What Does a Safe Church Really Look Like? [324]

Flying Free

Natalie Hoffman

Emotional, Narcissism, Christianity, Abuse, Religion & Spirituality, Spiritual, Christian, Self-improvement, Education, Divorce, Marriage

5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Go to flyingfreeworkshop.com to register for our $1 workshop: Is It Abuse? (or am I just being too sensitive?)

On today’s episode, I’m talking with Dr. Andrew Bauman—licensed mental health counselor, author, and founder of the Christian Counseling Center for Sexual Health and Trauma. We’re digging into his powerful new book, Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities, and whew…this one’s going to name things you’ve felt for years but maybe never had words for.

This episode is a raw, no-fluff look at what’s really happening behind the stained-glass windows:

82% of women say sexism shaped their church experience—and 35% report sexual harassment. Let that sink in.
How twisted theology has been used to minimize abuse, silence women, and turn forgiveness into a weapon
Real, doable steps churches can take to stop being breeding grounds for harm and start becoming actually safe
Why men in leadership must do their own deep healing before they can lead anyone else
The holy importance of listening to your gut, your body, and your sacred knowing when something just feels off

If you've ever been told to “just forgive and move on,” felt erased in your own spiritual community, or wondered why abusers get protected while survivors get blamed—this conversation will wrap you in validation and truth.

Dr. Bauman speaks as someone who’s been on both sides of this story. And his message? You’re not crazy. You’re not alone. And the God you love is nothing like the systems that harmed you.

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

Read Dr. Bauman’s newest book, Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities.
Connect with Dr. Bauman on Facebook.
Check out Dr. Bauman’s blog.
Like what you heard today? Listen to Episode 41 and Episode 164 of the Flying Free Podcast with Dr. Andrew Bauman, and then head over to Episode 45 and Episode 279 to hear my interviews with his wife, Christy Bauman.

Guest Bio:

Founder and director of the Christian Counseling Center: For Sexual Health & Trauma. Dr. Bauman is a therapist & author of 7 books including his newest book, Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism & Abuse in Christian Communities.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Beautiful butterfly. I remember thinking this thought and tell me if you've ever thought it. Am I
0:08.1	living in a Twilight Zone episode or is this actually messed up? You know what I'm talking about.
0:15.2	That mental gymnastics routine where you flip between this is definitely not, and maybe I'm just being a drama queen.
0:24.8	Well, grab your emotional detective hat because on Wednesday, April 23rd at 7 o'clock p.m. Central Time,
0:32.0	I'm going to be hosting a live workshop called, Is it really abuse?
0:37.3	Or am I just being too sensitive? Let's be real,
0:41.2	Butterfly. If you're asking this question, there's probably a reason. And no, it's not because you've
0:47.4	suddenly developed an allergy to healthy relationships. In this one hour sanity restoring session, we're going to untangle the knot of the,
0:57.1	is it me? Confusion. You'll be able to trade in your, maybe I'm overreacting, T-shirt for some
1:03.7	actual clarity. And yes, we're going to look at what God actually says about all this. And I can
1:10.4	promise you it's not, just pray harder, honey.
1:13.9	If you're already part of the flying free kaleidoscope community, congratulations, you are
1:19.5	automatically registered, and you can attend the live workshop or watch the replay anytime in our
1:25.4	kaleidoscope. Be looking for the information about this in your
1:29.1	Monday Butterfly email. Are you not a member yet? No problem. For just one dollar, you heard that
1:37.6	correctly, one dollar, you can join live and access the replay for a full week. Because here's the truth. Your gut instinct
1:47.2	deserves better PR than the gaslighting it's been getting. So join me April 23rd at 7 o'clock
1:54.6	p.m. Central Time for what might just be the most validating hour of your month. You can register at flyingfreeworkshop.com.
2:04.3	Your future, clearer-headed self, is already thanking you. That's flyingfreeworkshop.com. Now, let's get into our episode.
2:36.1	Hi, this is Natalie Hoffman of Flying FreeNow.com, and you're listening to the Flying Free Podcast, a support resource for women of faith looking for hope and healing from hidden emotional
2:42.8	and spiritual abuse.
2:46.1	Welcome to episode 324 of the Flying Free Podcast.
	...

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