Response Team



As a former church administration professional, I understand how church staffs and offices operate.  As a survivor of pastoral emotional and sexual abuse,  I understand what the response to reporting or discovery should look like.  The point is that the response/investigation be completely unbiased and unaffected by any church staff, pastor, elder, etc.

First, I think every church should have a response team to investigate harassment reports.
 1.  On the team/committee:
  • Leadership - the senior or executive pastor and one elder/deacon, maybe one other staff member
  • Membership - someone in law enforcement, a counselor/therapist (not of either the victim or accused) , a survivor of abuse, a business leader, an attorney (only for knowledge of law, not to represent the church or the victim)
  • At least half of the response team/committee are women
  • Appointed by the church body, not church leadership/pastors/elders
  • Of course, if the harassment accusation is against any one these, they are then off of the team during the investigation
2. A chairperson and secretary are selected by the team/committee
  • Neither the pastor nor elder may be chairman or secretary
3.  An email address is created for the purpose of reporting (eg. reporting@nameofchurch.org)
  • That email address is forwarded to every single member on the team/committee - meaning when a report is emailed to that address, every member gets it at the same time.
  • No reporting to the pastor or supervisor
4.  Upon receiving a report of harassment, the chairperson will call meeting
  • most immediate determination is to be sure victim is safe
  • does this need to be reported to  civil authorities (police)?
  • does accused need to be placed on temporary leave?

5.  Interviewing Victim
  • not the whole board
  • female if victim is female
  • do research on this to be sure interview doesn't further victimize
  • do research on the typical language of a victim

6.  Interviewing the Accuser
  • not the whole board
  • not the pastor/elder
  • do research on the typical language/tactics of an abuser
  • retrieve computer, phone, passwords


Someone is assigned to walk with the victim
  • not related to anyone on the response team
  • relationship completely confidential -- same as doctor/client confidentiality practice
  • does not report specific information to response team

Someone assigned to walk with accused

​