Facing Trauma in Church Communities

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Dr. Glen Berry has worked in NS as a clinical psychologist for 30 years.  He is now the Leach Associate Professor of Pastoral Psychology and the Director of the Taylor Centre for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care with Acadia Divinity College.

In Christ there is no male or female.  In the world, there definitely is.

Overall, the history of the world has been far from stellar for men in their treatment of women with respect to issues such as opportunity, submission, or violence.  Sometimes these aggressions occur at a personal level and at other times at a systemic level. The consequences have an impact on individual lives, generations and societies.  Many who endure such things will experience trauma.  Not all will experience a formal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but in any number of ways many will experience effects of trauma nonetheless.

There are many and varied ways trauma might affect an individual, but the typical pattern is something related to survival or defense:

·      The usual behavioural responses are escape and avoidance. This can quickly lead to social isolation and disengagement. 

·      Emotional responses typically include fear or anger, although there is room for feelings of shame and depression as well.

·      Spiritually, it is not uncommon for beliefs to be questioned, particularly about God’s love being limited or conditional, and one’s relationship with God can become more distant.

·      Trauma affects cognition with poor concentration and fragmented memory.  Overall, this compromises executive functioning and decision making.

·      Physically, the defensive posture usually leads to prolonged muscle tension, poor sleep and inefficient digestive systems often associated with lowered immune systems.

·      The longer or more frequent these experiences are, the more pronounced are the effects. There is a good deal of research that shows that even neurobiology changes, adapting to a new normal where such experiences are now anticipated.

Clearly, these effects impede the promise of a full life, as well as healthy and growing relationships with God and others. 

One might think that church communities are a haven from the hurt.  In fact, church communities may at times be the source of traumatic experiences, or they may perpetuate trauma that has occurred elsewhere.

Consider teachings, from the pulpit or in smaller studies, that relegate women to a servant role.  Sometimes the structure of authority in a church community does not allow for anything different.

The community may also operate with an inadequate response to abuse, including abusive marriages, further silencing and marginalizing those who have been harmed. Consider insisting that people forgive and forget, without encouraging people to to change or even name the harm that has been done.  Consider also the ‘spiritual shaming’ that can occur when individuals are blamed for not having enough faith when symptoms of trauma are persistent.

A church community may not be as welcoming as it intends to be when unhealthy power dynamics aren’t acknowledged and there is no effort made towards inclusivity or actual empowerment. These represent threats to safety, trust, and value.

Every church community is different. It takes honest reflection and deliberate action to avoid traumatic situations within the church and avoid the re-traumatization of those who have been affected elsewhere.  It’s important to recognize that safety may refer to physical safety, emotional safety, as well as social and spiritual safety.  

Here are a few questions that are worth addressing in any church community:

·      In what parts of a building or community gathering might a person be isolated?

·      What role does touch play in any part of care? 

·      Is there a sense that people in the community will look out for each other and protect each other when the need arises?

·      Are people ‘assigned’ roles or expected to fulfill them due to their gender?

·      Does the profession of unity and acceptance translate into relational reality? Is there consistency, genuineness, and support in the ways that community activities take place?

·      Beyond protecting those who have been harmed or marginalized, is there any intention of promoting their ideas and endeavours?

These conversations can be awkward and difficult, but they will be productive if they include an openness to listen and an honest collaboration to come up with ways forward.  Healthy conversations about gender and trauma may require education for leaders and communities alike.

In Christ there is no male or female.  In the world, there definitely is.  The church needs to decide to whom it owes its allegiance.