Review: When the Church Harms God’s People

When the Church Harms God’s People

By Diane Langberg (Brazos Press)

“A body that does not follow its head is a very sick body.” Diane Langberg initially made that observation while watching her once-athletic father struggle with the effects of Parkinson’s. Later, as she counseled victims of sexual abuse within Christian circles, she applied that same principle to the body of Christ. When the church fails to follow Christ and cares more about preserving institutions than protecting vulnerable people, it is seriously ill.

In When the Church Harms God’s People, Langberg writes as one who loves the church enough to offer an honest diagnosis of its sickness in order to help restore its health. She draws upon more than 50 years of experience as an internationally recognized psychologist and trauma expert and as former chair of the board of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Langberg identifies how unhealthy churches unwittingly encourage and enable predators, including those in key positions as pastors and ministry leaders, to prey upon people when they are most vulnerable. She explores how domestic violence or abusive behavior—even in the homes of ministers—can be ignored or even excused in a culture of self-deception.

However, she doesn’t just diagnose illness in the body of Christ. She also prescribes actions: calling the church to genuine repentance, speaking a healing message to those who have been victimized, and urging ministers to heed the example of the Good Shepherd. While she offers no easy answers to complex problems of systemic abuse, she does provide guidance. If churches heed her counsel, they can become caring communities that reflect the heart and mind of Christ.

Ken Camp, managing editor

Baptist Standard