Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1143

Tonight's special guest is Charlie Tinsley from Harrisonburg, Virginia, a child abuse survivor and Seminary student heading into ministry. Charlie's parents divorced when he was 2 years old. "I was taken in by my father and stepmother as my mother was deemed unfit to be a parent. What happened for the next 17 years of my life was quite traumatic. My father and stepmother had three other children which my stepmother always used to remind me that I was not her child and I was the child of a deadbeat." He did poorly in high school but escaped the family when he unsuccessfully tried to join the military. Migraines were his downfall. Things began to turn around when he got a BS in Religion, graduating Summa Cum Laude. "I am a Seminary student at Eastern Mennonite Seminary studying for a Masters in Divinity and on track to become a Licensed United Methodist preacher. I am married to a woman whose family took me in when I left my home and have been married for several years following many years of dating." He writes a BLOG on Theology, Book and Bible Reviews, and Bible Study. "Now, I am a survivor," he says. "That means I made it out of a hostile and abusive environment and have a story and experience to share so I can help others. Being a male makes this even more important, because men are reluctant to share their experiences with abuse, inadequacy, depression, and suicide."