Caring pastorally for domestic abuse victims with Jenni Woodhouse

Trigger Warning We are talking about the difficult and sensitive issue of domestic abuse. Jenni Woodhouse serves as pastoral care coordinator for the church missionary society NSW, but previously was chaplain for the Sydney Anglican Church’s Professional Standards Unit. We feature an interview conducted in church with a domestic violence survivor.  It’s a confronting and personal interview and does deserve a ‘trigger warning.’ Jenni and Dominic watch as the abuse survivor tells her story, then Jenni critiques Dominic’s pastoral handling of the situation. It’s an interview that Dominic did in church on a morning when he was teaching on Domestic Violence.  That sermon is here (www.villagechurch.sydney/domesticviolence) The interviewee gave her express permission and encouragement for this interview to be shared on The Pastor’s Heart. However she does not want to be identified.  So if you do know her then please don’t identify her online or in person. 
 The Sydney Anglican Church’s Domestic Violence Policy is downloadable here  https://safeministry.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Responding-to-Domestic-Abuse-Policy-Guidelines-and-Resources.pdf

We feature an interview conducted in church with a domestic violence survivor. It’s a confronting and personal interview and does deserve a ‘trigger warning.’

Jenni Woodhouse and Dominic watch as the abuse survivor tells her story, then Jenni critiques Dominic’s pastoral handling of the situation.