Shalom Mennonite Congregation is a faith community in the Mennonite and Anabaptist tradition that seeks to be a safe environment for all, with respectful personal interactions, intergenerational trust, and a consistently safe environment for our children and youth. It notes with sadness the increase in our culture in the reported instances of child abuse and maltreatment. We do not know whether these problems are becoming increasingly prevalent in our culture or whether more and more people are gaining the courage to break the silence that has for generations surrounded such abuse. We do know that we wish to protect our children from abuse and maltreatment, and our congregation from the potential damage of a reported incident, whether true or false. We know that religious institutions are particularly vulnerable for many reasons: we are welcoming, non-exclusionary and very accepting; we rely upon volunteers to carry out much of our work; we are vulnerable to loss of membership; and we may carry a false sense of security. However, as we desire to embody Christ’s peace and compassion we are compelled to create a policy that reflects our value and protection of the most vulnerable among us.
This policy is a living document attempting to address the current safety concerns and visions of a healthy community and the congregation may in future years wish to amend it to reflect changing needs.
I. Philosophy Statement
We, the members of SMC, are aware of the prevalence of sexual abuse and harassment in our culture; that it crosses gender, race, and class lines; and that we as a congregation have a responsibility and an investment in the protection of our children and adults from possible violence or sexual abuse imposed on them by others. Statistics indicate that, in any group of organized people, there are a number of survivors of sexual abuse, and that others, including many of our children, are at risk.
Our commitment, as Mennonites, to the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and to justice and compassion, compels us to create a safe environment that protects children and adults from harm, and promotes their spiritual growth.
We believe our congregation is in a unique position to respond to this challenge. SMC is a special place that values highly the ideals of community and the search for God’s truth through mercy and justice. It is a place that encourages personal growth and supports individuals and families in their efforts to build better lives and a better society.
II. Affirmation of Responsibility
We accept the responsibility to educate all adults and children about sexual misconduct, abuse, molestation, harassment, and exploitation.Perhaps more importantly, we dedicate ourselves to educate our congregation on healthy sexuality to build healthy boundaries and expectations within our congregation.We also pledge to do our best to protect and support those who come to us either at risk or in crisis.
III. Preventing Sexual Abuse and Maltreatment
We at SMC acknowledge that preventing sexual abuse and harassment in our congregation is a complex goal. In exploring this issue, we have learned that preventive education, careful hiring procedures, and policies regulating the circumstances surrounding youth/adult interactions are concrete steps toward creating a safe environment for all concerned.
A. Education and Training
We see education at all ages and levels of development as critical to the creation of a safe environment for growth. Information, knowledge, and understanding support the development of healthier relationships based on self-esteem and respect for others.
Inasmuch as it is our intention to promote personal responsibility among both our children and our adult membership, we will attempt to provide the following as part of our Sunday school program:
1. General support for our teachers, youth leaders, and parents in the areas of parenting skills, growth and development, sexuality, and related issues.
2. On-going training for teachers and leaders of youth programs, the Safe Congregations Committee, and the congregation in general, including discussion of the need to create a safe space for children and adults.This would include education on our policy, healthy sexuality, preventing sexual assault, as well as how to handle a suspected case of child sexual abuse. This training will be open to everyone in the congregation and will be held once a year provided by qualified personnel.
3. Age-appropriate information about human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior and sexual health for our children and youth, including sexual abuse prevention.
4. Access to resources including a resource list and books that will be made available in the church library to the congregation.
5. Provide on-going opportunities to educate the congregation through worship and 2nd hour.For example:
·Sermon on child sexual abuse
·Include a bulletin insert on the safe congregation policy
·Hold a healing service for survivors
·Write a Pastor’s letter to members
·Conduct an Adult Religious Education class or series on healthy sexuality, prevention of sexual abuse and other related topics
The ideal we strive for is to create a church culture where sexuality is taught and received as an affirmation of our selves and bodies as gifts from God.This will be found in all aspects of the church life, both formally and informally.
B. Procedures for Hiring Staff and Recruiting Volunteers
Religious institutions are particularly vulnerable to charges of sexual misconduct because they make such valiant efforts to welcome everyone and automatically assume a level of trust. Since incidents of sexual abuse usually take place in the context of an ongoing relationship, it is essential that recruitment and hiring procedures be established that protect the children in our programs, protect staff and volunteers from false accusations, and protect the SMC from liability. We feel a legal and moral responsibility to approach this directly, although we feel a deep sadness that it is necessary.
