A church abuse prevention expert is saying enough is enough. In the wake of ongoing church abuse scandals, Elizabeth Fisher Good has created a ministry to put a stop to this.

Fisher Good, who has been working in the anti-sex trafficking industry for more than 10 years as the CEO of The Foundation United, has seen the all-too-common story of kids being abused, running away and falling into trafficking.

As was her own story as well, many of these young people were abused at the hands of church leaders and felt compelled to keep it a secret.

"Mine was at the hand of one of my favourite people in the whole world that I never would have believed would do anything. Like my favourite, not a true uncle, but like a family friend uncle that I've spent years with, spent nights at the house with his daughter, and a worship leader in a church," Elizabeth explains. "It was on the way to church when it happened. I could literally see the disconnect and evil in his eyes as he's touching me. You're frozen as a child. Then we get to church, he grabs his guitar, goes to the front of the stage, and I'm just standing there."

Over the years of working with others, Elizabeth has learned that many victims have been left mute, and it's a result of us not teaching our children to speak up. That's why she has created a new ministry, Free with E, to provide churches with training in preventing abuse, including best practices and safeguards so no one is ever put in a vulnerable situation with an abusive church leader.

"We've got to get on the front end. It has to be prevention. We have to start normalizing these conversations and speaking about the unspeakable, so children have a way out when they're three, four, five six, seven, and it ends then, versus being 17,18,19 and trying to restore everything that was stolen."

Free with E equips ministry leaders from the earliest childhood level, on up to senior adults, to talk about difficult topics and provide a safe space for anyone who has experienced abuse and never healed from it. The ministry also trains everyone in spotting warning signs and gives even the youngest children the words to use to communicate their fears or experiences to a trusted adult. 

"People should've noticed that I never went back," said Elizabeth. "That was the last summer that I ever went to that spot. We never returned, nobody ever asked."  

Through her new endeavour, Elizabeth hopes to help people overcome messages and thought processes that hold them back from their true God-given identity so that they can pursue wholeheartedly and successfully fulfill their eternal purpose and legacy.

"We need healing. If we keep our secrets we're not healed. It's layer upon layer," said Elizabeth.

"When I had my abuse, I drank too much so that I would not feel it. I became promiscuous. I had all these different things that resulted, including abortion. You're covering and hiding and hiding. Before you knew it, I was the perfect Christian girl that had 90 secrets, but I could rock a platform because I knew how to talk," said Fisher Good. "There lies the problem."

At the end of the day, Elizabeth hopes that by normalizing the layers beneath and making it okay to talk about it, people can be healed.  

"I think having the church become the leader in these tough conversations is what has to happen."

Today on Connections, Elizabeth shares her story with us. She'll also share the importance of starting these conversations young and how you can make a difference starting today.