The issue of domestic abuse is not something the Christian community openly addresses. However, it is something that must be dealt with now since many Christian women, including the wives of pastors and ministers, are often abused in some way.
According to CBN News, abuse in the church is a "silent epidemic" that is not limited to physical violence. Women can be abused even verbally and emotionally at the hands of their husbands and partners.
What's worse is that victims feel like they cannot air out their concerns since they believe their church has failed to understand the prevalence of their abuse.
A study conducted by Sojourners called "I Believe You: Sexual Violence and the Church" found out that 65 percent of pastors have spoken only once or fewer times concerning domestic and sexual violence.
Only 22 percent say they address the issue annually, while 33 percent mention it "rarely." Ten percent of pastors say they have never brought the subject up.
Dr. Benjamin Keyes from Regent University's Center for Trauma Studies says Christian marriages actually have a greater frequency of domestic violence compared to non-Christian homes because Christian couples observe a traditional role structure where the woman is subservient to the man.
When the set-up is reversed, the man gets upset. "He will do anything, including physical violence to maintain that control within the family structure. And he'll do it with his spouse, he'll do it with the children, and that's why we have a continuing rise of domestic abuse cases in Christian homes," he says.
There are also several reasons why Christian wives do not like to air out their problems. "It brings on that shadow of shame and a lot of guilt and 'I'm not going to do anything to rock the boat so I'll keep the secret in the context of the family,'" Keyes says.
