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| To onlookers, Dick had it all: Good looks, charisma, and a loving wife. But how could his parishioners know, or believe, that behind the parsonage door, their beloved pastor hid the ugly secret of deception? His emotional battering stripped his wife, Carol, of her self-worth, identity, and respect. His family suffered in silence while hiding ever-darkening spots on his clerical collar. Even Dick's employer refused to believe the pleadings of his wife. |
| This book opens up the closed doors of family violence in the Christian community, starting from the parsonage, to church leaders and to lay persons. It not only deals with the issues of Emotional, Physical and Verbal Abuse, but also with Spiritual Abuse. It shows that denial in the church organization and in the Christian home is still causing victims to "Suffer in Silence". This true story and follow-up chapters provide resource materials that can help men, women, pastors and church leaders become more educated about the dynamics of domestic violence, and learn how to prevent abuse from happening in their own home and church. |
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| The book was penned by deceased author Velva B. Holt. As a Pastor's wife, she was involved in Women's Ministries and was an accomplished pianist and music teacher. As an author, she had over 200 Christian articles and poems published. Additional chapters were written by a team of co-authors: Her daughter, Virginia Holt Coombs; her son-in law, Robert Coombs, MA; and Mable Dunbar, Ph.D. Say the co-authors, "As we see the explosion of domestic violence and sexual abuse in Christian organizations that is being brought to the forefront by the news media and TV talk shows, we see that this book is timely. The church has been silent and in denial concerning the abuse that pastors and Christian leaders heap upon their families behind 'sacred' closed doors, using Bible verses as an excuse to batter (emotionally and physically) their families into submission. The news media is starting to demand accountability and a higher standard from the church." As co-authors, the trio is passionate about educating and preventing abuse in the Christian society and bringing healing to these broken people. "We want to bring the church away from its depicted role as a 'club,' a 'cult,' and a 'sect,' and promote openness, accountability, and discipline for the abuser, and safety, love, and caring for the abused," the co-authors say. |
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| Mable C. Dunbar is President of Polly's Place Network. She is also the Women's Ministries Director and Family Life Educator for the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and directs their Counseling Center. She has a Ph.D. in Family Mediation, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, and a Certified Domestic Violence Counselor. She conducts seminars, workshops, training programs on domestic violence, abuse issues, relationships, and women's issues. She is the author of "The Truth About Us: How to discover the potential God has given you." Mable lives in Spokane, WA with her husband Dr. Colin A. Dunbar. They are the proud parents of Elrene, Elizabeth and Colin, II. | ||||
The Hope of Survivors Focus Ministries |
| Virginia Marie Holt, Coombs has been involved in church ministry and leadership for all of her adult life. She taught Music and Business Classes in a Christian school system and was active in Youth groups. She is a talented pianist and has led choirs and sung with the Maui Symphony Chorale. Virginia has worked the past 20 years along side of her husband in counseling ministries, mostly in dealing with individuals suffering from 'religious system' abuse. She resides in Northern California with her husband, Bob. Robert (Bob) E. Coombs taught fourteen years for a Christian educational system before changing careers. In 1986, he received an MA in Counseling Psychology. Bob worked as a Social Worker in California until 1995 when he moved to Maui, Hawaii with his wife, Virginia, and her mother, Velva. On Maui, Bob was a Social Worker for the State and a Family Counselor for a private agency. His field work has included counseling men's groups for Domestic Violence, adults molested as children, and PTSD. Bob now resides in Northern California with his wife where he is anything but retired. He is an Elder in his local church and continues to give counsel to those hurting from Christian abuse related problems. Read Bob's monthly Columns Written Especially For Men. |
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"WE SUFFERED IN SILENCE" SPECIAL: SIGNED COPY---$12.99 + $2.50 shp. = $15.49 Make checks payable to: VIRGINIA COOMBS 649 S. Butte St. Willows, CA 95988 PHONE: 530-934-5032 EMAIL: mountains_to_conquer@yahoo.com ------------------ Or, Pay Quickly and Easily with PayPal |