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Clergy and Educator Abuse Survivors Empowered!

Recommendations

Recommendations from the W.A.S.H. Board to Seventh-day Adventist Church Members:

Re: Physical and sexual abuse within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.        

Whereas, only a few churches and conferences are actively dealing with the problem of abuse of members in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and

Whereas, members have been harmed by this vice by family, other church members, and church leaders who have told victims and their families to be silent and not to take action to stop the abuse, and

Whereas, we recognize that it is up to us as church members, working with church leadership to bring about a change in this destructive abuse within our midst, for WE ARE THE CHURCH, and

Whereas, we want to protect ourselves, our children and our grandchildren from being placed in an environment that may result in severe spiritual and emotional damage, and

Whereas, we want to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and hasten our God's return to put an end to all sin so that live harmed by sin can be fully restored in heaven, and

Whereas, we recognize that victims and their families now need to  be able to come into the church and feel safe from further harm and to find healing from the damage they have experienced, therefore

            

IT IS RECOMMENDED that we, as members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, acknowledge the wrong that has been done to victims and their families by keeping silent and actively work with our church and conference leadership to stop offenders from continuing to damage children or adults. Our actions will include the following.

1.    Apologizing and seeking forgiveness from known victims for our past silence, and in general to those victims who may be unknown.

2.    Collectively working with church leadership in sponsoring and conducting training seminars for church leaders and members on the subject of abuse prevention.

3.    Affirming our commitment as church members and conference leaders to this work of cleansing the church of this evil through the power of the Holy Spirit, which will prepare us for heaven.(1)

4.    Bringing healing and comfort to victims of abuse by showing acceptance and care, and sharing sources of help, such as organizations, books, and names of qualified counselors.

5.    Bringing to the attention of offenders sources of help, such as organizations, books, and names of qualified counselors.

 

 (1) Exodus 25, Testimonies Vol. 8, P 104 "What Might Heaven Been"

 

W.A.S.H. Board Recommendation to the Association of Adventist Women:

Re: Our response to physical and sexual abuse within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Whereas, the Association of Adventist Women realizes that we must acknowledge collectively and individually our neglect of the issue of sexual and physical abuse in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and

Whereas, we recognize that we must put a stop to this abuse that has affected too many generations of Seventh-day Adventists, and

Whereas, victims have all too often been damaged repeatedly because there has been no definitive action to protect our children and members from this abuse, and

Whereas, both victims and perpetrators need treatment, and

Whereas, it is imperative to focus on prevention and treatment at the local conference level, therefore

IT IS RECOMMENDED that the Association of Adventist Women actively participate with church leadership in acknowledging to victims the fact that abuse has not been dealt with properly before, bringing healing into their lives, and developing prevention strategies for the future.

W.A.S.H. Board Recommendations 1993 to the North American Division (NAD)

Re: Physical and sexual abuse within the NAD of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Whereas, the Seventh-day Adventist Church's global mission is to contact people who have not been reached before with the gospel, and an additional goal of the NAD is to regain former members, and

Whereas, the church recognizes a responsibility to provide a safe place for children and members to be free from sexual, physical, and mental abuse, and

Whereas, the NAD has organized a Sexual Ethics Commission, therefore

IT IS RECOMMENDED that the NAD take a strong position against abuse and endeavor to prevent our church in North America from becoming a haven for abusers, thus attracting many former members who have been harmed by physical, mental, or sexual abuse; these goals will be accomplished by:

1.    Utilizing a network of trained counselors through the Sexual Ethics Commission so that each union will have a list of resources available for their conferences.

2.    Holding accountable perpetrators of abuse by strongly insisting that a known abuser be dis-fellowshipped. When a church employee is charged with sexual misconduct, it is imperative that proper testing be done by competent therapists which will help to establish built or innocence. When a church member is charged with sexual misconduct testing should be recommended to help determine guilt or innocence. An offender could apply for membership again when recommended corrective procedures have been followed, including acknowledging their wrong doing to the victim(s) and long term counseling for the abuser. An offender must continue to be monitored and must never work or be alone with children.

3.    A firm statement by the NAD President that a strong stand will be taken against this abuse to be published in the Adventist Review and the union papers.

4.    Affirming local conferences (such as Georgia, Idaho, Oregon, and Kentucky/Tennessee) who are leading out in abuse prevention through Family Life Ministries and professionally trained counselors, as well as encouraging other conferences to also provide similar education.

