Rev. Geneece Goertzen, LMSW/MDiv, is a PhD candidate (graduation anticipated December 2025) at the Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University and a Research Fellow for the Center for Church and Community Impact. She has taught numerous workshops on domestic violence, serves on the board of directors for a local family violence shelter, has testified before the Texas state legislature on bills that affect victims and survivors, and served on a statewide public policy committee. Her research is primarily at the intersection of faith and domestic violence, the church’s response to abuse, and resilience in survivors. Recent awards include the Texas Partner for Change award from the Texas Council on Family Violence (2025) and the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan Murray Straus Interpersonal Violence Original Research Award from the Institution of Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (2024). Her recent book, Taking it Seriously, is a guide for responding to domestic violence. As a survivor of more than two decades of abuse, she is passionate about awareness, advocacy, and conducting research on this topic.

Gaynor Yancey, DSW, MSW, MRE serves as a Professor of Social Work, Director of the Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I), and the Lake Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Congregational and Community Health at Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work and Truett Seminary, One Bear Place #97320, Waco, TX 76798-7320. Phone 254-710-6424 and 254-710-6085. Email: Gaynor_Yancey@baylor.edu