Intimate Partner Violence in the Black Church

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) or Domestic Violence (DV) continues to be a perennial issue in the Black church and Christendom as a whole. Women in the church continue to experience violence at increased rates, but leadership has been delayed in providing a meaningful response to IPV as families experience the turmoil of abuse. Further, more and more children suffer from the trauma of family violence that perpetuates as males, who witness IPV, have a greater susceptibility of becoming abusers and females, who witness abuse, are put in risk of choosing abusers in relationships.

The church must now become the leading change agent in the struggle to reduce and end family violence by addressing the heart of the issue, the pulpit, namely male leaders in the church who abuse their wives and hide behind the scripture text. The church must expose the biblical truth regarding marriage and relationships and embed policy within the by-laws of the church that provide victims and survivors with opportunities for confidential reporting, resources when they are ready to leave, and on-going support for women who desire to transition from abuse to survivorship.