Breaking the Silence: Abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, NDAs & Women Pastors

Join Lori Adams-Brown on the A World of Difference Podcast as she takes on the issue of abuse and cover-ups within the Southern Baptist Convention. As a survivor of abuse herself, Lori advocates for the importance of sharing survivor stories, and calls out abusive churches and pastors. She urges Echo.church and the Southern Baptist Convention to prioritize listening to and believing survivors and to end the use of NDAs. Lori stresses that it's time to let the truth set everyone free and calls for a collective effort toward healing and restoration. Don't miss this powerful and moving episode of A World of Difference.

Looking for a podcast that tackles tough issues with honesty and transparency? Look no further than A World of Difference, hosted by Lori Adams-Brown. In this eye-opening episode, Adams-Brown pulls back the curtain on the ongoing problem of abuse and cover-up within the Southern Baptist Convention. Drawing on her own experiences as a survivor of abuse at the hands of a former Southern Baptist pastor, Adams-Brown offers a unique perspective on the problem and the need for change within the church community.

Throughout the podcast, Adams-Brown challenges listeners to confront the reality of abuse and to take a stand against those who would perpetrate it. She calls for greater transparency and openness within the church, urging faith communities everywhere to center and believe survivors who share their stories of abuse. Along the way, she shares powerful insights and tools for healing from trauma, including the importance of building a support system and cultivating mindfulness.

If you're looking for a podcast that's unafraid to tackle the tough issues and speak out for change, A World of Difference is the series for you. Tune in now to join the conversation and become part of the movement to end abuse and promote healing within the Southern Baptist Convention and beyond.

Timestamps

[00:00:02] Women Pastors and Abuse Allegations in Southern Baptist Convention

[00:03:28] Speaking out against abuse in Southern Baptist community

[00:07:08] Leaving Denomination Over Religious Abuse

[00:11:03] Importance of survivors sharing stories and releasing NDAs

[00:14:58] Advocating for Women's Voices in Southern Baptist Convention

[00:19:14] Taking Action Against Abuse and Supporting Survivors

[00:22:44] Prioritizing accountability and truth in the church

Episode Links

Podcast Series where Lori Adams-Brown and Jason Adams-Brown share their story of psychological and spiritual abuse at a megachurch in Silicon Valley: Our Story Podcast Series

Quotes

[00:04:29] Here's me addressing some of these issues as a whistleblower as somebody who has walked through abuse and trauma recovery and wants to warn people about a wolf that is among us and all the smoke and mirrors surrounding the image management that would distract us from 1 of the main issues that should be addressed right now, which is the abuse and the abuse allegations and the cover up

[00:04:52] It's not always what happened, it's how people respond and the cover up is some of the most painful parts of what many of you and the abuse survivor community have walked through myself included who not only had the board of my own church sort of circle the wagons and be Yes men and cover up everything with image management

[00:07:02] I can no longer, as of a few years ago, be a part of a denomination that has chosen to cover up abuse Because of silent bystanders, because of money, because of power, because of all the things we see that happen to whistle blowers and all of it makes sense. And yet it doesn't make sense at all

[00:09:06] It pains me to see so many people hurting and reeling from trauma after emotional abuse, psychological abuse, verbal abuse, spiritual abuse, labor abuse, financial abuse, abusive power that included bullying, intimidation, coercion, name calling, gaslighting, isolating, slandering, recording without our consent, making certain staff so miserable

All Quotes

[00:04:29] Here's me addressing some of these issues as a whistleblower as somebody who has walked through abuse and trauma recovery and wants to warn people about a wolf that is among us and all the smoke and mirrors surrounding the image management that would distract us from 1 of the main issues that should be addressed right now, which is the abuse and the abuse allegations and the cover up

[00:05:38] And so we warn so that others don't have to walk through this. So I offer this to you, and let me know what you think. It's been a hard 3 or 4 years, maybe more. There are systems we're challenging. There are systems we trusted that we no longer trust. There are skeletons behind closets that have shocked us all. And there are dark secrets behind curtains that some saw for many years and decades and generations and others have only recently

[00:07:02] I can no longer, as of a few years ago, be a part of a denomination that has chosen to cover up abuse

[00:08:16] And when there is good and bad mixed in, it can be so easy to just ignore the bad and focus on the good, and there's nothing wrong with seeing beauty, but at the same time if there is something poisoning our community of is a cancer that is killing us

[00:12:24] It is time to release the NDAs, and I call up on southern Baptist to urge Felipe Santos to release the NDAs to urge Andy Wood and work Warren to tell Felipe Santos that those NDAs must be released so that survivors can make their own choice as to whether or not they share their stories

[00:02:36] And as many of you know, my my journey of walking through abuse, trauma recovery over the past couple of years has been I've had to keep my world a little bit smaller

