Safe Church

We know that too often churches have been places where people have been hurt, but we believe strongly that churches can also be places of healing.

CommonWord is partnering with Mennonite Central Committee and contributes resources to abuseresponseandprevention.ca. This joint web initiative provides materials for survivors of abuse, their caregivers, pastors and congregations, and those who abuse. Topics covered include “Intimate Partner Violence,” “Child Abuse,” “Elder Abuse,” “Sexual Violence,” “Online Abuse & Safety,” and “Clergy Sexual Misconduct.”

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Additional related resources can be found at CommonWord

Contact your regional church to report abuse (or receive additional procedural information).

Faith Trust Institute recommendations for Mennonite Church Canada and MCEC

In December 2020, Mennonite Church Canada engaged Faith Trust Institute (FTI) to review challenging situations related to MCEC leadership and congregational conflict. FTI provided the following list of recommendations. Some of the recommendations are already in process or had been developed prior to the release of the recommendations. MC Canada and MC USA are currently in the process of updating the leadership guidelines for the Mennonite Church, including updating the misconduct policy. These recommendations will further support that process. MC Canada governance leaders accepted the findings and recommendations, and shared them with MCEC. The MCEC Executive Council accepted the recommendations in full on November 16, 2021, and commits to implement them.

The vision statement of Mennonite Church Canada, which includes MCEC, is as follows:

God calls us to be followers of Jesus Christ and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to grow as communities of grace, joy and peace, so that God's healing and hope flow through us to the world.

MCEC is grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow from these recommendations as we seek to live into the vision to be communities of grace, joy and peace.

Recommendations:

Conduct refresher training for MCEC and MC Canada leaders on trauma-informed practice with victims, accused, and whistleblowers, particularly within “call-out” culture.

Provide training resources for congregational leaders on trauma-informed practice with victims, accused, and whistleblowers, particularly within “call-out” culture.
Update the misconduct policy (MSMPP) with a specific rubric for non-sexual misconduct, describing and addressing harassment, retaliatory behavior, and confidentiality.
Conduct training for MC_C leaders, Conference leaders, pastors, and congregations on the roles and responsibilities of the Conference leadership, particularly in processing a case of ministerial misconduct.
Conduct training and track compliance on healthy boundaries for ministers as well as healthy boundaries for congregants, including the power and sacred role of the pastor, self-care and emotional intelligence, navigating conflict, use of social media, and bullying and harassment behavior.
Clarify scope and role of Conference Ministers [MCEC] in employment relationships with pastors.
Conduct training for congregations on congregational employment process and practice.

Update the misconduct policy (MSMPP) with a specific rubric for non-sexual misconduct, describing and addressing harassment, retaliatory behavior, bullying, and confidentiality.

Establish a social media policy template for the congregational setting.
Establish a congregant/lay (non-credentialed) abuse policy and procedure template for the congregational setting including a policy on sexual harassment, retaliatory behavior, and confidentiality.
Establish a template on workplace harassment policy per Canadian law for use in a congregation setting.
Update resource guidelines and accessibility (on MC_C and all affiliated conference websites) for congregations and pastors around Pastoral leadership priorities, expectations, guidelines for review, and the role of the Pastor Congregational Relations Committee.
Provide training resources for congregations on healthy boundaries for both pastors and congregants including the power and sacred role of the pastor, self-care and emotional intelligence, navigating “conflict,” use of social media, and harassment behavior.
Provide training resources for congregations and mandatory congregant leader training on congregational employment process and practice.

• Conduct further training for pastors and congregations on the roles and responsibilities of the regional church leadership, particularly in cases of ministerial misconduct.