Our survivor stories and statements are firsthand accounts written by survivors of abuse in ACNA contexts.
If you are interested in telling your story of abuse and/or failed response to that abuse by ACNA leadership, you can contact us confidentially here.
Amy’s Story
The lessons of obedience to my husband as to God, combined with the insistence that God (through others) knew me better than I knew myself led directly to my accepting emotional abuse as godly submission to authority. My religious indoctrination groomed me to be an unwitting, but willing victim.
Steve’s Story, Part 2
Steve was a Wheaton College student when he started attending Church of the Resurrection in 2006. He alleges spiritually abusive behavior and pastoral malpractice by Resurrection leaders, including being targeted for excommunication despite adhering to church requirements that, as a gay person, he remain celibate.
Steve’s Story, Part 1
Steve was a Wheaton College student when he started attending Church of the Resurrection in 2006. He alleges spiritually abusive behavior and pastoral malpractice by Resurrection leaders, including being targeted for excommunication despite adhering to church requirements that, as a gay person, he remain celibate.
Ursa’s Story
“Ursa” alleges that Christopher Lapeyre abused his power as a teacher and mentor to groom her while she was a minor and enter a manipulative sexual relationship with her when she was a very young adult.
River’s Story
“River” was a Wheaton College student when she met Mark Rivera at Church of the Resurrection. Read her story of how Mark’s grooming in plain view of Rez leaders set her up for sexual abuse at the hands of a female Wheaton professor and others.
Amber’s Story
“Amber,” a survivor, has come forward to share her story of a childhood sexually abuse encounter with an older boy at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, IL. This trauma was further compounded by a youth group culture that emphasized female guilt and unsafe environments, and further exacerbated by the church’s identification of sexual abuse as consensual sexual sin.
Carol’s Story Part 2: An Open Letter from Carol’s Parents to Church of the Resurrection
On September 16, 2021, we published the story of a survivor under the pseudonym Carol. “Carol’s” parents also want to speak out and ask Church of the Resurrection how they plan to address Carol’s allegations. Here is the letter Carol’s parents asked us to post, with Carol’s permission.
Carol’s Story
The following account may be triggering for some readers. “Carol,” a survivor, has come forward to share her story of childhood sexual abuse at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, IL. She additionally alleges mishandling of her abuse by leaders at Resurrection, nearly two decades ago.
Lily’s Story
“Lilly,” a survivor of abuse by Mark Rivera at Christ Our Light Anglican Church in the ACNA Diocese of the Upper Midwest shares her story.
Part 4: Reporting abuse, a mother sees another side of church leadership
A 9 year old survivor’s mother speaks about how leaders at Christ Our Light Anglican (COLA) responded when she shared her nine-year-old daughter’s allegations that COLA Catechist Mark Rivera had sexually abused her.
Part 3: Child Survivor’s Mother Speaks
A 9 year old survivor’s mother speaks out with detail of how their abuse was mishandled by both Bishop Stewart Ruch and the Midwest Diocese Chancellor/lawyer. Bear with us as we are working to transcribe all screenshots in this post.
Part 2: Evidence of Misconduct
Abuse survivor and advocate Joanna Laurel provides extensive documented evidence of her case being mishandled by the Upper Midwest Diocese.
Part 1: Joanna’s Story
Abuse survivor and advocate Joanna Laurel shares her story of sexual abuse and subsequent mishandling by the Upper Midwest Diocese of the ACNA