Understanding and Responding to the Abuse of Power in Leadership - Diane Langberg & Peter Saunders

Diane Langberg is globally recognized for her 47 years of clinical work with trauma victims. She has trained caregivers on six continents in responding to trauma and to the abuse of power. She also directs her own counseling practice in Jenkintown, PA, Diane Langberg, Ph.D. & Associates, which includes seventeen therapists with multiple specialties. Dr. Langberg’s newest book is Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church. Other books include Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse, On the Threshold of Hope (with accompanying workbook), In Our Lives First: Meditations for Counselors, and Suffering the Heart of God: How Trauma Destroys and Christ Restores. Dr. Langberg is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Achievements from Taylor University., the American Association of Christian Counselors Caregiver Award, The Distinguished President’s award, and the Philadelphia Council of Clergy’s Christian Service Award. She is married and has two sons and four grandchildren.

Peter Saunders was born in New Zealand and originally trained as a general surgeon before serving with the Africa Inland Mission in Kenya and completing two years’ mission training at All Nations Christian College in the UK. From 1992 to 2018 he served full-time with Christian Medical Fellowship, a UK-based organisation with 4,500 UK doctors and 1,000 medical students as members, first as Head of Student Ministries, and from 1999 as Chief Executive. From 2006 to 2018 he also served as Campaign Director of the Care Not Killing Alliance, a coalition of over 40 organisations in the UK promoting palliative care and opposing euthanasia. Since January 2019 he has been CEO of the ICMDA (International Christian Medical and Dental Association) which brings together national associations of doctors and dentists in over 80 countries worldwide. His work has involved leadership training, teaching evangelism and ethics, medical mission, writing, editing, and media work. His wife Kirsty is a retired community paediatrician and they have three sons, Christopher, Benjamin and Jonathan, and one grandson. They are members of Spicer Street Church, St Albans. www.icmda.net; http://pjsaunders.blogspot.com/

In the past few years, Evangelical churches and organisations have been rocked by revelations of abuse committed by leaders in positions of power. Why has this happened? What are some of the biggest mistakes that churches and organisations make when responding to accusations of abuse? How can we be better at listening and caring for the victims in our midst? How can leaders wisely use their leadership power? In this session, Diane Langberg, clinical psychologist and author of Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church, is interviewed by Peter Saunders, CEO of International Christian Medical Dental Association, on the issue of leadership and the abuse of power.

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