Comments on: Mercy Ministries home to close

By: MS Team

MS Team — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 03:24:32 +0000

Hi CSS.

It is odd that Mercy went to the trouble of renovating the home, after the majority of their financial partners withdrew their support after the abuse scandal broke. Mercy did not offer support from psychologists, psychiatrists or social workers, and the GP, dietitian and career counsellor were external services. So, it is strange that they would spend $100,000 on renovations but not on the essential services they promised the girls.

MS Team

By: counselling services sydney

counselling services sydney — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:09:01 +0000

Mercy Ministries, included support from ”psychologists, general practitioners, dietitians, social workers, [and] career counsellors”. Also did renovation of Sydney home, including the kitchen, carpets, light fittings, staircase and deck, painting and landscaping – all funded more than $100,000. then also it finally it came to an end..I am very shocked..

By: admin

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:52:09 +0000

Hi Misty.

Thanks for your comment and for popping by the website.

If you or other former residents you know are interested in networking with other survivors, send us an email at info@mercysurvivors.com . We have a survivors only email network and it is a good way of getting in touch with others.

We do have a page on Facebook, but that is more for survivors and non-survivors who wish to publicly support us. If you want to join that, look us up on Facebook.

I hope things have improved for you since leaving the program.

MS Team

By: misty17

misty17 — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 02:17:52 +0000

dear craig young thank you for thinking of us new zealanders and posting where is easily acsessable for us. i regret to inform you that residents in the new zealand home who identify as gay are struggling with the new zealand programs approach to homosexuality also. unfortunatly these residents are afraid to speak out gainst the program and acsess help. if you could suggest any organisation here that would be suitable to help these past residents it would be much appreciated.
yours sincerely misty

By: misty17

misty17 — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 02:08:48 +0000

mercy ministries is crushing the spirits of young women everywhere. i am a gradute and saw first hand the mistreatment of both residents and some staff by inadequitly trained leadership. i think someone should start a forum for mercy survivors. i know for a fact there are atleast 10 nz gradutes that feel they have been damaged by the program and have no one to talk to. mercy survivours need a safe place to disscuss their mistreatment and work towards healing because the guilt and condemnaton programed response to speaking against mercy is so strong it silences many of those who have been most hurt by this program.

By: former abused intern

former abused intern — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:36:07 +0000

Wow, I was an undergrad intern at Mercy in Nashville during the summer of 08. While there were mental health “professionals” there they refused to use evidence based treatments and used only there “biblical counseling” which is even worse than a lot of biblical counseling I’ve seen, the girls who doubted heretic Joel Olsten’s prosperity gospel were punished. I was only 21 at the time, but knew something was wrong, I didn’t have my psychology degree yet but I knew enough to know that you have to use PSYCHOLOGY to do counseling. Though I am now a christian therapist, I rarely use the bible and prayer and only when clients ask me.

This all makes sense to me know, why they treated ME badly and started keeping me away from actually learning anything (the point of my internship was to learn residential treatment) in retrospect I think they saw me being skeptical and evil forces that run that place must have felt that I carried a spirt a truth, the real truth…because I felt oppressed every day by the staff and the feel of that place….and I am FAR from a pentecostal background (I’m now an Catholic leaning Anglican. )

I feel so sorry for you Aussie girls, and all the US girls who still feel afraid to speak. I seriously hope that the whole organization falls apart very soon!

By: Mandi

Mandi — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:31:11 +0000

Wow Jill and Sarah i’m so overwhelmed and i can so totally relate to the object of being in fear of speaking out and offending or going against God. I was only in Mercy in Sydney Australia for 4 Mnths and during this time i was still suffering medical problems because they were making me eat more food than my body could handle and they declared that God told had told them too let me go but actually God had answered my prayers because i was really asking God to help me get out of there as i was not coping any more so i was glad when i left and i was totally a mess when i left worse than when i went in for a while because i felt like a failure for not finnishing the program and felt like i let god down .there was so much hypocriscy about living in the “Grace” and “obediance” of God’s ways and i do not feel through what i went through and witnessed of other girls that some mercy staff and really the program itself was how really a great example of god’s “Grace” or “Mercy”

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:01:36 +0000

Jill, so sorry to hear you’re afraid to speak.

It took me a really long time to be able to begin to verbalise what happened to me in the home. And because i had been so brainwashed about what slander was, about what the will of God was etc, i found it extremely confusing and difficult to speak out at first too. I think i am still overcoming some of that.

It might help for you to read a book called “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse”. It switched on so many lights when i read it and it helped me understand why i felt so confused.

Just know that Mercy’s will is not God’s will, and Mercy’s judgment is not God’s judgment. This may take awhile to understand.

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:17:03 +0000

I really do find it a stretch of logic that Hillsong thinks they can cut ties with Mercy Ministries when pillars of their church were helping to run the place in Australia! I’ll pray for these people!!! Hopefully the next ministry is correctly managed.

Who owned the property that was recipient of $100 000 in donations used for renovations just prior to closing down and going on the market for 2+M dollars?

By: Craig Young

Craig Young — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:00:04 +0000

Just read the news on SMH.

Congratulations! I’m glad that you’ve finally prevailed after the devastation and
pain that unpleasant pack of charlatans caused in your lives.

I’ve written it up for NZ readers at:

http://gaynz.com/blog/redqueen/archives/795

XXX
Craig Young