Home Christian News Rape Survivor Shares Hope, Wisdom on Latest ‘I Am Second’ Video

Rape Survivor Shares Hope, Wisdom on Latest ‘I Am Second’ Video

She appreciates that churches uphold the sacredness of sexual intimacy.

“But what I wish the church knew and spoke more about was the reality that one in three women are victims of sexual abuse,” she said, “and many of these women experienced that even in their childhood.

“We tend to shy away from the intimate topic of sex from the pulpit when it comes to abuse. And I wish the church just talked more openly about the reality of that kind of abuse that many of the women that are sitting in their pews have experienced. And also just to make parents more aware, to allow victims to feel safe and to come to someone on staff and talk about it.”

Parents are also important in normalizing the conversation and establishing the proper environment and context for children to discuss the issue and for survivors to seek help and support.

Christian mentors in the church discipled Bailey, helping her cling to God’s Word and correct the lies she had come to believe about herself.

“Through the healing I pursued, I now have a solid foundation and right view of who God is, and a right view of what happened to me,” she said, “and a right view of the brokenness of our world, a right view of Scripture saying and God will work it all together for our good.”

Bailey launched the “We Are Unveiled” ministry to rape and sex abuse survivors in 2015, four years after she was raped. She placed the ministry on hold in 2019 to focus more on a speaking tour, but still receives and responds to stories on the website.

She and Paul, now 33 and 36, respectively, have been married four months.

“When we met it was really a God-ordained thing. We truly believe that God’s timing was perfect, even though at times we felt like it was late,” she said. “I’m so grateful for when we met and now that we’re married. I do think there’s something to be said about me being on the other side of being fully healed and restored, and then coming into marriage now.”

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press