An apology to victims of domestic violence in the church

by Graham Joseph Hill | Dec 15, 2023 | Church & Ministry, Women in Ministry | 0 comments

An apology to victims of domestic violence in the church

Dec 15, 2023Church & Ministry, Women in Ministry0 comments

I’m sorry for the way many Christian men have treated women in the name of faith.

I’m sorry for the way these men have twisted Scripture and faith, and used these as justification to hurt and control women and families.

I’m sorry that many Christian leaders haven’t confronted these behaviors and the beliefs that are at the root of this violence.

I’m sorry that many of us have turned a blind eye to domestic violence in our midst, or sought to excuse such violence (and our own responsibility for this suffering) when someone shines a light on it.

I’m sorry that many of us have tried to explain away our actions, and been defensive, and made excuses.

I’m sorry and sad that we Christian leaders have sometimes behaved in ways that have made your suffering and shame worse.

I’m sorry for the way we’ve often failed to listened to your experiences, as women.

I know that apologies are only as good as the actions that follow.

I will do everything I can to listen to women and children and their experiences, and to uphold their safety, rights, and value, and to challenge the church and other men to do the same.

6 ways to empower and release more female leaders

#MeToo – Stop asking women & girls to fix the problem! Men, #MeToo is on us

9 ways to amplify the voices & honor the gifts of women

Churches and their leaders must confront domestic violence

Women are the heartbeat of living faith

It’s Time to Stop Organizing All White Male Panels and Conferences

7 inspiring women: A 7-part series on inspiring female Christian leaders and thinkers

Graham Joseph Hill

Graham Joseph Hill (PhD, Flinders University) is Director of Research at Stirling Theological College (University of Divinity) in Melbourne, Australia. He has planted and pastored churches, and been in theological education for twenty years. Graham is the author or editor of 6 books including Global Church (IVP, 2016), Healing Our Broken Humanity, (IVP, 2018, with Grace Ji-Sun Kim), and Salt, Light and a City (Cascade, 2017). He also directs The Global Church Project.

Want to be mentored?

Want to be mentored into a slower, deeper, and fuller discipleship, ministry, and life?

Yes please!

Books

Don’t forget to buy Graham Joseph Hill’s books:

Healing Our Broken Humanity
Global Church
Salt, Light, and a City (second edition)

Healing Our Broken Humanity book

GlobalChurch book

Salt Light City book

0 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Graham Joseph Hill

Rev. Assoc. Professor Graham Joseph Hill OAM PhD serves as Mission Catalyst for Church Planting and Missional Renewal with the Uniting Church in NSW and ACT, Australia. Previously, he was the Principal of Stirling Theological College (Melbourne) and the Vice-Principal and Provost of Morling Theological College (Sydney). Graham is Adjunct Research Fellow and Associate Professor at Charles Sturt University, and research associate at the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in the USA. Graham received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2024 for “service to theological education in Australia.” He has planted and pastored churches and been in ministry since 1988. Graham is the author or editor of 18 books. Graham writes at grahamjosephhill.com

Graham's qualifications include: OAM, Honours Diploma of Ministry (SCD), Bachelor of Theology (SCD), Master of Theology (Notre Dame), and Doctor of Philosophy (Flinders).

See ORCID publication record: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6532-8248