Abuse of power began in the garden when Satan used his might to deceive Adam and Eve. Today’s headlines reveal the capacity to misuse authority is still all around us — even within the Church. Where power has been misdirected and misused, relationships and lives have been scarred.

In Today’s Conversation podcast, psychologist and trauma counselor Diane Langberg talks with NAE President Walter Kim about power and abuse among leadership.

They also discuss:

  • How to recognize abuse of power;
  • What leads to abusive behaviors and cultures;
  • The forms of abuse of power that takes place within the Church; and
  • What healthy authority looks like as a tool to bless others.

Read a Portion of the Transcript

Walter: When power is used in an unhealthy way, it can lead to abusive and controlling behaviors maybe even an entire culture, organizational culture. What are the patterns you’ve seen in how this unhealthy use of power develops?

Diane: At its foundation’s deception, which if you go back to the beginning, the enemy used his power to deceive Adam and Eve. That’s how he caught them. And so power is abused by humans, by way of deception first of myself though I have to steal this money because my family is hungry so I use my position or place somewhere where I have to say this or do this because something about me and something often in Christendom about God. If I don’t do this, then God’s church will be destroyed. So in order to protect this system, we have we have to cover up and lie about the fact that vulnerable children are being abused sexually in the church. There’s lots of deception involved of the self and then in others. We call things good that are evil in order to do that.

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Today’s Conversation is brought to you by Operation Christmas Child.

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