Our blog contains ACNAtoo statements and updates, community resources written by the ACNAtoo team, articles on abuse-related topics by outside experts, and more.
Organizational Impression Management in the Church
When churches face a crisis, they are presented with two choices in their public response. They may choose truth and transparency, even if it negatively impacts them, or they may opt for impression management tactics that portray a positive status or image.
Loving the abused with the love of Christ
I learned that a place where I had felt safe was in reality incredibly dangerous, particularly to abuse survivors willing to seek justice and care, and I lost all the connections and support systems there at a very vulnerable time in my life. I imagine that dying of cancer is never easy, but dying of cancer while retreading a mental health crisis related to abuse trauma is a one-two punch I dearly hope no one else in the UMD is currently experiencing. And yet, though I personally avoided becoming the target of any abuse while attending Church of the Resurrection, I could do nothing other than leave that support and community behind.
Leaving Well
In the stress, pain, confusion, and unspoken assumption that Christians don’t suffer abuse from churches, hurting Christians don’t often stop to ask themselves: Am I leaving well? That is, am I leaving in a state of wellness?
FAQs about the UMD Investigation and GRACE
We recently learned that there is some confusion around ACNAtoo’s position regarding the investigative firm GRACE and the upcoming investigation into the mishandling of sexual abuse allegations in the ACNA Diocese of the Upper Midwest. The following FAQs are designed to answer some of the questions we’ve received.
A Petition to the Province
Of the two firms chosen by the PRT, it is our opinion that neither one meets even the basic criteria for trauma-informed and survivor-centered investigations. Not only do these firms fail to meet minimum standards, but their own words stand in blatant disregard of survivors' carefully stated requests to the Upper Midwest Diocese and the Province to make the investigation safe for survivors to participate in.
Dear Jane: Why We Do What We Do
A number of weeks ago our team received a thoughtful, charitable, yet concerned email from an ACNA member who, while deeply committed to supporting victims of abuse in the church, expressed concern about the methods our team has utilized in our advocacy work. This piece is an adaptation of our response and we hope it can be helpful and illuminating to any who share the letter writer’s concerns.
Judy Dabler, Matthew 18, and the Silencing of Survivors in the Church
Recently, Christianity Today examined the allegations of silencing, manipulation and abuse perpetrated by Judy Dabler and a ministry using “Matthew 18” as a model for conciliation. Contributor John Perrine explores why Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 18 is so often taken out of context and what Jesus is really saying for victims who suffered abuse.
The connections between sexual abuse and spiritual abuse in the Upper Midwest Diocese
Recently ACNAtoo has sought to bring to light the stories of sexual abuse survivors under the care of the Upper Midwest Diocese (UMD). This article seeks to make important connections between sexual abuse and the recent decision to investigate canonical abuse of power (spiritual abuse) by the PRT.
Diocese of the Upper Midwest Survivor’s Guide
This resource has been created in collaboration with survivors and grassroots organizers from the Upper Midwest Diocese and broader ACNA. The goal of this guide is to provide education around and highlight clear pathways to participate in the current investigation the ACNA has launched regarding ‘Canonical Abuse of Power’ or spiritual abuse in the UMD. We hope you find it clear and helpful in discerning your next steps if applicable.
VIA Survivor’s Guide
This resource has been created in collaboration with survivors and grassroots organizers from VIA Apostolica, a missionary diocese domiciled within the ACNA Diocese of the Upper Midwest. The goal of this guide is to provide education around and highlight clear pathways to participate in the current investigation the ACNA has launched regarding VIA Apostolica and Bp. Todd Atkinson. We hope you find it clear and helpful in discerning your next steps if applicable.
Spiritual Abuse Syllabus
Spiritual abuse is a form of emotional and psychological abuse that is characterized by a systematic pattern of coercive and controlling behavior in a religious context. ACNAtoo has put together this guide designed to provide books, articles, podcasts, and other resources to help navigate the complexities of identifying, naming, and healing from spiritual abuse.
What is Spiritual Abuse?
You’ve probably been hearing the term “spiritual abuse,” but what does that term mean, and how do you identify whether it’s happened to you? Pastor John Perrine surveys recent literature to reflect on how to spot it and why it matters to ongoing investigations of abuse.
An open letter to Archbishop Foley Beach
We invite you to read this open letter from #ACNAtoo abuse survivors and advocates in response to Archbishop Foley’s July 10, 2021 letter to the Anglican Church in North America concerning the Diocese of the Upper Midwest.