Victims fear many outcomes: retaliation from the abusive pastor, the ruining of their reputation, the loss of their job and livelihood, the alienation of their friends and their church. Some also fear making mistakes in the complicated judicial process that often surrounds abuse cases. For example, they might wonder, “Who am I allowed to talk to? What steps should I take? What if I trust someone who then turns against me?” And many fear the future: “Will I ever recover from the pain? Will my life ever be the same?”