The following procedures will be used by committees and individuals responsible for hiring employees and for recruiting volunteers:
1. Employees of the Church
All persons seeking paid employment at SMC who have contact with children will complete an application for employment that will include questions about criminal conviction and about previous experience in the supervision of children and youth which would affect their ability to be considered. It is our intent that final applicants will be screened by the Education Committee or Servants Council, who will contact references, record such contacts, and conduct a formal interview with the candidate. Where appropriate, background checks will be conducted. The application forms will be considered confidential and subject to review only by the appropriate individuals. Each employee will be given a copy of the SMC Safe Congregations Policy and any other pertinent policies or handbook. All employees will be required to acknowledge that they have received, read and understand the aforesaid policies.
2. Volunteers Working with Children and Youth
All persons volunteering to work as teachers with children or youth at SMC will ordinarily have been associated with this congregation for at least six months. They will be given a copy of the Safe Congregations Policy, and will be required to annually sign the document “Memo of Understanding for Child and Youth Workers” (Attachment 3). This will be implemented by the Education Committee, usually as part of our celebration of Sunday School on “Back to School Sunday” in September.
C. Guidelines for the Conduct of All Sunday School Programs
The following guidelines for Sunday School and other activities with children and youth will be implemented:
1. There will be two adults in each classroom on Sunday mornings.
2. Teachers will be instructed to release younger children from class only to their parents. Older children will be released to join family members at an agreed upon time.
3. Permission Policies must be signed by parents for youth trips or outside activities.
IV. Response to Concerns Dealing with Sexual Abuse and Maltreatment
As members of SMC, it is our goal to educate and prepare ourselves so that we can respond rationally, compassionately, and with unity of purpose should we suspect, or be confronted with, an incident or disclosure of sexual misconduct or abuse.
We wish to respond to individuals in crisis in a spirit of support and understanding, and to promote justice and healing, remembering that “support” is staying engaged with someone in the search for truth and healing. We desire to protect the children in our care, to support survivors, and to foster an environment within which they can continue to heal.
One of the first steps in creating a healing community is to create an environment of trust within which both victims and offenders feel safe enough to break the silence about what has happened. Given the obstacles that victims and offenders must overcome in order to break their silences, any disclosure should be viewed as a serious event. It is essential that disclosures be met with an appropriate and supportive reaction on the part of its recipient and the community. Inappropriate reactions or a lack of reaction can result in a recurrence of abuse and may inhibit the victim or offenders from seeking help in the future.
We seek, therefore, to set up a response process that respects the safety of all involved. The Safe Congregations Committee will serve as a resource for responding to disclosures of this nature.
A. The Safe Congregations Committee
The Safe Congregations Committee will be made up of the pastor(s), chair of Servants Council, and two other members of the congregation, with a strong preference for individuals with experience in counseling. This committee will be a subcommittee of the Pastoral Team.An effort will be made to insure that there is a gender balance on the Committee.The Committee will be in place at all times, with the names and phone numbers available to all members of the SMC. In cases of a conflict of interest, a team member may be excused from participation and replaced by a suitable alternate.
Anyone who has concerns about inappropriate sexual conduct, violence, intimidation, or physical abuse by child-care workers, teachers, or others in the congregation will be able to receive guidance from the Safe Congregations Committee. These individuals will be knowledgeable about available resources, as well as about reporting procedures for children under Virginia State Law. They will proceed at all times in a sensitive and confidential manner.
Abuse, neglect, or violence may either be self-reported by a child or offender, or may be suspected because of the child’s behavior or appearance. If reasonable suspicion exists, any church congregant is urged to contact a member of the Committee without delay, so that guidance can be given. That Committee member will contact the Committee as a whole as soon as possible.(In addition to all the foregoing, if these concerns are about the conduct of a pastor, the congregant may receive assistance from any other member of the Committee to bring the concerns to the attention of the congregation or the conference if applicable.)
As they look to their religious community for nurture and support, children or adult survivors of sexual abuse, victims of violence and purported perpetrators seeking treatment may use the Committee as a resource. The Committee will suggest community resources as appropriate.
B. Definitions
This webpage is a helpful resource for Virginia reporting guidelines and laws.http://www.dss.virginia.gov/family/cps/mandated_reporters.cgi
C. Concerns Relating to a Congregant Convicted or Charged with Child Sexual Abuse
It is extremely important that in cases where a recovering offender or someone charged with a sex offense is known in the congregation that the community operate with extreme care and intention.Situations when the victim and offender are both in the congregation must be addressed differently than those where a recovering offender needs ongoing accountability but has been offense free for many years.The congregation will make use of limited access agreements (Attachment 1) as needed to hold the dignity of the offender while limiting their involvement in the church life.In some cases the church reserves the right to exclude a person from all church activities.Some cases include:
·Refusal for the pastor to contact the treatment provider and parole officer.
