Safe Church

“The presenters were so knowledgeable and helpful and compassionate." What a blessing to get feedback like this from participants at the Safe Church Ministry conference that took place Nov. 4-6, 2016. 

Why is it that the majority of our classes have no safe church team? Perhaps one reason is the office of Safe Church Ministry itself. If Safe Church owns the ministry, then everyone else is off the hook, right?

This is a painful election that is in many ways dividing this country and the church. But please, when it comes to assault against women, let’s not be divided.

Safe Church Ministry is called to equip congregations in abuse awareness, prevention, and response. “It’s a ridiculous mandate,” I’ve heard myself say. It can be overwhelming, with progress slower than I'd like. 

During the Rio Olympics, a disappointing report was unveiled, detailing years of USA Gymnastics ignoring allegations of sexual abuse of gymnasts by coaches. The report is a stark reminder that fighting for justice is never an easy task.

When we feel safe, we can be curious, learn, and grow—attributes that we especially want to foster in our children and youth. As faith communities, we need to invest time and resources into safety. 

How can the church do justice to the reality of abuse—which means we need to hear more allegations, not fewer—without being controlled by a fear of false allegations?

When we tolerate subtle abuses of power on a daily basis, drawing a line in the sand once a situation has gotten out of control becomes incredibly difficult, almost impossible.  

Before we can prevent and respond to abuse we need a basic awareness of what abuse is. What are the dynamics? Are there signs that can help us recognize it? 

The most powerful agent for hope, healing and justice for abuse survivors in the church is something both simple and surprisingly elusive: people of compassion.

In her recent book Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife, Ruth Tucker offers a compelling and harrowing account of the ways in which unchallenged assumptions about gender hierarchy can create a climate of enabling abuse within the church.

When is it the right decision to leave an abusive marriage? This anonymous author shares her painful journey of wrestling with the decision to leave an emotionally abusive marriage.