Church not immune from family violence

Posted: 11/17/06

Church not immune from family violence

By Mike Midkiff

East Texas Baptist University

DALLAS—Domestic violence is the “elephant in the room that nobody wants to see,” Joanna Berry, director of counseling and family ministry at South Texas Children’s Home told a Texas Baptist workshop.

“I am positive that in my church, there are victims of family violence sitting in the pews on Sunday morning,” Berry said during a Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting workshop.

“Family violence occurs across all religions, races, cultures and socio-economic levels.”

Berry, who deals with victims of family violence frequently, encourages churches to discuss and develop a crisis intervention plan for domestic violence.

“The church is uniquely positioned to make a difference. The church can speak to the spiritual applications, because the church has resources and the trust and respect of victims who will come seeking help,” she said.

Many women stay in a marriage because they have been taught “God hates divorce” and have said vows, “for better or worse.”

“I encourage preachers to preach on the second part of Malachi 2:16,” Berry said. “The second part of the verse states, ‘I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment, says the Lord Almighty.’”

Suggestions Berry, a li-censed counselor, offered were:

• Train church staff members and leaders to help the abused.

• Provide literature on do-mestic abuse and available resources.

• Place information about family violence in the women’s restroom or a women’s Bible study classroom.

• Offer pre-marital counseling in which abuse is defined and condemned.

• Protect the children. “If children are involved, it is imperative for the mother to leave the abusive situation,” she said. “I see in counseling the damage that is done when the child becomes an adult.”