Denise's abuse: Wife Spanking P/7

 

                                                      Read Part One HERE

 

In this post I will share a testimony of someone named Ghirard who was present when Reformed Minister R.C. Sproul Jr spanked his  first wife Denise, who tragically died of cancer some years ago. His story follows below:

Ghirard: "We were members in the early years of St Peter Presbyterian Church. RC (Sproul Jr) would sometime invite families to his home for a meal, not so much for the regular folks, but if you were big donors to the church and the Higlands Study Centre like we were. So we had been invited over  one night for supper. After supper we sat in the living room with RC and his children. Denise (his first wife) was cleaning up in the kitchen. RC got up to go in the kitchen. Denise must have done something to make him mad because he angrily told her, "Go to your room." It sounded just like he was talking to a little child. Denise went to their bedroom and a little later RC went up and we could hear him spanking her. She stayed up there a long time before she came back down. The look on her face told all. She was humiliated and ashamed. It was the most awkward supper we'd had ever had in anyone's home. We didn't accept anymore invitations from RC after that."

Ghirard: "Did I ever contront RC? Yes, I did try and speak with him. Not that night. It was all so shocking at that time. But later  after I'd had some time to process. I didn't get very far. He is hypersensitive to anything that he thinks is criticism. There was always the threat of church discipline if you ever got out of line. Just asking the wrong sort of question would earn you his ire."

My Comment

This is a shocking story of physical abuse commited by a well-known  minister (for those of you who do not know who RC Sproul Jr is, he is the son of now-deceased Minister RC Sproul Sr, founder of Ligonier Ministries). Perhaps more shocking is the fact that the couple who witnessed the spanking did nothing about it that evening even though as Ghirard said, "It was all so shocking." But what about Denise? She had been abused!! Did they not care about this precious woman?.... They should have called the police and asked for one male and one female police to come over. The police woman could then have gone upstairs to speak with Denise together with the wife of Ghirard while the male police could have dealt with RC with Ghirard giving testimony what he had heard happen. RC should have been taken into custody and a case made against him. Moreover, Ghirard should have spoken to the eldership of the church about their pastor's behaviour rather than him being afraid of speaking up in case of coming under church discipline.

Read Part Eight HERE