Forma’s position on A073 & A074: Updating Sexual Misconduct Prevention Policies and Resources
A073
Topic/Title: Affirm and Amend Update of Model Policies & Resources for the Prevention of Sexual Misconduct
Proposer: Standing Commission on Lifelong Formation and Education
Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 78th General Convention direct that the 2004 Model Policies developed by The Church Insurance Agency Corporation for the Protection of Children and Youth from Abuse (the “2004 Model Policies”) be updated and supplemented to reflect the experience of the Church in using the 2004 Model Policies and to cover topics such as social media, mission trips, pilgrimages, camp and conference center programs, and other overnight events; and be it further
Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, not later than September 30, 2015, jointly appoint a Special Task Group of five to seven persons with experience in the use and development of Model Policies for Preventing Sexual Misconduct to update, or to oversee the updating of, the 2004 Model Policies; and be it further Resolved, That the updating and supplementing of the 2004 Model Policies be completed by March 31, 2016; and be it further
Resolved, That the Updated Model Policies for the Protection of Children and Youth from Abuse to the Church (the “Updated Model Policies”) be promulgated after they are approved by the Special Task Group; and be it further
Resolved, That the Episcopal Church Center appoint a knowledgeable person to serve as a point of contact for dioceses to obtain information about complying with the 2004 Model Policies and the Updated Model Policies; and be it further
Resolved, That not later than December 31, 2016, the Guidelines for the Protection of Children and Youth of each diocese conform to the Updated Model Policies with due regard to applicable local laws on the subject matters of the Updated Model Policies; and be it further
Resolved, That all dioceses annually confirm, in writing or by email, to a designated office in the Episcopal Church Center, that the Guidelines of the diocese conform to the Updated Model Policies.
Since the current Model Policies were developed in response to 2003:B008 of the 74th General Convention, the Episcopal Church and the cultures we serve in have experienced rapid evolutions in areas of critical concern for the mission of safeguarding all God’s people from harm, abuse, and misconduct.
All ages, in every ministry, need clear model policies for a rapidly changing array of social media and digital communication methods. Furthermore, our public practice of being a church that openly welcomes LGBTQ persons has brought us new challenges that the current Model Policies do not address.
Following our baptismal promise to respect the dignity of all people, we are committed to offering ministries that safeguard human dignity and do no harm. The members of Forma have first-hand experience with the current Model Policies and want to celebrate the hard and dedicated service of the limited staff who are dedicated to these issues.
We affirm the call in A073 to update and supplement the 2004 Model Policies. In particular we urgently recommend updates in areas such as:
- Social media policies that can be applied to current ministry, ready to address the rapidly evolving digital media options.
- Addressing the special concerns of mission trips, pilgrimages, and other overnight events involving travel.
- Addressing the particular concerns of camps and conference centers.
We affirm the call to appoint an advisory committee to include practitioners from a wide variety of ministries and contexts. Furthermore, we would like to recommend that the 78th General Convention also call for the creation of model policies to support ministries that safeguard the dignity of our LGBTQ children, youth, participants, and leaders. The current model policies are ill equipped to safeguard LGBTQ persons in gracious ways.
We also affirm A074, a summons to update and supplement the curricular materials for in-person and digital training with the Safeguarding God’s Children and Safeguarding God’s People programs. This update should address the updated polices recommended in A073, and improve and correct (as needed) the instructional materials. This includes:
- The training of trainers and diocesan administrators in light of the updates and supplements called for in A073, and we support that these updates be easily accessible in a digital format.
- The urgent need to update training materials in areas such as social media and the LGBTQ concerns named above.
- We recommend that an advisory committee of Safeguarding instructors, administrators, local formation leaders, and professional educators be assembled to consult with CPG for the updating of the Safeguarding materials; or that this be included in the scope of the advisory board called for in A073.
The prevention of misconduct, abuse and harm is of utmost importance as we strive to shape lifelong Christian faith and practice. We need exemplary policies that safeguard and training that equips the volunteers and professionals who offer their time and talent to these ministries. Policies and preparation that are in tune with the evolving issues of contextual ministry are critical to our call to strive for justice, peace and nurture human dignity. Help us safeguard the people we are called to serve in Christ’s name.
