolutions.wordpress.com

"BOMBSHELL REPORT." I often process via metaphors and visuals. "Bombshell" is a term I've seen repeatedly regarding the investigative report on the SBC.

At first I pictured a bomb going off, blasting through the SBC infrastructure and sending shrapnel into the SBC network. /1 As chunks of metaphorical metal broke through the building, light finally flooded in. Those dark corners where foul deeds were done to avoid accountability were exposed for what they were, as were the actors reportedly responsible for resisting abuse survivors. /2

With release of the @GuidepostGlobal investigative report on SBC leadership, I am reminded of this recent thread on what I see as a core problem: the imputation of reputation. If the SBC as a whole fails to address this--NOW--can it ever overcome the convention's ick and Ichabod?

https://twitter.com/futuristguy/status/1525485238951944193

https://twitter.com/futuristguy/status/1525485862540128256

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS RALLY 2021 -- 10 major SBC-related issues discussed by @ashleymeaster, @wartwatch, @CherylBSummers

facebook.com/forsuchatimeas…

1. Critical Race Theory being used to squelch productive discussions on race, which is parallel to issues on sexual abuse in SBC. 2. The Brian Loritts situation at Summit Church.

3. Paige Patterson preaching at First Baptist Church Dallas.

4. Beth Moore leaving the SBC.

5. Release of Russell Moore’s letter, which delves into problems of power/control behind the scenes on abuse issues.

4 KEYS TO A TRULY "INDEPENDENT" INVESTIGATION. @netgrace_org founder Boz Tchividjian @BozT overviews importance of investigation into reported cases of abuse where an accused institution does not control the investigators, process, findings or report. /1

religionnews.com/2015/10/16/are… Key quotes and/or summaries.

THE ACCUSED INSTITUTION DOES NOT CONTROL:

1. THE INVESTIGATORS

They should not hire a firm with bias, conflicts of interest, or fiduciary duty to the institution.

They do not determine who is on investigation team, if or when updates are required.

THREAD: Questions/comments re: RZIM.

What if frank assessment of corporate culture & policies determines that RZIM U.S. is beyond salvaging due to its corroded institutional infrastructures plus a high probability of never restoring public trust? Is shuttering it on the table? I ask these questions from a base of knowledge from tracking this situation periodically since late 2017, as part of abuse survivor blogging team at Spiritual Sounding Board (SSB).

Two research/resource posts I was main author on at SSB. First from 2017.

spiritualsoundingboard.com/2017/12/08/res…

RETHREAD: "RED FLAG" ISSUES. This is my current list of toxic institutional issues emerging as major concerns for abuse survivors & advocates over last 10-15 years. I plan to write more about them soon. For now, will just say these cause almost automatic repulsion for survivors. 1 Membership covenants or abusive church discipline.
2 Cronyism, nepotism, theobroism (conflict of interest).
3 Non-disclosure agreements.
4 Mediation that removes rights of victims.
5 Use IRS church designation to avoid Form 990s whereby public can evaluate the organization.

RZIM THREAD. In light of RZIM intermediate report that confirms sexual abuse by its founder, I am compiling resources that provide crucial context elements to overall situation for Ravi Zacharias as an individual & RZIM as the institution he founded. /1

spiritualsoundingboard.com/2020/12/26/rav… From post: "This official statement by RZIM is vindication for the women who reported Mr. Zacharias' abuses: These were credible accusations--not mere allegations or false reports."

People will have questions. They deserve details to equip discerning/deciding for themselves. /2

@laurambarringer A few suggestions ...

On abusive leaders and the toxic systems they create, *When Narcissism Comes to Church* by Chuck DeGroat.

futuristguy.wordpress.com/review-when-na… @laurambarringer On abusive church/ministry systems, and what to do about them and ways to reconfigure our views and practices on leaders, *UnLeader: Reimagining Leadership … and Why We Must* by Lance Ford.

futuristguy.wordpress.com/review-unleade…

TUTORIAL: SCALE & MANIPULATION FORMS LEADING TO A TOTALIST CONTROL CULT. I'm in year 14 of a 15-year research project on identifying + dealing with malignant people & toxic systems. I started by analyzing dynamics of spiritual abuse, but this turned out to be the door to more. /1 Organic & organizational systems emerged as frameworks upon which all else hangs, & the questions that have driven my work in more recent years relate to the road by which an entire society can end up in a situation of "totalist psychology" control. In other words, a "cult." /2

@tripleoxymoron @annakeith @Holly4Hope @1SHeRA1 @HunterCrowder6 @ERLC @MattChandler74 @villagechurchtx @wademullen @jdahlmd IMO this is why civil suits against church's corporation can be fitting action on systemic abuse. Corporation is separate "person" legally w/ institution designed to protect individuals who are in it. So, hold the entity's assets accountable when responsible parties refuse to be. @tripleoxymoron @annakeith @Holly4Hope @1SHeRA1 @HunterCrowder6 @ERLC @MattChandler74 @villagechurchtx @wademullen @jdahlmd We abuse survivors witness much duplicity from Xn institution leaders/managers. They play whichever card - biblical "church" of people, or 501(c)3 corporation of protections - suits their current advantage (i.e., requires submission from us, denies responsibility for them). /1

A lot of threads recently on forms of CULTURAL AUTHORITARIANISM, Including reconstruction, dominionism, theocracy. While it may seem good to impose a set of pseudo-biblical requirements on everyone, it removes our God-given right & responsibility to decide directions ourselves. 1 I'm an advocate of our freedom to discern and decide--while also considering potential positive & negative consequences to ourselves & our community.

I'm also a student of how destruction happens in congregation & community when related core freedoms are denied or twisted. 2

THREAD: DOCUMENTS FROM SBC SOURCES ON DEALING WITH SYSTEMIC SEXUAL ABUSE.

This thread lists links to notes, news reports, documents. Thanks & hat tip to Phillip Bethancourt for many of these links plus helpful introductions that frame the articles posted. @pbethancourt #SBCToo #1. THREAD. Robert Downen, live tweeting notes from SBC President J.D. Greear's presentation Feb 18. Including this link so you can check responses to Mr Downen. #2 = unrolled version of just his tweets. @HoustonChron @RobDownenChron @jdgreear #SBCToo

https://twitter.com/RobDownenChron/status/1097651051614912516

THREAD: How to Do Systemic Review of Abuse/Violence-Related Issues at a Seminary.

I worked at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway Seminary) from 1996-2007 in multiple departments, so I had a great opportunity to see much of the technical system as a whole. 1/ I've been research writing spiritual abuse, malignant ministers, & toxic organizations since 2007. So, since publication of @HoustonChron's series on "Abuse of Faith" this past week, I've reflected on how to combine these two lengthy experiences into something constructive. 2/

An exhausting week, between @HoustonChron series & other stmts, apologies, denials. But there’s 1 paragraph in Dr. Mohler’s stmt on Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s website we need to note, as several on Twitter have done, the first I saw being @JJ_Denhollander--thanks! 1 "Some will question whether the force of public pressure explains the timing of my statement and its public nature. In all candor, this pressure is no doubt part of that explanation. That fact should serve to encourage survivors and their advocates to maintain such pressure." 2