When Shepherds Harm
When Shepherds Harm Discarded and disillusioned. Destroyed and disenfranchised. Hurt and helpless. Angry and abused. There are many words we could use to describe what people feel after being wounded by spiritual leadership. Yet none of them fully reach the depth of the damage that can be done when someone entrusted with the care of souls becomes the source of their suffering. We often call it “church hurt,” but even that phrase can feel painfully inadequate and painfully overused. Church hurt can describe someone failing to invite you to dinner. It can describe a disagreement over music, personalities, programs, or preferences. It has become a catchall phrase for almost anyone who has ever experienced a moment of conflict or frustration within a local church. But that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about the deep fracture created when spiritual authority is used to manipulate, control, exploit, silence, intimidate, or abuse. I am talking about financial misconduct, spiri...
