“What did you say?” were the thoughts running through my head as I was interviewing a former prostituted woman. Ally-Marie had grown up in New Zealand and as a little girl, she attended a church where men in that church sexually abused her and the leaders covered it up.

“The church groomed me for the sex trade,” were her comments during our interview. I asked her to explain that comment. She went on to say that because of the abuse she had received she believed her purpose was to give men what they wanted. Being abused in a church where it was swept under the carpet, made her think there was something wrong with her, that this was the reason she was alive, so men could use and abuse her. No one fought for her or stood up to her abusers, it was like it was normal behaviour and she began to believe that.

So when she found herself at the age of 19, a single mum and ostracised from her church, the easy door to walk through was a brothel. “I may as well get paid to be abused,” was her thinking, “after all, wasn’t that why I was born?”

Ally’s words rocked me. How many other churches are grooming young woman to sell their bodies??? How many other churches are covering up the evil of abuse?. Why aren’t the majority of churches teaching and preaching on these issues, but carrying on and pretending that abuse does not exist when in fact it’s alive and well right under their very noses? Why are many of our churches not addressing porn when so many of their men & women are secretly struggling with an addiction they can’t get free from, an addiction that fuels an industry of abuse? An industry that is the gateway to hell.

Jesus forgive us that we are silent about these important issues. Forgive us that instead of confronting evil we cover it up. May we disrupt a culture of silence, shame & religion. May our churches be places that expose evil and heal the broken.

While there are some churches that are doing great work to address abuse, many are not. May this change so our churches become healing communities that also bring healing to our cities.