A074
Topic/Title: Affirm and Amend Update of Model Policies & Resources for the Prevention of Sexual Misconduct
Proposer: Standing Commission on Lifelong Formation and Education
Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 78th General Convention direct that the Episcopal Church Center arrange for the updating or supplementing of written and web-based materials used in the Safeguarding God’s Children and the Safeguarding God’s People programs to reflect the experience of the Church in using the Safeguarding God’s Children and the Safeguarding God’s People materials; and to cover topics such as social media, mission trips, pilgrimages, camp and conference center programs, and other overnight events; and be it further
Resolved, That, in addition to developing printed and web-based versions of the updated or supplemented Safeguarding God’s Children and the Safeguarding God’s People materials, electronic links to the online versions of the Safeguarding God’s Children and the Safeguarding God’s People curricula be made available on The Episcopal Church website; and be it further
Resolved, That the Episcopal Church Center publicize the availability of the revised or supplemented written and web-based Safeguarding God’s Children and the Safeguarding God’s People materials to dioceses and congregations; and be it further
Resolved, That dioceses of The Episcopal Church be required annually to confirm, in writing or by email, to a designated office in the Episcopal Church Center that the diocese and (to the best of its knowledge after due inquiry) congregations in the diocese are training persons in positions of authority (including clergy, staff, vestry, children, and youth educators/leaders and other volunteers) by using the Safeguarding God’s
Children and the Safeguarding God’s People materials or other appropriate materials for this training; and be it further
Resolved, That after the written and web-based Safeguarding God’s Children and the Safeguarding God’s People curricula are revised or supplemented, re-training of trainers be conducted so that the persons conducting training in congregations and dioceses are fully aware of the changes in the training materials and are able to teach them competently; and be it further
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $50,000 for the implementation of this resolution.
Since the current Safeguarding God’s Children materials were developed in response to 2003:B008 of the 74th General Convention, the Episcopal Church and the cultures we serve in have seen swift evolutions in areas of critical concern for the mission of safeguarding all God’s people from harm, abuse, and misconduct.
Furthermore, continuous and widespread use of the materials for in-person training and the online version produced by the Church Pension Group (CPG) have been a blessing, and yet they do contain difficulties, particularly in addressing the evolving concerns of contemporary contexts and minority persons.
Following our baptismal promise to respect the dignity of all people, FORMA is committed to offering ministries that safeguard human dignity and do no harm. We have first-hand experience with the current Safeguarding materials and want to celebrate the hard and dedicated service of the limited staff dedicated to these Safeguarding materials.
We affirm the call in A074, a summons to update and supplement the curricular materials for in-person and digital training with the Safeguarding God’s Children and Safeguarding God’s People programs. This update should address the updated polices recommended in A073, and improve and correct (as needed) the instructional materials. This includes:
- The training of trainers and diocesan administrators in light of the updates and supplements called for in A073, and we support that these updates be easily accessible in a digital format.
- The urgent need to update training materials in areas such as social media, including but not limited to photo use, identifying information, how connections should be initiated and how to report concerns.
- The immediate need to safeguard LGBTQ persons and distinct concerns with gracious procedures and policies. Please see the attached addendum for more information.
- The need to improve the educational principles that shape the instruction.
We recommend that the 78th General convention direct the CPG to develop an advisory committee of Safeguarding instructors, administrators, local formation leaders, and professional educators to consult with CPG for the updating of the Safeguarding materials. The prevention of misconduct, abuse and harm is of utmost importance as we strive to shape lifelong Christian faith and practice. We need exemplary policies that safeguard and training that equips the volunteers and professionals who offer their time and talent to these ministries. Policies and training that are in tune with the evolving issues of contextual ministry are critical to our call to strive for justice, peace and nurture human dignity. Help us safeguard the people we are called to serve in Christ’s name.
Addendum to A073 & A074
Topic/Title: LGBTQ and Gender Variant Inclusive Policy and Practices
Proposer: Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Formation and Education
A073: Update Model Policies for Preventing Sexual Misconduct
A074: Update the Safeguarding Materials
Resolved, that in the updating and supplementing of materials the Episcopal Church Center address the creation of inclusive policy and practices in regard to LGBTQ and gender variant individuals.
The inclusive nature of the Model Policies and Safeguarding God’s Children is of utmost importance as we increase our awareness of our ever more complex and diverse communities. We need inclusive policies that safeguard and training that equips the staff and volunteers who work with God’s people, following the call to respond to human need, transform unjust structures, and safeguard the integrity of creation.
In the current iteration the Model Policies and Safeguarding God’s Children do not provide clear direction for ministry to and with LGBTQ and gender variant individuals. In many communities, staff and volunteers are left devising best practices on their own – including navigating federal and state law without legal recourse. This emerging need is an opportunity for us to live into our baptismal covenant to respect the dignity of every human being.
We affirm the need for an addendum to the current Resolutions A073 and A074 to address inclusive policy and practices in the proposed update and supplement of Model Policies and Safeguarding God’s Children.
There are several key areas that ought to be addressed in a revision of the materials in regards to inclusivity:
- Facility Provisions; including
- Single Occupancy Restrooms
- Other Gender Segregated Spaces
- Best Practices; including:
- Overnight Accommodation
- Representative Chaperoning
- Contextual Legal Issues and Precedents
- Development of shared language and terminology
- The use of gendered language in ministry context, including:
- How we talk about sex and sexuality
- Registration and documentation
- Facilitation of events and activities
- Educational materials for addressing inclusive community with specific demographics; including:
- Adults, Youth, and Children
- Clergy and Staff
Forma is an association and dynamic community of Christian educators, formation professionals, and their institutional partners that celebrates and upholds the diverse ministries of Christian formation across the Episcopal Church. With members from over 40 states and 60 diocese, we are an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization linked to but not legally affiliated with The Episcopal Church. http://episcoforma.org