The Pastor of Murder Victim, Stacy Peterson, Has a Message for Women & Churches

In this episode of Relationship Truth: Unfiltered, we have a special guest, Neil Schori, a pastor who has dedicated his life to helping victims of abuse find safety and healing in the church.

1. Pastor Neil Schori shares his personal experience counseling Stacy Peterson. Stacy missing shortly after telling Pastor Neil that her husband  had confessed to her that he killed his former wife, Kathleen Savio. 
   Stacy has never been found. Pastor Neil shares how that tragedy led him to a deeper understanding of the prevalence of abuse in the church.
2. Pastor Neil discusses the challenges of identifying and addressing abuse in the church. He talks about the importance of creating a safe space for victims to come forward and the need for pastors to be educated and equipped to deal with abuse.
3. Pastor Neil talks about the role of forgiveness in healing from abuse. He emphasizes that forgiveness does not mean forgetting or excusing the abuse, but rather releasing the offender to God and choosing to let go of the anger and bitterness that can hold us back from healing.
4. Pastor Neil discusses the importance of accountability in the church. He emphasizes the need for pastors and leaders to take responsibility for creating a culture of safety and for holding abusers accountable for their actions.
5. Pastor Neil talks about the need for churches to be proactive in preventing abuse. He emphasizes the importance of creating policies and procedures to prevent abuse from happening in the first place, as well as training pastors and leaders to recognize and respond to abuse.
6. Pastor Neil offers a message of hope and healing to victims of abuse. He reminds listeners that the abuse they experienced was not their fault and that there are people who will believe them and help them break free from the tragedy of abuse. He also shares about his work with the evidentiary affidavit of Abuse, a tool for victims to document their abuse and have their voices heard in court.

Resources

• To legally document an abusive situation, go to www.documenttheabuse.com 
  
  
• Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
  
  
• “Time’s Up” book by Susan Murphy Milano for practical tools to help women get safe
  
  
• Leslie Vernick’s Quick Start Guide: www.leslievernick.com/start 
  
  
• Overcoming the Narcissist, Sociopath, Psychopath, and Other Domestic Abusers: The Comprehensive Handbook to Recognize, Remove and Recover from Abuse by Charlene Quint
  
  
• The Life-Saving Divorce by Gretchen Baskerville
• Follow Neil on Twitter: @NeilSchori

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