“We will not bury our heads to act as if abuse does not happen,” said Ivan Williams, director of the North American Division (NAD) Association during his opening remarks at the NAD enditnow Summit on Abuse’s first day, September 24.
The two-day summit, held at the NAD headquarters in Columbia, Md., was organized to help equip pastors, teachers, volunteers, church staff, and members with the tools and knowledge to help end abuse within their scope of influence. As part of the Church’s “enditnow” campaign, the summit featured a number of experts ranging from church leaders and administrators, advocates, attorneys, and women who shared their personal encounters with abuse.
“This is an annual event with different presenters and different topics every year because we know it's not about just hearing it once,” said Erica Jones, assistant director of NAD Women’s Ministries, and the organizer of the summit. “We have to be reminded [of this issue] and there's always new information coming out.”
Local pastors, leaders, teachers, and students were invited to attend presentations in Spanish on Sept. 24, and in English on Sept. 25. In addition, both days were live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube where viewers from across all the division’s territories and additional countries, including Mexico, Belize, Latvia, Estonia, and Bermuda, were able send questions to the presenters and receive resources.
“Foundational and invaluable principles about and against ‘abuse’ are being shared here. Kudos,” said Lemuel Llaguno Niere through a Facebook comment.
The Facebook live stream in Spanish received nearly 6,500 views within 48 hours of its broadcast, with 858 reactions, comments, and shares. The English stream received 5,572 views within 24 hours, with 1,223 reactions, comments, and shares.
The Church’s Stance
The opening session for the English program was given by Alex Bryant, executive secretary of NAD, who outlined the Church’s polices about abuse. As executive secretary, Bryant oversees the creation, distribution, and inclusion of all of the division’s policies.
“The Church does not tolerate abuse of any form, whether physical, sexual, emotional, or mental,” said Bryant. He says the basis for the policies about abuse are built on the belief that all humans are made in the image of God; therefore, if we mistreat another person, we’re in turn mistreating God.
“We have a God-ordained responsibility is to work to protect those vulnerable around us. So, our policies, our teachings, should be done in a way that will protect the most vulnerable among us, including the children, spouses, and persons in abusive relationships,” said Bryant.
While the Church has numerous policies in place to properly handle abusive situations, Bryant aims to make it easier for leaders to access the policies.
“I think one of the things we can do to help you is to put them all in one place. Right now, they're scattered throughout our policy book,” said Bryant. “One of the things I have pledged myself to do is to try to collect and put them in one place so they may be more easily found, seen, and understood.”
The Cost of Inaction
Kate Ott, associate professor of Christian social ethics at Drew Theological School, and lecturer in practical theology at Yale Divinity School, spoke on the importance of creating healthy boundaries, especially in faith communities. She says while the policies and laws we follow help enforce those boundaries, more is required.
“Religious institutions are not exempt from secular laws, and we shouldn't be. In fact, we should want higher standards,” said Ott. “We are communities of care, trust, respect, and justice. We should be saying ‘The law doesn't go far enough. What else can we do?’”
“In faith communities, we have the moral responsibility and the capacity to respond justly and fairly. We can do this,” said Ott. “The integrity of the ministerial relationship and of our religious institutions is at stake.”
“Doing nothing is not a good alternative,” said David Fournier, vice president, chief client care office for Adventist Risk Management, the official insurance provider of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
“Too often what we the church are accused of, and where we lose our reputation, is for all the things we didn't say, the things we didn't do, the results we never achieved.”
Defining Accountability
In addition to being held accountable by Church policies, the leaders, teachers, and volunteers of Adventist churches and schools are held accountable by the law to report cases of abuse.
“Legal responsibility comes under mandatory reporting,” said Krista Blakeney-Mitchell, associated director for Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Assistance Program for the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to Mitchell, a mandatory reporter is someone whose professional job or position makes them obligated to report any suspected abuse.
“Mandatory reporters recognize, respond, and report [abuse], and then you're done,” said Mitchell. On the other hand, “accountability can be a lifetime commitment.” Mitchell defines accountability as being informed, knowing limitations, providing ongoing support, and making a difference.
“Community accountability, especially when it's in the church, is going that extra mile. We know we have a moral, God-fearing responsibility, but in addition to that, we have a responsibility to try to make this world a better place,” said Mitchell. “If we truly believe in doing that, it's not worrying about whether you're a mandatory reporter or not.”
Some may find it difficult to hold a fellow Christian accountable for their actions, especially if the perpetrator is well-known and loved. However, that should not impede the reporting process.
“Our duty is to report,” said Tony Anobile, NAD vice president for Multilingual Ministries. “It is uncomfortable, and sometimes it puts us at odds with people, but I would rather do that and know that I’ve done my job and have a clear conscious than try to look the other way and not do anything.”
Mitchell emphasized the same sentiment. “Regardless of whether you're a mandatory reporter, you're accountable for your brother, your sister. When communities take on the mission of accountability, progress is imminent.”
Further information:
If you are in immediate need of help, the “enditnow” website can connect you to resources in your area.
The Seventh-day Church in North America also offers a silent whistle programthat allows users to send anonymous reports of abuse. Visit silentwhistle.com, then click on “file an ethics/compliance incident report,” then enter “Adventist.” The reports go to the Office of General Counsel for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
To watch the presentations from the NAD Summit on Abuse, visit Facebook.com/enditnowNAD, or youtube.com/nadadventist. Visit the NAD Flickr page to see photo coverage of the summit.