About My Review of After Church Hurt
This article was first shared in my free Substack.
SOLA Network published my review of After Church Hurt by Tim St. John, and I wanted to give you some insight into this particular book review.
This was one of the hardest reviews for me to write. The book was well written and easy to understand, but I really wrestled with the subject matter—especially when it came to dealing with past hurts.
By the mercy of God, I have not experienced church hurt in the way Tim defines it: unrepentant sin that is minimized, normalized, or promoted by a church culture and its leadership. However, I have experienced being sinned against by pastors, as well as a lack of shepherding leadership, and this is where Tim’s book was especially helpful.
I didn’t quite know how to process some of the hurt I had experienced because I tended to minimize it in comparison to what others had gone through. In doing so, I failed to acknowledge those wounds and the consequences they carried.
This book helped me not to bury what had happened, but to be willing to talk about it, to extend forgiveness more freely, and to find strength in Christ. I’m also better ready to move on, being okay when relationships don’t go back to the way they were before.
While this has been my experience, I know many people who have endured the kind of church hurt Tim describes. I’ve heard their stories, and I’m grateful to recommend this book as a resource that may help them.
With all that said, I still love Christ and his bride—and that is entirely by God’s grace.
Full disclosure: I received a media copy of After Church Hurt (Amazon, 35% off Westminster Bookstore and use code DIVEINDIGDEEP to save an extra 5% off your entire order always). My book review was edited by the team at SOLA Network. Tim St. John is a member of the SOLA Editorial Board. Jee St. John is on our SOLA Staff as Content Editor.