When the church injures, God's Word offers healing

Contact: Audra Jennings, The B&B Media Group, 800-927-0517 ext. 104, ajennings@tbbmedia.com

DALLAS, November 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- Depending on whose statistics you believe, anywhere from 15% to 40% of Christian believers today have felt betrayed or wounded by the church at some point. Many of them are spiritually incapacitated and just sitting on the sidelines. What if we found a way to bring them healing and to reinvest them in kingdom work?

In their new book, Trusting God's People…Again (VMI Publishers, November 2007), authors Blake Coffee and Debbie Taylor Williams offer hope and biblical direction for those who have been wounded at the hands of God's own people. The book acknowledges a fact that is often forgotten, namely that "the church" is made up of flawed people who still sin. When that many sinners gather in one place, someone is bound to get hurt.

"When we talk of those who have stopped trusting the church, we tend to think of people who have been molested by a member of the clergy or have been disillusioned by the public moral downfall of a high-profile minister," Coffee states. "The reality is that those people represent a very small percentage of the people who feel betrayed by the church. The vast majority are those whose feelings were hurt because of an administrative conflict or who were treated unkindly or otherwise wronged by some individual(s) in the church. These folks are experiencing some very real pain—and many of them would rather not take the risk of coming to church again."

"Part of the story of Trusting God's People…Again is focusing on the true enemy," Williams stresses. "Divisiveness is one of Satan's favorite strategies, and Christians are a prime target today, especially Christian leaders. I hope readers will be encouraged to seek the Lord of the church and to understand that the church is made up of saved sinners who are in the process of being sanctified."

For those who are spiritually incapacitated by the wounds they've suffered at church, the authors offer these words of encouragement: "You are not alone. You are not the first person to be injured by God's people and you will not be the last, but God's Word really does show you a pathway toward healing. He loves you and wants you to experience that love even in the midst of your pain."