Women are allowed to be shamed: Bethlehem Baptist Church P/5

                                                      Read Part One HERE

In this post I continue to share on the abuse of Ann Elizabeth Mekala at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota, previously pastored by John Piper.

Ann: "After years of this abuse I was put in a position of co-leading with a  male staff member. Although in our job title we were peers, in our interactions he was domineering, shaming and snide. He acted like he could see clearly what I couldn't, explained away almost every suggestion I made for our team, expected I ask him permission for things when he would simply inform me of similar decisions he made, publicly shamed me in front of our staff, made impactful decisions without consulting me, talked to me as if he were my superior rather than my peer and confided in male staff below us about his problems with me."

Ann: "Anytime I would confront him on these things he would defend himself, gaslight me and paint himself as the victim of the situation. This over several years took such a toll on my mental health and self-esteem that I sought help on multiple occasions from the leaders of the organisation."

Ann: "I was told this was an issue between he and I and that I needed to deal with him directly. I tried this and it always went very poorly. I was seeking help from my superiors for an abusive power dynamic but was advised it was merely a conflict between peers."

Ann: "I was told it was a personality conflict and "this is merely pain from your past." I have a loving relationship with my father and to this day don't know what part of my past they meant."

Ann: "After a display of raising his voice, shaming and belittling me in front of our entire staff I thought the leaders would finally see what I had been trying to communicate about what I was experiencing. But instead I was told that I needed counselling and that it was clear this man triggered "past pain" in me."

 Read Part Six HERE