A church is where an insecure sixteen-year-old girl should feel welcome, happy, and most importantly, safe. Tragically for some, the church can become a place of great harm.
Sandy Phillips Kirkham details her account of how a charismatic youth minister preyed upon her, a betrayal which left her broken, with a shattered faith, and the ultimate shame of being blamed and forced from the church she loved. From their very first meeting, the new youth minister slowly and methodically turned the sacred relationship of a trusted spiritual leader to one of abuse: sexual, emotional, and physical. When his actions were discovered, he was simply moved to another church, leaving Sandy to pay for his deeds. She was not his first victim, nor would she be his last.
Despite a successful and happy life as a wife, mother, and friend, Sandy successfully concealed her abuse for twenty-seven years until a trigger forced her to face the truth. Sandy's story will take you on her journey of healing which began in 2004, first by seeking justice and closure from both the pastor and the church. Her strength and courage will inspire you. Let Me Prey Upon You details Sandy's journey from innocent sixteen-year-old victim to survivor and advocate.
Sandy Kirkham and her husband Bill enjoy life with their two grown children, two beautiful granddaughters, and two fairly well-behaved dogs. Sandy continues to use her voice to help victims of clergy abuse. She currently serves on the board of Council Against Child Abuse. Sandy has spoken before the Ohio Senate, a Maryland court, and appeared on a local television show in Boston. Her story, "Stolen Innocence," was told in a documentary produced by The Hope of Survivors. Sandy works with survivors conducting victim support conferences. She has participated on panels moderated by SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), sharing her perspective from the non-Catholic point of view.
Peter is Vice-President of Operations at Your Literary Prose where he started working in 2015, after graduating from Morehead State University, December 2014. Initially working with the day-to-day operations, he has transitioned to a strategic planning role for both Your Literary Prose and our clients. He has found a passion in strategizing new service offerings and improving current services. Peter takes a lead in working with coaches, speakers, and entrepreneurs plan their own writing projects so they can be successful, whatever that means for them. As an editor, Peter works with writers/authors by providing professional editorial critiques of their manuscripts as it transitions to their professionally published book. When not in the office, Peter is an avid soccer fan, supporting the local FC Cincinnati and US National teams and watching the English Premier League on the weekends. He also enjoys reading, both for pleasure and to learn more about business.
