In returning to IHOPKC in 2012 I already knew IHOPKC had a culture of rejecting the vulnerable. I sought to be the change I wanted to see and love others well, especially the hurting. In my specific position I was usually the first person approached when someone had a problem or challenge. Over the years I saw how horribly treated they were. Most of my experience was seeing others mistreated. However I was friendly to everyone. It was part of my job. Sometimes as a single woman this was taken the wrong way I guess. One man who had visited for several weeks and who I had always smiled and said hello to (like I did to everyone else) approached me and threatened to rape me. He said he wanted to do that because he planned to castrate himself in the woods on Yom Kippur. He had somehow learned my schedule and showed up everywhere I was for the previous week. I had securities number on my phone and I went to my home and called them. In hindsight I should have said something when I first suspected I was being stalked and I should have told the police. I also learned not to be friendly to everyone. The next day security officers smirked at me and asked how “my friend” was. He was not my friend. The same day I walked out of the prayer room to the lobby to hear [a leader] joking about the situation and my co-workers (who did not know it was me) laughing about it. I tried to do Living Waters at one point to get more tools for inner healing and deliverance. I was not in sexual sin and it had been several years since I had had any struggles in that area. I was told by leaders that I must be in sexual sin or I wouldn’t be there. Then in small group they had each woman share their story. No one was allowed to show any response to the stories. The leaders also didn’t respond. One girl was 18 and had the most heartbreaking story I have ever heard full of countless rapes and molestation and suicide attempts. She had probably never told anyone. The leaders said nothing in response except to say okay next person. I was not allowed to respond either. I could not watch this happen to people. I was pretty shaken up and quit the program that day.
- Volunteer Staff in 3 departments 2012-20162002-2003, 2012-2023