When I was 19, I read an account written by one of my best friends about a man who had sexually abused her as a child. She didn’t disclose his identity, but I immediately knew he was my father. When I was 7, she had asked me, “Can you tell your dad to stop touching […]

A note from Merin: I have been thinking and praying about posting my story for about three years now, but the Lord kept saying, "not yet." The Lord has finally opened the door, and my purpose in writing this is to express to all of you the journey of healing I have found through Christ. […]

My name is Sherin Thomas, I am 24 years old, and I grew up in one of the Indian Brethren assemblies in Chicago. I, too, like my sister in Christ above, was never a direct victim of sexual abuse, and have chosen to write this piece on behalf of the dozen more women and men […]

I was 18 years old when I learned of the sexual abuse that had occurred, and was continuing to occur, within the Christian community. Presently, I am 24 years old. I do not write as a direct victim of sexual abuse, but on behalf of the eight women in my family who have been raped […]

I am a 25-year-old female, currently a university student, and engaged to a wonderful man. Right now, we are currently looking for a church to attend.  My relationship with God is a day-to-day challenge. The world is very loud around me, so it is always a battle to find quiet time with the Lord and […]

I am a female, 30 years old, and married. Five months ago, I gave birth to my first child. Where I am in my life spiritually right now is very much affected by my postpartum status. My entire life was made up of priding myself for not being "weak." For not being the typical girl […]

I'm a male in my 20s and currently in grad school. I would like to say my relationship with God is solid, although definitely not as consistent as I would like it to be, particularly in a college environment where my beliefs are constantly questioned. It can be easy to give in to doubt, but […]

I'm a female college graduate who was raised in the assemblies. While I am currently walking with the Lord, and involved in discipleship and fellowship with the church, I cannot ignore the grave sin that is being committed and brushed aside in our assemblies. I am choosing to share my story because I want to […]

I am a 23-year-old female.  I was nine years old and in the third grade when I was violated, not by an adult, but by a peer who had presumably just learned about sex. This peer had been at my home one day, when she pulled me into the bathroom and started touching my genitalia. […]

I am a 32-year-old female, married, and working as a part-time nurse. Presently, my relationship with God is confusing. I don't know if that has to do with the abuse I endured, or because of family dynamics. But the Lord is constantly gracious to me and drawing me back to Himself. Currently, my ministry is […]

I am a female in my mid-20s, married, and working. I came to know the Lord personally in 2017 and am involved in children's ministry at church, as well as music ministry.  The Lord has definitely been carrying me through a BUSY season in my life, and I've been learning to accept His grace, even […]

I am a 38-year-old married male.  I was molested by my family's maidservant (she left after a year) when I was eight years old, for close to a year, and by my dad's cousin (he lived with us for 2½ years) when I was 10 years old, for two years. It was the worst period […]

I am a 37-year-old female and a married mother. I am a follower of Christ, and my heart belongs to Him, though the world does try to steal my affections at times. I participate in various activities in our church when needed, including singing on the worship team and serving in the nursery, children's church, […]

I am a female, currently 16 years old and in the 11th grade from the Brethren community. The reason I decided to share my story is because I feel like this is the perfect way to help others who have been in the same place as me. Those of us who have been there have […]

I am currently 26 years old, working full-time as a nurse, and getting ready to be married later on this year.  I feel like I am in a place in my life where I am comfortable sharing my story. I was never traumatized by it, and I was fortunate to not have experienced PTSD, but […]

I am a 23 year-old-female living in the Midwest. I was raised in the Brethren Christian circles. My relationship with God is the closest it has ever been. We have a friendship. I desire to spend time with Him every day in some shape or form. I am currently serving as a worship leader in […]

I am a 25-year-old female, currently married, and working. My relationship with God has been a roller coaster. Occasional doubts and fears hinder my walk with Christ once in a while, and right now, I am trying to balance my relationship with God with marriage, work, and other responsibilities. My husband and I are currently […]

I am a 23-year-old female and working full-time. My relationship with God has been consistently growing since graduating from college. I feel closer to God now than ever before. I no longer struggle in trying to gain God's approval, because I know He has already approved me and nothing I do or don't do will […]

I am a female, 34 years old, and married. I love God more than anything in this world, and have a ministry with the little girls of a poor community. I am sharing this so that the same mistakes my parents made will not be repeated. My parents often left me at my grandfather's house […]

I am a female, 18 years old, and currently a full-time freshman in college. The reason I am sharing my story is because I want to be able to help others. For a while, I was ashamed and hated this part about me, but God placed this in my life for a reason. He gave […]

I am a female in my mid-30s, happily married, and a mother of three. It is important for me to tell my story for a few reasons: To be the support for other women that Christ came to set free from the bondage of pain and fear. To be a voice against this grave sin […]

I am a female who is 30 years old and married. I was nine years old when my uncle sexually abused me. He lived with us in our home at the time. Because of this, he would tell me to come into his room, sit on his lap, and proceed to fondle my chest; I could feel him getting an erection. At nine years old, I didn't know what sex was, but I knew something was wrong about that interaction. Our conscience knows when something is right or wrong, even at that age. God has instilled that in us.