10 years later…

If you have read the blog in the past, or perhaps you are finding it for the first time today. Welcome! My name is Jana Bishop. My husband and I were in ministry for 17 years. We served in big churches, small churches. Healthy churches and abusive churches. And one thing is for sure, the abusive church experience stayed with us for years. Long after we left. And that's why I started this blog. I'm not an expert. I'm just a girl with a story to tell. My hope is that if you are reading this because you too, have felt like damaged goods, you will see some similarities in my story and know that you are not alone.

The Gift of Silence

Days and then weeks went by as I felt the pressure to post my findings.  I felt this need to dispute certain accusations and fight against lofty rumors.  But, as I struggled to place shape around my discoveries and credit to my conversations, I realized the search for the truth wasn't for anyone else.  It was for me...for my own good.  I was the one who needed to know.  I needed to believe in my heart  that men of God can truly stay men of God...

The Journey From Stranded

The brisk Colorado breeze wrapped around me as I sat watching the snowflakes land one by one on the windshield.  I tugged at my gloves and tapped my feet to keep warm.  At my insistence, Barry was filling up the gas tank before our date.   Aside from being as cozy as a tin can, [...]

Read to Me

I was busy.  Busy working, busy typing.   Replying to emails, checking messages, reading about current issues. Rowan was busy too.  Busy learning, busy playing.  Pulling out toys, rolling the ball to me as I half heartedly rolled it back to him while keeping one hand on the key board. I sat at my desk consumed [...]

Guest Post by Jim Guerra

Hi everyone!! I hope you had a great week.  I realize there is so much that I need to explain and so much that you want to hear regarding the MCIN announcement.  I am just searching for the right way to convey what's in my heart.  I will be writing more on that subject this [...]

Important Update for MC students

Below is a statement regarding the affiliate status of the Master's Commission that Barry and I were on staff at in Louisiana.  In light of the many stories of abuse the MCIN received, they conducted an investigation and have removed the affiliate status of this program. I am forever thankful to Pastor Lloyd Zeigler and [...]

Serving Me = Serving God

When Barry resigned and we finally left the church that caused us so much confusion...we were in a fog for quite a while afterwards.  I'm not kidding.  We were socially awkward and unsure of ourselves.  Everything we were taught was called into question by us, by our family and by our true friends.  We were [...]

We need to talk…

I am so excited to present a guest post to you today from a good friend and man who Barry and I greatly respect.  He is an author, teacher and has made a tremendous impact on our lives over the last two years.  I read his book last year and tears hit each page as [...]

My Very First Interview

I have a wonderful blogging friend named Angela and her blog was one of the first ones that I started reading at the beginning of this year.  She has been a great source of encouragement for me and I was completely thrilled when she asked me to do an interview for her website...King's Daughters.  Needless [...]

Feeling Risky?

Barry and I spoke with an old friend last night and in the midst of the conversation he mentioned something that I can't get out of my head.  He said: "The average life span consists of roughly 70 years.  70 years equals around 25,000 mornings. Don't allow anything to stand in the way of you [...]