How should you respond when a survivor tells you their story?

What does a survivor need in that moment?

And how can we avoid common mistakes that compound the survivor's pain and trauma?

Welcome to the Roy's report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church.

I'm Julie Roy's. Well, no doubt,

abuse and responding to survivors has become a key issue in the church, but too often, pastors,

Christian leaders, and congregations respond in the worst way possible. They employ something called Darvode, denying the abuse, attacking the truth tellers, and reversing the victim and offender.

But in this insightful and pastoral talk at the Restore Conference, author and survivor advocate, Wade Mullen, explains a better way.

Put simply, survivors need people who will listen actively to their stories and respond with truth and sincerity.

It seems pretty easy and common sense, but as Wade expertly describes, there are often walls

of denial to overcome, especially if we're responsible or complicit with the abuse in some way.

Too often, people repeat the lies of the perpetrator, or they excuse the abuse or

minimize its impact. They justify, compare, deny, and do anything they can to avoid taking

ownership. But there is a better way. Using the simple acronym, SCORE, Wade outlines a godly

way to respond to survivors. We refuse to deny an attack, and instead

we surrender, we confess, we own, we recognize, and we empathize. The steps are incredibly

simple, but they're not easy. They require authentic repentance, something that can be excruciatingly

painful, yet for the survivor,

it is profoundly healing. I'm so excited to share Wade's message with you, but first,

I'd like to thank the sponsors of this podcast, Judson University, and Mark Orda Barrington.

Judson University is a top-ranked Christian university providing a caring community

and an excellent college experience. Plus, the school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership

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