Restore: Dr. Wade Mullen on Something's Not Right, Spiritual Abuse, Impression Management, and Decoding Language to Free Survivors From Dark Secrets Backstage Behind the Church Curtain

Published: Nov. 2, 2022, 8 a.m.

Become a patron of this podcast, and enjoy free merch. Join other patrons of this podcast at Patreon. \n**********\nDr. Wade Mullen is the author of\xa0Something\u2019s Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuse \u2013 and Freeing Yourself From Its Power.\nDr. Mullen is a world renowned expert on abuse in the church. He served ten years in pastoral ministry and then five years as a seminary M.Div. program director and assistant professor before transitioning to full-time research and writing, consulting, speaking, and advocacy. Wade earned a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies and completed a dissertation titled \u201cImpression Management Strategies Used by Evangelical Organizations in the Wake of an Image-threatening Event.\u201d You can get that dissertation for free\xa0here.\n\nHe founded Pellucid Consulting in the Fall of 2021 to provide consulting and independent assessment services for institutions.\n\nHe started a Substack Newsletter called\xa0Pellucid\xa0in the Fall of 2021 where I write about the ways in which deception is used to abuse and cover up abuse and how leaders and institutions can act with integrity and speak truthfully. The content is free, but there are also paid options for those who want to support my work.\n\nHe speaks on occasion at events related to the subject of abuse and institutional response and participates as a guest on podcasts. You can listen to the podcasts\xa0here.\n\nHe continues to engage in research efforts to better understand abuse within Christian cultures and institutions. I\u2019m currently working on preparing a manuscript for a second book.\n\nHe has also been serving when needed as an institutional response specialist with\xa0GRACE\xa0since 2020, assisting them primarily with institutional assessments.\n\nWade's work in the local church first introduced him to the needs of abuse victims and the potential for institutional betrayal and trauma when those who are supposed to protect the victim(s) choose to protect the abuser(s). He also learned the challenge of advocating from within and how to confront the system when necessary.\xa0\nHis personal story is told in a profile piece by Sojourner\u2019s Magazine and in a talk he gave at the Restore conference in Chicago.\nResources Dr. Mullen mentioned:\n\n\nMeeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership by Craig E. Johnson\n\n\nBlind to Betrayal: Why We Fool Ourselves We Aren't Being Fooled by Jennifer Freyd\n\n\nNarcissm and the Systems it Breeds video of Dr. Diane Langberg's presentation\n\n\nWhen Narcissism Comes to Church by Dr. Chuck DeGroat\n\n\nA Church Called TOV by Dr. Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer\n\n\nRedeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Dr. Diane Langberg\n\n\nSuffering and the Heart of God by Dr. Diane Langberg\n\n\nStalking the Soul: Emotional Abuse and the Erosion of Identity by Marie-France Hirigoyen\n\n\nThe Verbally Abusive Relationship by Patricia Evans\n\n\nIs Nothing Sacred? The Story of a Pastor, the Women He Sexually Abused and the Church He Nearly Destroyed by Marie M. Fortune\n\n\nWhispering Truth to Power: Everyday Resistance to Reconciliation in Postgenocide Rwanda by Susan Thomson\n\n\ufeffThe A World of Difference Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Missio Alliance.\nJoin us to discuss this episode, previous episodes or for other thoughtful conversations at our Facebook group. We'd love to have you stop by and share your perspective. \nStay In Touch: Connect on Facebook and Instagram with thoughts, questions, and feedback. Rate, review and share this podcast with anyone that would love to listen. \xa0 Find Us Online: @aworldof.difference on Instagram and A World of Difference on Facebook, on Twitter at @loriadbr & on Clubhouse @loriadbr.https://linktr.ee/aworldofdifference or loriadamsbrown.comInterested in one-on-one or group coaching on how to live a life that makes a difference? Check out: https://www.loriadamsbrown.com/coaching\nBecome a patron of this podcast, and enjoy free merch. Join other patrons of this podcast at Patreon. \nMentioned in this episode:\nDo you want to go deeper?\nJoin us in Difference Makers, a community where we watch and discuss exclusive content that truly makes a difference. Give us $5 a month (the price of a latte), and join in on the conversation with our host Lori and others who want to make a difference. We'd love to have you join us!\nPatreon\nJoin Difference Makers\nJoin us in our membership community for exclusive content for only $5/month at https://www.patreon.com/aworldofdifference. We go deeper with each guest, and it makes such a difference.\nPatreon\nThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices