Minister Jacky Hughes

Kip, and Cheryl, as I read your comment it should be clear some do read this blog! I guess I keep an eye wherever because of my ministry but it takes a lot for many Christian women to admit they are being abused and love tends to cover a multitude of sins – even where abuse is concerned. I don’t read every blog every day and guess that is the same for most of us. I cannot remember if I said I was given a whole service to do around the theme of abuse by the Senior Pastor of my church and wish other Pastors would follow in this. At it my own daughter testified that she had been in an abusive relationship – thankfully it ended before the marriage and she is now married to a different and lovely man – apparently her church had told her to continue ‘because Jesus was abused.’ I am so glad that with the end of the relationship the church affiliation to that church also ended!

One thing that seems to be forgotten by many Christians is that Jesus promised us our lives would be abundant. That is the starting premis of my book ‘Not a Victim’ (See http://jesusheals.informe.com for details). If we are meant to have abundant life then abuse by a marital partner does not seem to be within God’s will for it.

Abuse of a marital partner means the ABUSER has broken the marriage covenant, and not the victim. By that score our support should always prioritise the victim. The safety of the victim and of the children should be the paramount concern in any abusive relationship. By definition, a victim is the one who needs saving and when we are drowning we do not need a manual on how to swim, but a lifebelt. By that stage, it is too late for education on how to deal with such a relationship in the early stages.

When we take our marriage vows we say ‘let no man put asunder.’ That does not preclude God intervening in an abusive relationship.

Minister Jacky Hughes