UMC.org - Latest Comments in MN suit - UMC.org

Re: MN suit - UMC.org

Victoria — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:37:18 -0000

This is a difficult time. The good news is that we are all more aware that abuse can happen and can take action to prevent it, as Minnesota Conference does to a significant extent--requiring clergy to take training every five years, undergo psychological screenings, submit to background checks, teaching safe-sanctuary practices, continues to review its policies, works to eliminate clergy isolation, and more. The unfortunate news is that the failure of other organizations to act responsibly has tainted not only all church leaders but all churches and church members, even those have worked hard for justice for a victim. The important thing is for all Christians to take this very seriously and do everything they can to stop abuse from happening to anyone else.

Re: MN suit - UMC.org

UMNS editor — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:14:11 -0000

Darryl Stephens got those figures from Sally B. Dolch, a researcher at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington. She based her research on interviews with conference sexual ethics response team leaders. In The United Methodist Church, sexual misconduct can include: child abuse, adult sexual abuse, harassment, rape or sexual assault, sexualized verbal comments or visuals, unwelcome touching and advances, use of sexualized materials including pornography, stalking, sexual abuse of youth or those without capacity to consent or misuse of the pastoral or ministerial position using sexualized conduct to take advantage of the vulnerability of another. Thank you for your questions.

Re: MN suit - UMC.org

Meredith Indermaur — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:23:10 -0000

Clergy sexual abuse (CSA) is in every denomination and religion world-wide; the numbers are staggering. Although the UMC states that there are 140 to 500 cases annually just within the UMC in the U.S., there are many more cases that go unreported. Victims are afraid to come forward. Anyone who calls on a pastor for counseling is vulnerable, and it would be wise for the church to define vulnerability more broadly than it does currently. According Diana Garland, Dean of the School of Social Work at Baylor University, 1 in 33 adult women who regularly attend church are victims of CSA. (www.baylor.edu/clergysexual.... While it's all well and good that the UMC and other denominations have mandatory sexual ethics training and are taught about CSA, the problem continues. I am a victim of CSA, and I can tell you that the only way to stop it is to educate congregations. Awareness is key. Tell the people in the pews what to look for. Parishioners should be on the look out for one another, and pastors and congregations must hold each other accountable. Make it the highest priority to put Safe Sanctuary policies in place in every church and announce it from the pulpits. Everyone who attends church should be made aware that CSA exists, should know how to spot it and encouraged to report it. Create a central repository for tracking CSA/CSM complaints; hide nothing. Do these things and watch the complaint numbers drop.

The case mentioned in this article should be a huge call to action for the church. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Re: MN suit - UMC.org

Creed Pogue — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:26:56 -0000

Where does the figure of 140 to 500 cases of clergy sexual misconduct come from? Even 140 would mean that about about 1 out of 200 active clergy are involved? Or, are we using a very broad definition?

The Paup case raised the concern of vague charges being used to attack a pastor for unChristian reasons.

It should be a concern to everyone that Bishop Dyck says that she did everything she could but the jury came to a different conclusion. Obviously, we need to retain the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty but we should not make the same mistakes that the Catholics have.