5.    Counseling pastors and church leaders to report abuse of a minor to state authorities as required by state law.

W.A.S.H. Board Recommendation to The General Conference:

Re: Physical and sexual abuse within the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Whereas the problem of abuse exists in all divisions of the church, and

Whereas the global mission of the church is to contact people who have not been reached before with the gospel and

Whereas the church also wants to reclaim former members, and

Whereas the church needs to be strong and filled with the Holy Spirit to finish the task here on earth and recognizes it's weakness and frailty and need of repentance, therefore

IT IS RECOMMENDED that the issure of abuse be addressed by the church's highest authority in order to bring about repentance and healing for perpetrators and victims, so that the church can become a hospitable place, reclaiming former members as well as bringing healing to members that have suffered harm. This can be accomplished by such means as:

1.    A firm statement, by the President, (joined by other leaders) that a strong stand will be taken against abuse, to be published in the Adventist Review, division, and union papers.

2.    Providing guidelines for abuse prevention to all divisions.

3.    Affirming those Division that are addressing the problem of abuse within the church.

4.    Encouraging church leadership worldwide to take steps to deal with existing cases of church members' abuse in appropriate ways. 

The NAD Sexual Ethics Commission met last week, March 18. After about 4 long years of working the document: "Sexual Misconduct in Church Relationships" is released.

Every Church, School, Institution should have this document. This is the new policy book involving denominational employees and volunteers showing model procedures.

It's published by the North American Division of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Office of Human Relations, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600.

You should be able to get a copy by contacting your local conference or union office or directly to the Office of Human Relations.

This pamphlet covers from the Introduction, Purpose, Guiding Principles and Concepts, Selection of Sexual Ethics Pool, Preliminary Process, Investigative Process, Responses, Appeal, and Education and Prevention.

It is important that this be distributed throughout our church.

Peggy Harris

Member of NAD Sexual Ethics Commission

Chair: W.A.S.H. Board

S.O.C. Pledge

(Safeguard Our Children)

A specialty of W.A.S.H. (Women and Men Against Sexual Harassment and Other Abuses)

BECAUSE, parents stand as representatives of God for their Children;

BECAUSE, toleration of abuse had effectively blocked the revelation of the love of God to thousands of children generation after generation;

BECAUSE, we want to stop the cycle of denial, facilitate healing and safeguard our children for eternity;

BECAUSE, as Christian parents and church community we share responsibility in the development of our children;

BECAUSE, four primary maltreatment categories of child abuse are now recognized in reporting laws:

1.    Physical abuse - the non-accidental physical injury of a child;

2.    Physical neglect - the failure to supply the essentials of life to a child;

3.    Sexual abuse - the sexual exploitation of a child;

4.    Emotional abuse - the infliction of psychological or emotional injury upon a child.

BECAUSE, there are several additional types of child abuse:

1.    Moral neglect - occurs when a child is subjected to influences which have or may corrupt the child;

2.    Medical neglect - occurs when the child's need for medical care is ignored;

3.    Educational neglect - occurs when there is failure to provide the education required by law;

4.    Community neglect - occurs when the community fails to provide the support and service necessary to insure the health and welfare of all children;

5.    Passive abuse - occurs when the passive abuser never actually lays a hand on the child but paves the way for abuse, sets it up, and allows it to occur by manipulating someone else into acting out feelings;

6.    Corporal punishment abuse - occurs when unreasonably severe physical punishment is combined with rage and inflicts injury upon children;

 

BECAUSE, we recognize that when a child has been sexually abused there is rage, hopelessness, helplessness and memory which is imprinted on the child forever;

WE WILL provide safe environments in home, church and school for our children.

WE WILL no longer allow offenders to continue taking the Lord's name in vain by perpetrating abuse upon children generation after generation.

WE WILL assist victims to obtain proper help for healing and restoration.

WE WILL make sure that offenders of children's safety are taught to avoid high risk situations and never be placed in an environment alone with children again.

WE WILL educate the church community through seminars, workshops, sermons, papers, videos, tapes, brochures, and other resources, in schools, churches, camp meetings, retreats, etc. on how to proved safe environments and healing for victims.

WE WILL learn the signals of abuse and never ignore again the silent cry of a child for help.

WE WILL recognize that training and education is the best preventative measure to protect children.

 

SIGNED:_____________________________________

 

 

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