“Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
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Abuse Happens.
Research and reports show us that abuse happens, even when someone says they are a faithful servant to Jesus. One liability insurance shares that the second most common reason that churches pay out lawsuits is sexual abuse. Paul reminds us in Acts 20:29: “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” Churches and Christian homes are not spared from the abuse epidemic, though we often think that truly we know and can trust everyone.
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Reporting Is Necessary.
Romans 13 tells us to obey the laws of our governing authority - and these laws include reporting abuse that we are made aware of in every state and territory in the United States. As the Church, we have not been given the governing authority or the training to manage allegations of abuse or neglect. Knowing your state’s reporting laws and your liability insurance requirement's are great places to start, but responding doesn’t end there.
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Response Impacts Faith.
Article after article tells us why people are leaving Christianity, which are likely confirmed by your experiences in shepherding. Evidence-based reviews tell us that the response of a church to abuse negatively impacts faith formation, breaks trust with both the Church and faith leaders, and leaves the affected feeling empty and lost - with many people leaving the faith altogether. My own experience as a therapist confirms that many victims leave the faith after their abuse being mishandled.
When abuse happens in churches and ministries, pastors and staff are scrambling to know what to do and where to turn and how to report what’s happened. Victims and their families are hurting and asking for immediate help, and they often struggle with accepting involvement from the child protective services and law enforcement out of fear of what can happen. If you don’t have an abuse response plan in place in advance, you are going to make decisions that are rooted in fear, unintentional ignorance, and misinformation. As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
That’s where I come in.
I’m an abuse response expert, able to guide churches and ministries - big and small. My experience is in both creating policies to prevent and respond to abuse before it happens and in navigating the crisis of abuse after it’s happened. My role in all of this is to be your guide, your cheerleader, and your advocate, working alongside you “heartily, as for the LORD and not for men.” Our goal is to glorify God in every aspect of response planning, ensuring that we uphold “justice for the needy” and “walk humbly” in how we care for the vulnerable with whom God has gifted us.
No matter where you are in your abuse response planning journey, I’d love to be a guide for your team and come alongside you - even in times of distress.
Abuse Response Planning in the Prevention Stage
This is for churches and ministries looking to get help before anything has come to light. This is a great option if you are working on developing a child protection program or if your liability insurance is asking for your abuse response plan. It’s also helpful to bring me in if you have one in place, but you aren’t sure how robust it is or what needs to be added.
Abuse Response Navigation and Crisis Management
This is for churches and ministries that are actively navigating an abuse allegation, whether it’s “external” (took place off your property and not during your programming) or “internal” (took place on your property or during your programming). I help you figure out what your next steps are and how to communicate what’s happened to your people. I guide you in how to navigate this crisis, one step at a time, with examples of communications and documentation - along with lots of prayer. Sometimes, I am requested to be in person, but a virtual option is always available as well.
Abuse Response Evaluation and Future Response Planning
This is geared toward churches and ministries who have experienced abuse allegations coming to light and have responded, usually with a resolution at the point of contacting me. I come in, look at the steps taken, and celebrate with you what went right. I also help find areas for improvement, ways to continue to navigate victim support, and steps for creating a response plan for any future cases.
Testimonials from churches and peers.
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"When we called you, we were lost, mainly because we never thought something like this would happen to us. Having you support us not only in that awful first two weeks but over the last year has been a gift from God. We are so grateful for you and all of your help."
R.A. (protected for confidentiality)
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"When it comes to abuse response, I don't know anyone who explains and teaches this better than you. I would truly consider you the expert on abuse response."
Jeff D., abuse prevention and response peer
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"Meeting with you was like a breath of fresh air. We've been struggling so much over the last few months, navigating this stuff. Having someone guide us, cheer us on where we did right, and share insight on what we could improve was so helpful."
K.M. (protected for confidentiality)
