Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, which goes by the acronym GRACE, has named Laura Thien as its new executive director.
GRACE was founded in 2004 by Boz Tchividjian, a former child abuse prosecutor, after he witnessed the failures of faith communities responding to abuse. Determined to create real change, he convened a team of experts to equip churches with the tools to effectively recognize, prevent and respond to abuse.
GRACE became a pioneer in providing child safeguarding services based on best-practice standards and leading independent third-party investigations within faith communities.
In 2020, Pete Singer assumed the role of executive director. Thien will succeed him in January.
She is a practicing clinician with nearly two decades of experience in trauma-informed care and forensic child advocacy. She currently serves at Canterbury Counseling Center in Greenville, S.C., providing mental health care and leading ministry partnership development to increase accessibility and affordability of mental health services in her local area.
She previously served as chair of the GRACE board and has been a leader in integrating spiritual care with mental health treatment for survivors.
She earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of South Carolina and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker of Clinical Practice.
“Laura’s heart for the church and her conviction that God calls us to create safe, accountable and compassionate communities aligns profoundly with GRACE’s mission,” the board said in a statement.