Abuse of power began in the garden when Satan used his might to deceive Adam and Eve. Today’s headlines reveal the capacity to misuse authority is still all around us — even within the Church. Where power has been misdirected and misused, relationships and lives have been scarred.
In Today’s Conversation podcast, psychologist and trauma counselor Diane Langberg talks with NAE President Walter Kim about power and abuse among leadership.
They also discuss:
How to recognize abuse of power;
What leads to abusive behaviors and cultures;
The forms of abuse of power that takes place within the Church; and
What healthy authority looks like as a tool to bless others.
Read a Portion of the Transcript
Walter: When power is used in an unhealthy way, it can lead to abusive and controlling behaviors maybe even an entire culture, organizational culture. What are the patterns you’ve seen in how this unhealthy use of power develops?
Diane: At its foundation’s deception, which if you go back to the beginning, the enemy used his power to deceive Adam and Eve. That’s how he caught them. And so power is abused by humans, by way of deception first of myself though I have to steal this money because my family is hungry so I use my position or place somewhere where I have to say this or do this because something about me and something often in Christendom about God. If I don’t do this, then God’s church will be destroyed. So in order to protect this system, we have we have to cover up and lie about the fact that vulnerable children are being abused sexually in the church. There’s lots of deception involved of the self and then in others. We call things good that are evil in order to do that.
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Today’s Conversation is brought to you by Operation Christmas Child.
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Diane Langberg, Ph.D., is a practicing psychologist working with trauma survivors, caregivers and clergy around the world. She directs a counseling practice in Pennsylvania, Diane Langberg, Ph.D. & Associates, which includes 15 therapists with multiple specialties. Langberg has authored several books including “Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church.” She is co-leader of the Global Trauma Recovery Institute housed at Biblical Theological Seminary, board member of G.R.A.C.E. (Godly Response to Abuse in a Christian Environment), and co-chair for American Bible Society’s Trauma Advisory Council.
Walter Kim became the president of the National Association of Evangelicals in January 2020. He previously served as a pastor at Boston’s historic Park Street Church and at churches in Vancouver, Canada and Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as a campus chaplain at Yale University. He preaches, writes and engages in collaborative leadership to connect the Bible to the intellectual and cultural issues of the day. He regularly teaches in conferences and classrooms; addresses faith concerns with elected officials and public institutions; and provides theological and cultural commentary to leading news outlets. He serves on the boards of Christianity Today and World Relief and consults with a wide range of organizations. Kim received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, his M.Div. from Regent College in Vancouver, and his B.A. from Northwestern University.