Story

When Diane Carrillo committed her life to Christ, she began to see the light at the end of a painful, life-long tunnel, and knew she wanted to stand by other women who had experienced the horror of being sexually abused as children, just as she had.

However, as she pursued the idea of a ministry, she learned something fairly surprising. “Churches don’t really want to talk about child sexual abuse, let alone have a ministry about it,” Diane says. “They’re trying to present themselves as happy, pleasant places. Sexual abuse is just too dark and painful.”

When she came to the Rock and saw that Pastor Miles and the church not only didn’t shy away from, but embraced difficult topics, she found a match for her ministry idea.

As she sat with Rock Outreach Director, Zeb Hill, and explained her idea, Zeb’s eyes widened. Just a week before, a man had come to him with the exact same idea, only for men. “Care to team up?” Zeb asked.

It was yet another confirmation that God was on the move. “The ministry is called, I Will Stand By You, and will be a sanctuary for all those living with such a horrible secret,” says Diane. “There is incredible power in groups of people supporting each other and standing up for one another. We are going to help set a lot of people free.”