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AfterTheChurchPractical support after religious harm

Educational resources

Understand more, at your own pace.

Evidence-informed articles using peer-reviewed research, statistics and primary guidance. Start with a brief overview and continue into more detail when you feel ready.

A person reading quietly.

A painted church standing near the edge of a cliff beneath a bright sky.

01Leadership, power and church culture · 18 min · moderate intensity

Toxicity in Clergy Leadership: An Emerging Phenomenon of Leaders’ Personal Power in the Pentecostal Charismatic Church

A peer-reviewed study by Lim Siew Pik examining how personal power, financial control, intimidation, blocked feedback and the use of Scripture can become harmful in Asian Pentecostal Charismatic churches.

By Lim Siew Pik · Peer-reviewed journal article

Black-and-white photograph of a seated student being surrounded and pointed at by other students in a school corridor.

02Bullying, power and church culture · 17 min · moderate intensity

Bullies and sissies

A research-informed guide to bullying, humiliation, status, group behaviour and the language used to make vulnerable people seem deserving of mistreatment ... with particular attention to churches and other hierarchical communities.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis

A person reading quietly, representing evidence-informed learning about sexual health, safeguarding and church education.

03Sexual health, safeguarding and church culture · 16 min · moderate intensity

Sex Education in Church … from silence and shame to knowledge, safety and responsibility

A comprehensive, evidence-informed guide for church leaders on sexual health education, consent, safeguarding, parent communication and faith-based values without replacing accurate information with fear or shame.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis

Black-and-white portrait of a smiling woman with pink script text reading xoxo gossip girl.

04Leadership, communication and church culture · 15 min · moderate intensity

When Church Gossip Becomes Harmful … a research guide for church leaders

A humane, evidence-informed guide to why gossip spreads, how it can damage trust and belonging, and what church leaders can do to build healthier communication without silencing legitimate concerns.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis

Rainbow-coloured fabric with the words: The church should be a refuge, not a source of trauma. AfterTheChurch.

05LGBTQ+ people and religious harm · 16 min · moderate intensity

When church becomes a source of harm for LGBTQ+ people

An evidence-based review of how rejection, identity conflict, coercive teachings and exclusion in religious settings can affect LGBTQ+ mental health … and what safer, affirming faith communities can do differently.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis

Illustrated harm-reduction graphic about reporting, support, consequences and community safety.

06Reporting and safeguarding · 16 min · moderate intensity

How to prepare to report harm in a church in the UK

A research-informed UK guide to documenting harm, protecting yourself, understanding disclosure barriers and preparing a clear report to the right authority — especially if you are still attending the church.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis

An illustration representing coercive control by religious authority.

07Understanding what happened · 16 min · moderate intensity

Recognising coercive control in religious settings

An evidence-based guide to how sacred authority, fear, isolation and dependence can narrow a person's practical freedom, and how to distinguish strict belief from coercive behaviour.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis

A public faith-healing service where a minister prays for a participant.

08Health and safety · 19 min · high intensity

Faith-healing claims and medical decisions

A research-based guide to separating spiritual or ritual healing from evidence of medical cure, understanding why real relief can occur, and protecting treatment when a healing claim has been made.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis

Money being exchanged during a discussion about religious giving.

09Money and independence · 15 min · moderate intensity

When giving stops feeling voluntary

An evidence-based guide to social pressure, public recognition, suggested amounts and sacred authority in fundraising — and how to protect financial consent without attacking generosity itself.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis

Friends standing with their arms around one another at sunset.

10Helping someone else · 16 min · moderate intensity

Supporting someone who is still involved

A research-informed guide to preserving trust, reducing isolation and widening practical choices when someone you care about remains in a high-control religious environment.

By Ian Shammah · Peer-reviewed evidence synthesis