Sandy Phillips Kirkham

Advocate, Speaker and Author

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 that left her broken, with a shattered faith, and the ultimate shame of being blamed and forced from the church she loved. Sandy’s story, written in her memoir,  Let Me Pray With You, which became Let Me Prey Upon You: Breaking Free From A Minister’s Sexual Abuse, takes 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. Sandy is now an advocate for victims of clergy abuse, serving on the board of the Council on Child Abuse and volunteering for The Hope of Survivor’s Ministry.