Ministries Tags: sexual misconduct
Definitions
Some of these definitions come from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Order and others can be found in “Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Sexual Misconduct Policy and Its Procedures” (adopted by the 219th General Assembly (2010), updated October 2013) (hereafter the “Policy”).
Accused - the person against whom a claim of sexual misconduct is made.
Accuser - the person claiming knowledge of sexual misconduct by a person covered by the Policy. The accuser may or may not be the victim of alleged sexual misconduct. A person such as a family member, friend or colleague may be the accuser.
Certified Christian …
Continue readingPC(USA) statements
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) believes that sexual misconduct is never permissible or acceptable.
The documents listed below have been approved by the General Assembly and are intended to help guide the Church in its relationships with each other.
Standards of Ethical Conduct
(approved by the 210th General Assembly [1998])
... Church leaders across the denomination are asking for help amid the complexities and ambiguities of ministry in the contemporary world. While Scripture, The Book of Confessions, and the Book of Order provide guidance, it is sometimes unclear how to make the connections between their general guidance and …
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Help for creating policies
Surely Heed their Cry
A Presbyterian guide to child abuse prevention and healing. This comprehensive guide contains information on abuse identification, abuse prevention, and educational material.
PDS# 25793010 • $5.00
We Won't Let It Happen Here! Preventing Child Abuse in the Church
By Lois Rifner, Ph.D., and Susan Keil Smith, M.A., with assistance from the Child Advocacy Office.
A training model for all who work with children in the church to assist them in becoming aware of child abuse, in exploring how Christian faith provides support for keeping children safe, learning about …
Continue readingHealing is not an end. It is a process. Healing works on many levels and takes many forms. Healing has many voices and no single "answer." Healing is painful, but it is more painful to turn away from the healing. My journey has been mine alone. No one else has felt the same pain or process that I have — though we "group" with others for comfort. We gather strength in knowing that we are not alone. In fact, we are never alone. My "journey" has taken me down a very special and unique path of healing and my spiritual …
Reporting Procedure for Mission Personnel
Incidents of sexual misconduct that victimizes or is instigated by a mission co-worker or visiting PC(USA) members (which can include harassment, rape, child sexual abuse) are to be reported to the Sexual Misconduct Ombudsperson:
Sexual Misconduct Ombudsperson contact information:
e-mail: ombudsperson@pcusa.org
phone: 1-001-502-569-5207 (Abuse Hotline, answered 24/7)
mail:
Sexual Misconduct Ombudsperson
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
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Prevention
The goals of training are to ensure that staff and volunteers understand the nature of child abuse/sexual misconduct and how to respond if it becomes apparent that this behavior has occurred. Training is also useful in reviewing and modifying the church policy, as volunteers who have had experience working with the policy share their experience
(We Won't Let It Happen Here, page 27).
Awareness is the key to the prevention of sexual misconduct. When awareness is raised, persons are often able to spot and stop inappropriate conduct before it harms others.
Develop a training program
Annual training …
Continue readingCreate policies
The Book of Order at G-30106 Administration of Mission provides: "All councils shall adopt and implement a sexual misconduct policy." Therefore, all sessions, presbyteries, and synods should adopt a sexual misconduct policy as soon as possible.
There is no one way to write a Safe Church/ Sexual Misconduct Policy. It might be tempting to use another ministry’s policy but this is not advisable. Everyministry is unique in size, programs and needs. The ministry’s insurance company and a lawyer should review a safe church policy before a council adopts it.
Sources for information on policies
The General Assembly adopted …
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