A domestic abuse survivor from Winnipeg is using her experience to equip the church and help women heal.
Rose Catellier is a victim advocate and church partner liaison with Called to Peace, a ministry that helps married Christian women who are being abused.
"Called to Peace is two-fold," says Catellier. "Our heart is to provide advocacy for women that are going through domestic abuse. It's a bit of a desert out there as far as Christian resources go. This is an issue that is very complex and counterintuitive. Also, our heart is to equip the local church because the best healing always happens in the context of relationship."
When a woman connects with Called to Peace online, they are connected to an advocate who will walk them through every step of the healing process. Each advocate goes through a year of training before being connected with a victim.
"Joy Forrest is the founder of Called to Peace and she started it in North Carolina, about 10 years ago. It's grown like wildfire. It's serving women all over the world including here in Canada, in Israel, in Africa, and different countries in Europe. It's a diamond in the rough ministry as there are very few like it."
Catellier shares that one in three women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, and she says it's no different in the church. Before becoming a victim advocate, Catellier was in need of Called to Peace's services herself.
"I did find myself in a situation where I was needing protection. Because it was difficult for me to find people in my local church context, I found myself searching outside of that. I reached out to Called to Peace. I was able to get clarity about my situation and do some safety planning. I did end up having to remove myself after two unsuccessful attempts at reconciliation."
For people interested in advocacy or supporting Called to Peace financially they can connect with them here.
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