Kristin Du Mez
@kkdumez
Historian of gender, faith, politics. Author of JESUS AND JOHN WAYNE. Quote unquote scholar. Next book: LIVE LAUGH LOVE. http://kristindumez.substack.com
I’m a survivor of sexual abuse at @kanakuk kamps. From ages 9 to 13, I was repeatedly abused by Pete Newman, a longtime camp director. He led a Bible study for boys called “Iron Man.” That same verse—Proverbs 27:17—was its theme. 🧵
Leadership isn't developed alone. After all, iron sharpens iron and one friend sharpens another. 🤝
Whether there is an actual list is beside the point. There are multiple ways of investigating who was & was not a participant in Epstein's perverted abuse. The fact that law enforcement agencies are handicapped by politicians into throwing up their hands is the real scandal.
At memorial, friends mourn loss of Jennifer Lyell, SBC whistleblower and publishing exec religionnews.com/2025/06/27/in-…
JESUS AND JOHN WAYNE turns 5 today! open.substack.com/pub/kristindum…
“ … and unreservedly apologize to …” — @SBCExecComm
Love and Death, by @kkdumez open.substack.com/pub/kristindum… Very good read. How can we keep ourselves from being changed, even when we don’t want to be changed, by the onslaught of the normalizing of violence, authoritarianism, political rhetoric that is vicious, etc.
Don’t just talk within the channels of the SBC Stand up for us in public Do the right thing Pastors It’s not insider talk, God says to stand up not in private or in the shadows Public like you would for each other baptistnews.com/article/does-j…
Exactly this. And from those who can’t stop boasting of male headship and biblical authority and masculine protection.
"Rachael, no one will ever say those hard things to those leaders." And here are again. The women speak up. Well. The ones left alive. The men in charge either can't be bothered to look at the evidence, or don't care enough, to simply refute the lies.
I have terrible news. It looks like Cozy Panda has stopped making Mia's deeply beloved teething toy. She's been attached to this thing for two years, and before it fades from memory, I'd love to see if by any small chance anyone has one or two of these laying around.
Grateful @NPR gave a couple of minutes to honor Jennifer Lyell this afternoon on All Things Considered. Listen here: Jennifer Lyell, Southern Baptist sexual abuse whistle-blower, dies at 47 one.npr.org/i/nx-s1-543048…
A database, if you will.
Here’s what should happen between now and Orlando: Dozens of churches should be referred to the credentials committee for employing women pastors. These referrals should be published in a public, centralized location, on a website. If the credentials committee refuses to deal…
I’m booking flights and will be standing outside of the convention Monday and Tuesday. Not because I have hope that the SBC will change but because survivors have sacrificed their bodies for far too long to appeal to this org to wake up and care about the abuse crisis.
Jennifer Lyell loved writing this book. Today I am listening to her narrate this book promo video with tears. youtube.com/watch?v=BJIsnx…
Do not let all of the posts talking about how kind Jen Lyell was distract you from the fact that she was probably the smartest person in almost any room. And if you were in one of those rooms and disagree, there’s a good chance it’s only because Jen was being kind.
“My biggest concern for the church is that we will see the abuse revelations and resulting conversations as some sort of cultural phenomenon that we need to ride out instead of recognizing it as a movement of God to purify and protect his bride.” Jen Lyell christianitytoday.com/2019/05/sbc-ab…
In loving memory of Jennifer Lyell. Until we meet again.
I wrote this one through tears, and through inexpressible anger. I'm so sorry, Jennifer. open.substack.com/pub/kristindum…
The Lord is Jennifer Lyell’s Shepherd. She shall no longer long to see right made of wrong. She has walked through the valley of the shadow of death. She fears no evil, for he is with her and she, with him. His rod and his staff, they comfort her. He prepares a table before…
You are going to read the word “devastated” a lot over the next few days. Please know that it is not even remotely adequate to describe how so many people, including myself, feel right now. There is no way to sufficiently say what Jen meant to all of us. I feel like I’m in hell.
I’ve sat with this feeling for three days and will never be able to articulate how it feels to be so thankful that I can be so devastated. It’s grief so profound that it overwhelms you with love, which just deepens the grief and love. Jen Lyell is still making this a softer world
I feel so many things right now. Mostly it’s pity. I am so incredibly sad for every person who is not utterly devastated right now. Because there was no way you could truly know Jen or Duane and feel anything less. It is a grief so deep that you can’t help but feel honored by it.
After a series of delays and cancelled flights, I arrived in Oxford on a gorgeous sunny afternoon. I’ll be speaking this Thursday at the @RAIOxford: rai.ox.ac.uk/event/harmswor…
