Sarah McDugal Analyzes Abuse at John MacArthur’s Church

Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKuWzKhnLS8Why don’t church leaders believe victims when they report abuse? And why is the victim so often gaslit and abused instead of supported? This episode of The Roys Report presents an in-depth look at abuse recently exposed at John MacArthur’s megachurch in southern California. Survivor advocate and author, Sarah McDugal, joins Julie to unpack MacArthur’s shocking treatment of the wife of a child-abusing husband. Recently, The Roys Report published two major exposés. The first revealed how MacArthur and Grace Community Church publicly shamed and excommunicated Eileen Gray for not taking her husband—an admitted child abuser—back into her home. A follow-up showed how, even after Gray was convicted, Grace continued to shun Eileen and support her pedophile husband. Why does this happen? Why do shepherds—charged with protecting the sheep—end up protecting the wolf? And what can we as believers do to stop this abusive and dangerous pattern. Co-author of Safe Churches: Responding to Abuse in the Faith Community, Sarah has significant experience in this area. And she says that what happened to Eileen Gray is, sadly, not an isolated incident.  We have an epidemic of church leaders covering for abusers. But the tide is changing—and victims and their allies are rising up.   This Week’s Guest Sarah McDugal Sarah McDugal is an author, clarity coach, and co-founder of Wilderness to WILD. She works with women seeking healing after abuse, especially mamas who are parenting after trauma. WILD provides coaching, courses, and community to betrayed spouses through online support groups, safety-focused resources including a free online quiz, and the TraumaMAMAs mobile app. Sarah is also a survivor and mother to two delightfully neurodivergent children.   Show Transcript SPEAKERSJULIE ROYS, Sarah McDugal JULIE ROYS 00:04Why don’t church leaders believe victims when they report abuse? And why is the victim so often gaslit and shamed instead of supported? Welcome to The Roy’s Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And today we’re going to be discussing abuse in the church. Specifically, I’m going to unpack John MacArthur’s shocking treatment of the wife of a child abusing husband with survivor advocate, Sara McDougal, if you follow me at all, you know I recently published two major exposes, the first revealed how John MacArthur and Grace Community Church publicly shamed and excommunicated Eileen Gray for not taking her husband, an admitted child abuser, back into her home. Our second article showed how even after Gray was convicted, Grace continued to shun Eileen but support her pedophile husband. Why does this happen? Why do shepherds charged with protecting the sheep, end up protecting the wolf? And what can we do as believers to stop this abusive and dangerous pattern? Well, Sarah has lots of experience in this area, and she says what happened to Eileen is sadly not an isolated incident. We have an epidemic of church leaders covering for abusers. But the tide is changing, and victims and their allies are rising up. I can’t wait to speak with Sarah, but before I do, I want to thank the sponsors of this podcast, Judson University, and Marquardt of Barrington. Judson University is a top ranked Christian University providing a caring community and an excellent college experience. Plus, the school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities, and strong financial aid. Judson University is shaping lives that shape the world. For more information, just go to Judsonu.edu. Also, if you’re looking for a quality new or used car, I highly recommend my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC deale