life in the world

an open letter to the ICOC

hi. big trigger warning for talking about sexual assault/abuse, spiritual abuse and trauma. this episode is my open letter and response to the recent allegations (all of which i believe) against the ICOC and, most recently, against my old church, North River. it's heavy, and i don't want to sugarcoat it-- leaders that i knew purposefully covered up abuse in the church and allowed an abuser to go unchecked for 15 years. it's not just unacceptable, it's criminal. and unbecoming of people who claim to love God wholeheartedly.  this is a link to the lawsuits (so far.) more are to come. i hope the victims get the justice they so rightfully deserve, and i hope this is a wake up call to NR that they are not immune to being apart of the problem that permeates the movement of the international church of christ.  http://icoc-icclawsuits.com/?fbclid=IwAR0h_qi2Lw7PZoh8h8ozcQEdqqZKRpyDW0uRhfXH69U-j_zbm3sv3Hdtmp8

the cult is coming from inside the house

this episode focuses on the article that was released by rolling stone on december 31, 2022. here's the link: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/international-churches-of-christ-cult-sexual-abuse-indoctrination-pyramid-scheme-lawsuit-1234654868/ TW for sexual abuse, religious trauma follow @woundofmypeople on instagram for daily updates, people's responses, etc. one of my favorite accounts right now if i could sum up this episode in one sentence, it's this: the ICOC is a cult. there are no ifs/ands/buts about it-- it is a cult. i just hope that the victims of assault, abuse and manipulation are able to get justice and that it inspires people to come forward and share their stories about the church. i talk about how their lawsuit lines up with mine (and hundreds of others) experience exactly: shame, guilt & abuse have festered and grown and i am so glad the light is shining to expose it.  pls reach out if you'd like to share your story or vent or just talk about what you feel in the coming days! my ig dms are always open: @vegavictoria_ wishing so much love and healing for the victims. thank you all for being brave enough to share your story and hold abusers accountable. i hope the icoc follows your lead one day. love, a girl in the world

here am i - don't send me!

welcome back friends! sorry for the long hiatus. i was hoping this episode could serve as a reintroduction to the podcast since it's been so long since i've posted. i go into some detail about why that is & what my plans are for the future of this podcast, and i also highlight a topic that got me interested in recording again-- hyper-evangelism. this is a practice i saw deeply ingrained into the culture of the icoc & one that i think explains a lot of the reason why so many people get sucked in so easily and how intentional they are with who they're reaching out to.  as always, thank you for listening if you do, and feel free to reach out to me through social media if you want to have a deeper convo on the topic, vent, ask questions, or just say hello. i hope this podcast can serve as a starting point for many conversations and lots of healing. with love, victoria  (a girl in the world)