Welcome to ChurchTrauma.org
“Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them.” Ecclesiastes 4:1 English Standard Version (ESV)
Our Story: Dominique & Megan have been in a religious cult, a charismatic nondenominational church, and a Southern Baptist church that all exhibited signs of spiritual abuse. As survivors of spiritual abuse in diverse church settings, they have dedicated their lives to preventing spiritual abuse in institutional settings and serving others who have also been abused under the guise of Christianity.
Our Goal is to:
Listen: We hope to provide a safe place for victims of spiritual abuse to share their stories without judgement.
Identify: We want to identify spiritually abusive wolves within organized religion, to protect others from harm.
Educate: We want to help others identify the signs and symptoms of spiritual abuse through our written works and educational resources, and through speaking engagements.
Blog Posts
The End: Part Eighteen of My Life Inside the Narrowgate Cult at Messiah College
On Monday February 24, 1997, Pooky, Emma and her baby arrived at our apartment in downtown Mechanicsburg. Though they were worn out from the long drive, they requested a meeting with the rest of the group in Shippensburg at 9:00 PM. They wanted to share what they had experienced and learned since they left a …
Continue reading “The End: Part Eighteen of My Life Inside the Narrowgate Cult at Messiah College”
The Introspective Deliberation
Editor Note: I originally posted this on September 2, 2013 as I neared the ripe age of 40. I’ll let you do the math – I’m a little older now, and hopefully a little wiser. But these words still ring true. Seize the day – you may not be given another. “You may delay, but …
Dear Misogynist
“We’re the same,”You claim,“No privilege in this game”Humility is your middle name.Yet you holdThat God has different ”roles”For our souls—Yours to lead,Mine to follow.I swallowedYour hollowTheory for a bitTill I saw through your sh!tAnd called you on it.I quitThis charadeyou have madeFrom the words that you bentIn that holy testament.I’ll speak,I’ll lead,I’ll preach,And I’ll breach,All …
Rose’s Tale: Part Seventeen of My Life Inside the Narrowgate Cult at Messiah College
Editor Note: This is Rose’s story. This was compiled from several interviews, and shared with her permission. I attended my first Narrowgate meeting in the fall of 1994. I was a new Freshman at Messiah, and wasn’t adapting to college life the best. Two people had invited me to check out Narrowgate, and so I …
A Harsh Rebuke from Oakwood Baptist Church; an Even Harsher Counter-Rebuke
A rather momentous anniversary today. One year ago I (Megan) made this super-controversial post in order to warn a local congregation that a convicted child molester was preaching at their church: Within the day, Dom also sent a detailed email to the pastor there with all the pertinent documentation and provided contact info for the …
Continue reading “A Harsh Rebuke from Oakwood Baptist Church; an Even Harsher Counter-Rebuke”
Oliver’s Tale: Part Sixteen of My Life Inside the Narrowgate Cult at Messiah College
Editor Note: This is Oliver’s story. It includes his journal which was written in February of 1997, as well as his personal journey over the past 25 years. This was written in his own words and shared with his permission. My account of the surreal week in Feb 1997 when the Narrowgate cult disintegrated. It …
Hands
by Megan Benninger *CW: sexual abuse There is blood on your hands, hands that took what they wanted, Spread her legs, grabbed her breasts, broke her heart. Said you’re sorry, of course. Spent some time behind bars. She forgave you, yet she never heals. What right did you have to play with my kids, with …
Pooky’s Tale: Part Fifteen of My Life Inside the Narrowgate Cult at Messiah College
This is the first of several entries that are co-written by other Narrowgate members. The information was gathered through interviews and from original journals, notes, and letters written by Pooky at the time of Narrowgate. These first-hand accounts are fascinating to read, almost 25 years later. It is always refreshing to get another person’s perspective, …
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“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-16a
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