Is the Church Really the Hope of the World?

Robin experienced a background of abuse, including sexual abuse by a pastor, and her world felt apart, including faith in God and her hope in the church. But when she went to a Summit and heard a talk about the church being the hope of the world, a seed was planted that eventually led Robin to see God in a different light, leading her to use her leadership gifts for the local church, even working with pastors. The place some of her worst pain has become the place of her greatest healing. And the Summit helped her gain a grander vision for what the church can do when leaders get better. 

No one is more surprised by my work and dedication to the church than I am. But to understand why, you have to understand my past.

I told no one about my abuse as a young child. Like most sexual abuse victims, I grew up telling myself my life was normal, and I pretended it didn’t matter. No one, including me, could understand the problems that were developing as a result of my abuse and the maladaptive coping strategies that were becoming part of my lifestyle.

I attended church regularly and found safety and enjoyment in various programs, but I still didn’t deal with my past and continued to remain silent about all that had happened to me.

But my past caught up with me.

I was living away from home and desperately needed help to undo the damage done. Talking after years of silence seemed like torture. At the time I didn’t even know what was wrong with me, let alone have the words to explain what had happened. Finally, out of desperation I turned to the one place that had always been safe for me. I went to my church to talk to my pastor.

In what still seems completely unfair to me, that pastor ended up sexually abusing me, and I was thrown into another round of abuse that not only added to the emotional damage I already carried, but completely stripped me of my love, faith and trust in God. Being abused by the one person, who represented the only safe haven I had in the world, devastated me. Eventually I was able to confide in a second pastor who was able to end the abuse, but was unable to help me deal with what had happened.

I felt abandoned by the church, by the pastors and by God. There was no justice done, no guidance and no support. Not only was I left physically and emotionally scarred, but the spiritual damage cut deeper than I could ever imagine.

I gave up on church and I gave up on God.

For more than 15 years, I lived apart from God—hurt and angry with Him for allowing this to happen. Using the unhealthy coping strategies I had learned as a child, I continued to pretend nothing was wrong. I managed to succeed outwardly in my professional life, but inwardly I lived a life of isolation. Being at church scared me; being near pastors terrified me. I never allowed myself to get connected.

I wished I could have become an atheist, but I was too busy hating God to stop believing in Him.

I knew something was missing in my life and despite the pain the church had caused me, I felt the source of healing was there. I wanted help, but I struggled to trust anyone, including God.  Then I joined Ebenezer Church. While there, I went to a Summit event and heard about the church being the hope of the world (something I couldn’t quite fathom since it had been the complete opposite of the hope of my world.)  But that planted a seed that eventually led me to see God in a different light.

I joined Ebenezer with an, “If this doesn’t work, I’m giving up on God” attitude. I don’t suppose you should actually give God an ultimatum, but I felt like I did. However, I also realized if God was going to help me, I would need to do some work too. I started attending services, reading my Bible, going to a Bible study, and, little by little, started listening to God in my life. Eventually I made the courageous and terrifying decision to talk about my past with another pastor. But trying to break the silence again created incredible guilt, shame and embarrassment, but I managed to keep going.

I truly believe Ebenezer is a place where Jesus Christ changes lives. I am an example of that transformation. Through God’s love and the church, I started to understand how my past had damaged my ability to trust, feel my emotions, open myself up to true relationships and depend on others. I’ve started learning how to reframe my thinking and my behavior to break out of the walls I had built around myself so I can better lead the life God wants for me.

Slowly, guilt, shame and embarrassment are being replaced by my knowledge that I have worth as a child of God. I also started to understand God has blessed me with several gifts and talents, many of which could be used in service to the church.

I find myself now in a leadership position in church, working alongside pastors.

While I don’t think I’ll ever understand why God didn’t stop the things that happened to me, I have come to the conclusion that God didn’t cause them. And I believe He suffered with me the whole time; He wept for my pain, and He deeply cared what was happening to me. I also think He will use my pain for good if I let Him.

It’s amazing to me that the place of my very deepest hurt has become the place of my greatest healing.  

The Leadership Summit helped me to gain a grander vision for what the church can do when leaders get better. Wanting to serve Him is a reflection of my gratitude and a response to God’s love. I am thankful to Ebenezer for teaching me Jesus wants a relationship with me, the sins of my past are forgiven, and I am, first and foremost, a child of a loving Father who cares about me.