Rod Dawson’s criticisms since 2017 culminate in the claim that Breaking the Cycle produces division, false labelling, parental alienation, legal fear and a presumption of guilt. This article examines those alleged consequences against the book’s actual procedural teaching. It distinguishes pastoral belief and immediate protection from formal ecclesial judgment, identifies the different evidential thresholds appropriate to different decisions, and reviews the book’s concern fo

Since 2017, Rod Dawson has alleged that the Wellers’ teaching replaces forgiveness, longsuffering and reconciliation with fear, suspicion and permanent division. This article compares those claims with Breaking the Cycle’s extensive treatment of confession, repentance, accountability, rehabilitation and restoration. It distinguishes forgiveness from restored trust and reconciliation, explains why observable fruit necessarily takes time, and shows why safety is a biblical cond

Since 2017, Rod Dawson has repeatedly challenged Andrew and Julie Weller’s work on domestic violence as an intrusion of secular feminist ideology into Scriptural teaching. This article examines that foundational allegation against the actual structure and content of Breaking the Cycle. It asks whether the book allows the Duluth Model, professional research and contemporary terminology to govern its moral judgments, or whether these resources are used more modestly to describe

Since 2017, Rod Dawson has argued that the Wellers’ approach expands domestic violence so far that ordinary authority, household decision-making and marital disagreement may be recast as abuse. This article tests that claim against the book’s repeated insistence that domestic violence is a pattern of coercive power and control, not an isolated disagreement or merely a subjective feeling. It distinguishes mutual marital difficulty from sustained domination, examines Rod’s exam

From 2017 onward, Rod Dawson has criticised the Wellers for allegedly displacing biblical headship and submission with egalitarian or feminist assumptions. This article identifies the actual point of disagreement: not whether husbands should love, lead and serve, but whether headship gives a husband authority to override his wife’s conscience, agency or safety. Rod’s own statements about Christlike service are compared with Breaking the Cycle’s teaching on Ephesians 5, 1 Pete

The Responsibility of Shepherds In every generation the ecclesia must wrestle with how to apply Scripture faithfully to the realities before it. Domestic abuse is one of those realities. As arranging brethren and shepherds, we do not have the luxury of abstract reflection. When a sister or brother discloses harm, we must act. The tension is immediately felt. Scripture commands us to avoid partiality, to establish matters carefully, and to guard against false accusation. At th

Domestic Abuse, Bias, and Telling the Truth in Love Every time we speak or write about domestic abuse, there is a familiar kind of response. The words vary, but the concern is much the same: “Are you painting men as monsters?” “Isn’t this all very one-sided?" “What about the men who are hurt by their wives?” “Women lie too. Isn’t this unfair?” Sometimes that comes from a sincere desire for fairness, a reluctance to see anyone, male or female, written off. Sometimes it comes f

The Claim That Must Be Answered From time to time the claim is made that Breaking the Cycle or Hear Believe Act teaches a secular message. We are told that we have imported worldly ideology into the ecclesia. We are warned that we have displaced biblical principles with contemporary frameworks. The concern is framed as a defence of Scripture and of covenant faithfulness. Often the accusation is vague and unspecified, but sometimes critics within our community have more to sa

Untangling forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust in the context of domestic violence Domestic violence is not merely “marital difficulty.” It is a pattern of oppression, (often hidden, often minimised, often spiritualised) where one person uses power to restrict another’s liberty, voice, and safety. In that setting, Christian language can be misused: “forgive and forget,” “reconcile,” “submit,” “don’t involve authorities,” “it takes two,” “God hates divorce.” Scripture does

When a wife in an oppressive relationship says “no” to sex, it is usually not selfishness. It is sanity. Here are seven deeply understandable reasons: She feels unsafe. Past threats, rage, or physical force have taught her that sexual access is dangerous. Saying “no” is self-protection, not rebellion. Her body is exhausted or in pain. Chronic fatigue, childbirth injuries, medical conditions, or trauma responses mean sex is physically or psychologically painful. A “no” is a ba

There are few sentences more revealing than this one: “When ‘mutuality and voluntary giving’ is present there is no need for force or fear, unwanted sex does not exist, non-consensual sex does not occur, and rape in marriage is a vicious fabrication.” That is not just a bad take. It is dangerous teaching. For the purpose of this article, by "biblicism" we mean "treating the Bible like a dictionary of unrelated quotes rather than a cohesive library of books" . It can mean othe

A call to see clearly, love courageously, and live faithfully. When Jesus warned that we would “know them by their fruits,” he gave us a profound diagnostic tool — not only for discerning teachers but for seeing truth in human relationships. The new guide By Their Fruit: Seeing and Responding to Coercive Control applies that teaching with clarity and compassion to one of the most hidden and harmful sins in our families: coercive control. This 47-page guide is published by Ch

Sin is not just a private struggle. It damages relationships, wounds communities, and dishonours God. Yet many ecclesias find themselves...

Liberty is one of the most precious gifts of God. From Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, to Christ proclaiming freedom to the oppressed,...

In a world where the very definition of marriage is debated and values are constantly shifting, the Body of Christ is called to be a...

Introduction God's grace extends to all areas of human life, including marriage failures. While divorce and remarriage can carry pain and...

Introduction The way ecclesias approach remarriage after divorce is crucial to maintaining both biblical integrity and pastoral...

Tolstoy’s famous opening line from Anna Karenina — "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."...

Introduction Having established that marriage is intended to be lifelong but that divorce is sometimes necessary, we now turn to the...

The topic of remarriage after divorce is one of the most debated issues within our community as well as other Christian communities....