The Hope of Survivors was born one evening in December 2002 as Steve and Samantha Nelson reflected on their own experience of pastoral sexual abuse and the lack of resources that were available to help them understand and heal at that time. They felt compelled to develop a website that would provide information and encouragement to anyone who may be searching for answers.For Steve and Samantha, if even one person were helped by the website, then it would be worth the effort and pain they had gone through.
While Steve and Samantha’s vision was limited in thinking “just one,” the Lord knew how many hurting people were suffering alone and living without hope. The Hope of Survivors grew rapidly. And from a few pages online, it has grown into an active and growing team that includes volunteer staff, officers, and a board of directors. It often serves as the only available, unbiased liaison between victims and appropriate civil, public, or religious assistance. Its publications, including a series of informational brochures (in Spanish and English) and DVDs, are circulated worldwide.
The Hope of Survivors is unique. While many websites exist on the subject, most either provide angry denunciation of various religious organizations or are associated with a particular religious group and require that affiliation from their clients. Others address the problem from a purely humanistic psychological approach, leaving God and His power to heal entirely out of the equation. Many also charge for their services, yet the Hope of Survivors has determined to keep its services free of charge to clients.
The need for the Hope of Survivors’ unique services and approach is evident, as it has assisted more than 570 victims in nearly every state and in dozens of countries around the world. Originally incorporated in California and subsequently authorized to serve in the states of Illinois and Ohio, the Hope of Survivors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting victims of pastoral sexual abuse and misconduct, as well as providing educational and informational materials and seminars to pastors and churches of any denomination worldwide.
