Trigger Warning - this video discusses abusive relationships.

This week on the Pastor’s Heart, we address the complex issue of domestic abuse within the relationships of ministry leaders. While all abuse is wrong, there are added complexities in ministry relationships. Often a ministry job is entwined with a ministry family's house, income stream, city and community. With that much at stake, wives can feel a pressure not to raise concerns. The dynamics of these relationships then get worse, leaving friends, family and congregation completely unaware and the victim even more isolated.

Jenni Woodhouse serves as pastoral care coordinator for the Church Missionary Society NSW & ACT, but previously was chaplain for the Sydney Anglican Church’s Professional Standards Unit. We will ask her how to spot relationships like this, how they come to exist within ministry families and strategies to assist impacted families.

Other resources

There are details of immediate crisis support here.

Jenni and Dominic talk further about difficult personalities here.

Jenni and Dominic talk further about domestic violence.

A sermon by Dominic addressing domestic violence.

The Sydney Anglican Church’s Domestic Violence Policy is downloadable here.