Today's guest is Melissa Duge Spiers, author of the soon to be released, Holy Disobedience: A Survivor’s Journey from the Church that Betrayed Her—a book that does just that.
Melissa’s story is one of survival, revelation, and ultimately, moving forward into real life. Raised in the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church, an enormous Christian fundamentalist sect that exists under the radar despite a larger worldwide membership (22M+) than the Mormons or Southern Baptists, she was taught to obey without question, live under rigid purity culture, and conform to a system that demanded silence in the face of abuse. Her world shattered when a family member became the center of an abuse scandal—someone enabled and protected by the very church that shaped her childhood.
Her memoir is not just about leaving a high-control religious environment; it’s about the struggle that comes after—the long, painful process of deconstructing indoctrination, unlearning deeply ingrained beliefs, and reclaiming one’s identity. In sharing her journey, Melissa has become an advocate for those who have left the SDA church, many of whom have faced similar abuses. Through her powerful online presence as “The Glory Whole” on TikTok and Instagram, she has built a community of ex-Adventists and religious trauma survivors, giving voice to the often-overlooked stories of those who have suffered in silence.
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