·Refusal to go for a risk assessment with a qualified therapist.
·Report by a treatment provider that the individual is at too high risk for recidivism.
·Refusal to sign a Limited Access Agreement.
·Refusal to comply with the requirements of the Limited Access Agreement.
Once an individual decides that they can comply with these conditions, the process would begin again to reassess the individual and see if they could be welcomed into the life of the congregation anew.
V. Conclusion
It is ultimately the responsibility of the entire congregation, not just those in leadership positions, to create and maintain a climate that supports the growth and welfare of children and youth. Such a climate provides the greatest potential for growth and fulfillment of us all. It is our belief that by honoring these commitments we are making a substantial contribution to the creation of a spiritual community that reflects our highest ideals and goals.
Attachment 1
Confidential
Limited Access Agreement
Shalom Mennonite Congregation has reason for concern that your contact with children and/or youth in our congregation potentially places both you and them at risk of incident or accusation.SMC thus stipulates the policy guidelines in this Agreement.Within these guidelines, SMC welcomes your participation in worship services, committee meetings, adult discussion groups, and adult social events.The guidelines are as follows:
1.Avoid all contact with children and youth on church property or at church-sponsored events including:
-refraining from any contact with children and youth.
-not volunteering or chaperone for children or youth events.
-remaining in the presence of an adult at all times when children are in the building.
-not entering into conversations with children.
2.You may not attend coffee hour or intergenerational events.*
3.You will have access to a Pastoral Associate for support and problem solving around limited access.
4.SMC will attempt to keep this matter as confidential as possible, while ensuring the church remains a safe place for our children.Please consider the Minister(s) and the Chair of the Board of Trustees as your contact persons should further questions arise.
*Should you already be under the supervision of a chaperone via parole, probation or state sexual offender program, attendance will be considered by the Minister(s), the Servants Council Chair and Education Coordinator.
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Agreement
I have reviewed this policy and agree to abide by it or I will relinquish my participation and membership in this church.
To provide a safe and nurturing environment for the children and youth who participate in our congregational programs the following guidelines have been established for those who want to work with our children and youth.The Servants Council and Education Committee will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the Safe Congregations Policy with all church employees and/or volunteers.
1)All individuals who seek to volunteer with the children and/or youth will sign annually a memo of understanding.
2)All paid employees who have contact directly with children and youth must give permission for a police background check.Only the pastor will read the background check and only the Servants Council chair will read the pastor’s background check.
3)Volunteers will have attended SMC regularly for at least six months prior to volunteering for activities involving the supervision of groups of children (i.e. Sunday School teachers or nursery workers).
4)Volunteers will have attended SMC regularly for at least two years prior to volunteering for activities involving regular off-grounds supervision of groups of youth (youth sponsors or individuals (youth mentors).A police background check will be required if deemed appropriate.
5)Any person convicted of physical and/or sexual abuse will not be approved as a child/youth worker.
Attachment 3
Memo of Understanding For Child and Youth Workers
Shalom Mennonite Congregation
SMC is committed to providing a safe, secure and healthy environment for all children and youth who participate in its ministries and activities. The Safe Congregation Policy reflects our congregation’s commitment to preserving this space a holy place of safety and protection for all who would enter and as a place in which all people can experience God’s love, healing and hope through relationships with others.
Thank you for your commitment to our children, youth, and congregation!
As a volunteer/staff member in this congregation:
1) Do you agree to promptly report to someone on the Safe Congregation Committee any incident of abuse, including emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse or, ongoing bullying/intimidation? _______ yes______ no
2) If you are under the age of 18, do you agree to work under adult supervision at all times?_______ yes______ no
3) Do you agree to observe and abide by the Safe Congregation Policy and the guidelines regarding working with children and youth? _______ yes______ no
4) If you will be working as a youth mentor, youth sponsor, or as paid staff, do you agree to allow SMC to conduct a background check, including a police report?
_______ yes______ no
5) Have you ever been charged with or convicted of sexual abuse?
_______ yes______ no
6) Have you ever been charged with a crime involving child abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or other violence?_______ yes______ no
If you have answered yes to either question 5 or 6, please return your form to a pastor or Safe Congregation Committee member to ensure your confidentiality.
I have read the Safe Congregation Policy and this memo of understanding, and I agree to observe and abide by the policies set forth therein.
