Bio

Tara Barthel: Twenty years ago, I moved from Chicago, Illinois (a city of 3+ million) to Billings, Montana (a state with only 900,000 people—livestock outnumber humans by 12 to 1!), to serve as the first female senior staff member of The Institute for Christian Conciliation, during its tenure under Ken Sande. At the time, I described myself as a “recovering lawyer” because I had left behind my practice in high net-worth (charitable) estate planning in order to oversee all Christian mediation-arbitration cases, conflicted church-organizational interventions, and the certification and ongoing compliance of all members of the international network of Christian ADR specialists.

In 2003, I signed my first book contract (“Peacemaking Women”), gave birth to our first child, and officially began to think of myself as a homemaker—even though my best friend says that anyone who flies 75,000+ miles a year can’t really be a stay-at-home homemaker. (I continued to fly regularly in order to serve at leadership conferences, retreats, and to lead mediation and arbitration cases.)

Our second child died in utero in 2007. I was actually filming my first video series (“Living the Gospel in Relationships”) during that pregnancy–getting violently sick between each take, but counting it all joy because we were thrilled to be having another child, having suffered through 8+ years of infertility prior to the birth of our first daughter. Only two years later, our youngest child was born and one of my women’s retreats was simultaneously translated into ASL and videotaped on a tripod–so our family now has an ASL-translated video series (“Becoming Who You Already Are”) that we offer for free to any person or ministry who would benefit from it.

In the more recent past, I experienced one of my greatest joys in life–coauthoring “Redeeming Church Conflicts” with my dear friend, and spiritual father, Dave Edling. I also experienced one the hardest things in my entire life–I was sexually assaulted in an airport returning home from serving at a women’s leadership conference. This happened three years before the #MeToo campaign, so my criminal and civil matters related to it were resolved before this topic began to be in the daily fare of current media. But even though my formal case was resolved, the physical and spiritual impacts of that assault required me to seek out biblical counseling and trauma counseling–and that process required me to face the many sexual assaults and other “adverse experiences” of my childhood. (I encourage you to read the “ACES Study” if you, too, had difficulties in your childhood. Much wisdom to be gained there! I’m a 9/10 ACES.)

Sadly, the sexual assault in 2014 was followed quickly by even more suffering—all related to broken relationships among professing Christians. It was the hardest season of life our family has ever endured. But oh! God is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18) and really does bind up our wounds (Psalm 147:3).

And so. I am 25+ years the happy wife of Fred and the mother of two daughters—one in elementary and one in high school. I am a sexual assault survivor and I keep working on my own growth in grace in this area. (I have a particular interest in helping to minimize the inadvertent retraumatization of abuse survivors in the church.)

I still accept a few speaking invitations each year, and a few mediation cases, but most I decline because I am working on regaining my strength and health after the assault—and also? I am treasuring my last few years with my daughters at home. When possible, I continue to encourage the young people in my life to take seriously philosophy of theology, epistemology, apologetics, and worldview. (Teenagers are natural philosophers!) Plus, of course, I am honored every single time one of them talks and prays with me about a living and vibrant relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Other joys in my life include my slow progression through Reformed Theological Seminary’s excellent courses, our family’s efforts to send girls to school in Kibisi, Uganda, and the regular jamming out at the piano as our family sings musicals galore.

Thanks so much for allowing me to introduce myself to you! If you ever need to reach me re: a speaking event, writing request, or Christian mediation case, the best way to contact me is through my website: www.tarabarthel.com.

God bless you!
-Tara B.

PS
For a more traditional vitae listing …

Tara Barthel earned her law degree and M.B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and her B.A. in psychology from Augustana College (Illinois). Currently progressing through courses at Reformed Theological Seminary, Tara delights in serving her family as a homemaker, her community as a Rhetoric teacher, and she still occasionally accepts speaking invitations and mediation cases. To learn more about Tara, please visit her website at: www.tarabarthel.com or follow her on FaceBook.