ICSA Annual Conference: Fine with Jesus, Frustrated with Church

ICSA Annual Conference: Fine with Jesus, Frustrated with Church

Ken Garrett

Saturday, June 25, 2022

11:00 AM-11:50 AM 

"Fine with Jesus, Frustrated with Church" will explore the experiences of people who have suffered spiritual abuse in Christian churches, and are negotiating the challenges and difficulties of finding new churches to worship in. While it is relatively easy to find a church that is not abusive, it is rare to find one whose leaders and congregation understand and are sensitive to the needs of the spiritual abuse survivor. Dr. Garrett will discuss the various social, theological/biblical, and spiritual challenges faced by the survivor who retains his/her Christian beliefs, and yet finds it hard to even consider attending a church again. He will discuss some strategies of healing post-abuse, deciding whether or not to attend church again, and what some key markers are to look for in a healthy, accepting church for the survivor of spiritual abuse in the Christian setting.

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Ken Garrett

Rev. Kenneth Garrett, MDiv., DMin, is senior pastor of Grace Church, located in his hometown of Portland, Oregon. For 12-years Ken and his wife Sharon belonged to a high-demand, abusive church whose members lived communally, practicing an overbearing, extreme form of the Christian faith. Ken and Sharon made a painful exit from the church in 1996 with their three daughters. They now enjoy many opportunities to counsel and care for survivors of abusive churches from the Portland-metro area and have established the Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education (SAFE), a monthly gathering to promote friendship and education for survivors of spiritual abuse. Ken's book, In the House of Friends: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in the Christian Church, (Wipf and Stock Press, 2020), addresses spiritual abuse in Christian churches.