Bitter Fruit

“Sadly, this book is all too relevant, exploring dysfunction and abuse within the local church. Drawing from painful personal experience, Keith Ford highlights the importance of speaking prophetically into toxic scenarios, and the cost this often incurs. Noting that criticizing is easy, he elevates the conversation, for while the book addresses sobering topics, it does so in a way that is life serving and hope filled. Bitter Fruit is well worth the read.”


—Brian Harris, Director of Avenir Leadership Institute





“Experiencing a traumatic four-way church split in the 1970s brought on a crisis of faith. Was Christianity false—or was something desperately wrong with that toxic church’s leading, teaching, structuring? There were no books on spiritual abuse recovery until fifteen years later. I know now Bitter Fruit is exactly the kind of solid overview of abuse symptoms, sources, systemic solutions, and health sustainability I needed then, and that the church needs now!”


—Brad Sargent, author of Futuristguy blogs and case studies on spiritual abuse