[00:15:20] Being a lead pastor of a mega church is hard. It requires listening. To women, especially when they bring challenge to one's blind spots, it requires a devotion to truth a heart of a caring shepherd, and a posture of helping staff do their jobs better

[00:09:06] It pains me to see so many people hurting and reeling from trauma after emotional abuse, psychological abuse, verbal abuse, spiritual abuse, labor abuse, financial abuse, abusive power that included bullying, intimidation, coercion, name calling, gaslighting, isolating, slandering, recording without our consent, making certain staff so miserable that

[00:09:35] Retaliation against employees who reported abuse by being fired and given NDAs tied to severance and medical insurance

[00:09:56] Some of you have had to do EMDR therapy to get rid of the trauma nightmares that you have had for years from 1 on 1 meetings that you had each with Andy Wood and Felipe Santos separately, and occasionally the 2 of those with just you in a room behind closed stores, where there was no 1, there was no 1 to be by your side and vouch for you, and there was no 1 to bear witness, and there was no 1 to have another narrative as you were being gaslit

[00:14:23] Whether or not the SBC lets Andywood or Saddleback, Church back into the SBC will show whether abuse really matters

[00:16:02] A mega church lead pastor's words have power to sway minds, distract from truth, and cover up abuse with a stage and a microphone, leaving survivors falsely accused, discredited. And their abuse covered up

[00:10:49] Others stayed here and lost the community when you were shunned for speaking out about what happened, or just because you left or were fired and a false narrative was created that you had quit

[00:00:53] I know many of you in this community identify as Southern Baptist currently. And some of you previously identified as Southern Baptist, or were a part of that denomination for many years

[00:07:30] Because of silent bystanders, because of money, because of power, because of all the things we see that happen to whistle blowers and all of it makes sense. And yet it doesn't make sense at all

[00:13:43] There's a struggle to be heard. There's in just repeated on a flywheel of abuse that lures and grooms and love bombs, not with candy or a white van, but with free mugs and free t shirts and lavish parties and young professionals that can find someone to date and a stage with big smiles and free concerts every Sunday

[00:03:00] I've intentionally brought around me as a village of healers with your different areas of expertise, being subject matter experts and just professionals in the way that has helped me heal through coaching and spiritual direction and therapist and just all the different parts of this village that has been such a blessing to me

[00:00:23] There are continuing to be mega church pastors and small church pastors who are being accused of abuse. And this is not new

[00:02:04] I've had a few of you reach out just to hear my perspective to, you know, want me to kinda week into it either on your podcast or or into articles

[00:04:52] It's not always what happened, it's how people respond and the cover up is some of the most painful parts of what many of you and the abuse survivor community have walked through myself included who not only had the board of my own church sort of circle the wagons and be Yes men and cover up everything with image management

Lori Adams-Brown's podcast provides valuable insights into the issue of women pastors and the controversy surrounding the Southern Baptist Convention. It is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the situation.

Quote: "I know many of you in this community identify as Southern Baptist currently. And some of you previously identified as Southern Baptist, or were a part of that denomination for many years. And others of you are just people of faith of many different faith backgrounds, whether it's a Christian background, or a Jewish background, Muslim, any of you who are in faith communities are also expressing concern about what has been going on here in the United States around the situation with the Southern Baptist convention."

Quote: "And so I've had a few of you reach out just to hear my perspective, to want me to kinda week into it either on your podcast or into articles. And so I'm just really busy right now with my job that I love and my family that I have been time with. And as many of you know, my journey of walking through abuse, trauma recovery over the past couple of years has been I've had to keep my world a little bit smaller. Just to heal."

Other EPS you may enjoy:

Kate Wallace Nunneley on Women Pastors & the Junia Project

Dr. Nijay Gupta- Uncovering Her Story: How Women Led, Taught and Ministered in the Early Church

Dr. Lynn Cohick, a New Testament Scholar on Women Leading in the Early Church

Dr. Beth Allison Barr on Women Leaders in Church History and Implications in the SBC

Dr. Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer on Exposing Abuse, Centering Whistleblowers and Cultivating Goodness in Church

Dr. Wade Mullen on Impression Management After Abuse Allegations and How to Decode the False Narratives to Hide Dark Secrets Behind the Curtain

For further research:

1. Narcissism and the Systems it Breeds video of Dr. Diane Langberg's presentation
2. When Narcissism Comes to Church by Dr. Chuck DeGroat
3. A Church Called TOV by Dr. Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
4. Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Dr. Diane Langberg
5. Talk Dr. Wade Mullen gave at the Restore conference in Chicago.
6. Something’s Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuse – and Freeing Yourself From Its Power by Dr. Wade Mullen
7. Dr. Wade Mullen's dissertation titled “Impression Management Strategies Used by Evangelical Organizations in the Wake of an Image-threatening Event.” You can get that dissertation for free here.

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