Faith in Action: Pastors and Faith Leaders Role in Addressing Domestic Violence

Tuesday, October 1
with presenter Tara Aday

MMBB Cares: Helping Clergy Address Their Mental Health and Vocational Wellbeing

Tuesday, October 15, 7:00 pm ET
with presenter Earl Thorpe

A Biblical Response to Domestic Abuse

Tuesday, October 22, 7:00 pm ET
with presenter Charlene Quint

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time dedicated to bringing awareness to this devastating issue impacting all of our communities– an issue 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will unfortunately experience at some point during their lifetimes. And yet, churches, pastors and faith leaders are uniquely equipped to be both a place of refuge and hope, when they take the steps to build their knowledge and skills to provide effective support. Join Safe Haven Ministries, one of the only faith-based domestic violence organizations in the country, to learn more about domestic violence, its prevalence and steps you can take to better support individuals and families impacted by this type of abuse.

Tara Aday is guided by 15 years of experience across a wide array of roles in the domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual violence fields. Tara is a relational leader that believes in the collective power of community to solve complex issues and drive change. She currently serves as the Senior Director of Programs at Safe Haven Ministries. Tara is passionate about systems-level and community-driven change focused on empowering people and organizations to enhance supports for victim/survivors and work towards safer communities, and has worked with over 100 faith communities to enhance their ability to prevent violence and effectively support individuals and families that have experienced abuse.

MMBB Cares is designed for clergy and their families to receive the critical mental health and wellness resources they need to effectively minister to their religious communities. It was borne out of the realization that mental illness is one of the most severe difficulties the pandemic has exacerbated for pastoral leaders. We know that ministry is stressful, and those who need support the most often are the most reluctant to ask for help. MMBB Cares provides clergy who need guidance and support with options to receive mental health counseling or vocational coaching services.

The Rev. Earl Thorpe, Ph.D., serves as the Financial Wellness Director at MMBB, leading several Ministry Services initiatives, including MMBB Cares, Clergy Compensation Advocacy, and the Lay Leadership Continuing Education Program. Before joining MMBB, Earl spent nearly 20 years on Wall Street, where he provided equity sales, research coverage, market-making, and execution trading to top Hedge, Mutual, and Pension Funds. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Faith-Based Non-Profit Leadership, Administration, and Supervision at Fordham University, a Master of Divinity Degree in Biblical Studies with a New Testament Concentration from Union Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Politics and Japanese from New York University. He is the pastor of the Church-in-the-Garden, First Baptist, a multicultural American Baptist Church located in Garden City, NY.

God calls our churches to be safe places of healing for hurting people.  As followers of Jesus, we are called to be healers, a voice for those who have no voice, and defenders of those who have been wounded or mistreated.

However, we cannot fulfill those mandates unless we understand the dynamics and signs of domestic abuse and are equipped to be a healing presence in the lives of those affected by it. To help us be better equipped in this area, Attorney Charlene Quint will lead us in a webinar on how we can be a ministering presence in the lives of people who have suffered domestic abuse.

Quint states that domestic abuse is the most silenced, misunderstood epidemic of our time, and that each one of us knows someone who has been or is currently suffering abuse. Thirty-five percent of women will experience rape, stalking, or severe physical abuse in their lifetime, and forty-eight percent of women will experience coercive control or emotional and verbal abuse, according to the Center for Disease Control. Unfortunately, the statistics for Christians are similar to those of unbelievers.  A 2018 Lifeway survey of Protestant pastors reveals that pastors often have good intentions, but are unsure of what to do in cases of domestic abuse.

Charlene Quint is a family law attorney in the Chicago area who focuses her practice on helping women overcome domestic abuse. Quint wrote the multi award-winning book Overcoming the Narcissist, Sociopath, Psychopath, and Other Domestic Abusers to help victims of domestic abuse become the fearless victors that God designed them to be and to give churches practical guidelines in helping abuse victims. She is the founder of AbuseCare.org, a nondenominational faith-based organization designed to provide hope and healing to women on their journey from victim to victorious and to educate and equip churches in caring for victims of domestic abuse.  Ms. Quint currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Northern Seminary and on the Board of Elders at Gurnee Community Church.  She has previously served on the Board of Regents of Trinity International University and on the Board of Directors at the Au Sable Institute. She is a TEDx speaker and the recipient of the Augustana College Humanitarian Award for her work with victims of domestic abuse