The Unintended Path: Our Journey with Inquiry Inc.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

It has been almost one month since we announced this joint writing endeavor—a project born out of our personal experiences supporting IHOPKC survivors and fueled by our shared dream of addressing clergy abuse scandals in various spaces. We envisioned this as a platform for collective learning, healing and advocacy, a journey we ourselves are still on.

While we have learned so much over the past year, nothing prepared us for the overwhelming level of burnout revealed in the last few weeks. This, coupled with some unexpected personal matters, has made it clear that now is not the right time for us to move forward with Inquiry Inc.

We deeply regret any disappointment this news may cause, particularly to those already let down by religious systems and leadership. This was never our intention, and for that, we are truly sorry.

Please know that your overnight support of Inquiry Inc has been meaningful to each of us in profound ways. It also affirmed our suspicion that there is a real need for more victims advocacy resources within evangelical circles. We know that the post-IHOPKC community will continue to inspire others to step into such roles, and it is still our dream to run alongside them when the timing is right.

While we will continue individual efforts to support survivors, we also want to highlight the importance of preventing burnout by finding a sustainable pace - for us this will mean prioritizing family, self-care, and continued education.

Effective today, Inquiry Inc. will be returning to Divine Detours under the sole authorship of Stephen Deere. If you signed up for a paid subscription following our initial announcement, please reach out to stephen.c.deere@gmail.com and we would be happy to issue a refund or cancellation.

With heartfelt gratitude and hope,

Alyssa DeGraff, Stephen Deere, and Susan Tuma