Over the winter season, I asked fellow congregants what safe church questions, concerns, and/or opinions they had to better understand what resources could be beneficial to them. One of these congregants expressed, “I would be interested to know what happens after an allegation of abuse is made in the church against a church leader”. This question may seem like a straightforward question because the CRCNA has a wealth of information on abuse awareness, prevention, and resources. This question is not always straightforward though, and it can be daunting to know where to look for specific answers and to have a clear understanding on what the next steps could be. This is especially true for those who aren’t involved in the safe church ministry. This blog will outline what available pathways there are after an allegation of abuse comes forward in a CRC church against a church leader. 

Let’s take a closer look at the several pathways, which include: 

• an ecclesiastical investigation 
• Advisory Panel Process (APP)
• third party investigations
• internal investigations
• Thrive investigations 
• Involvement with the CRCNA Dignity Team
• Criminal Investigations
• Civil suits 

Implementing a church process can happen at the same time as a criminal case or civil suit when warranted. Depending on the nature of the allegations, the ages of those involved, and who they report to, next steps can vary. It’s imperative to point out that if allegations of abuse involve a minor or vulnerable adult, you should contact your local child protective services or local police department. 

Before I dive into ecclesiastical investigations, I want to point out the main differences between the assessment of law in criminal and civil processes and the assessment of ungodly behaviours in a church process. Any investigations done by the church can’t assess someone to be guilty of any criminal or civil transgressions. This is why someone can proceed with criminal and/or civil action, when necessary, while undergoing a church investigation at the same time as they would assess different things. 

The church investigations assess behaviours that aren’t able to be criminally prosecuted or compensated/remedied through a legal process. The church investigations can, however, assess someone to be guilty of behaviours related to abuse(s) of power, sexually inappropriate behaviour and/or ungodly conduct. While these behaviours can’t be assessed for violations of the law, they can be assessed for violations of trust and church office and can be disciplined utilizing the CRCNA’s Church Order, including removing them from their position of power in the church. 

Ecclesiastical Investigations

By definition from Merriam-Webster, ecclesiastical “relates to a [Christian] church, especially as an institution”, and can also mean, “suitable for use in a church”. Therefore, an ecclesiastical investigation means an investigation conducted by the Christian Reformed Church, either by the local church and its’ classis, or an investigation with help from the Thrive’s safe church consultant. The first step is someone coming forward with an allegation of abuse against a church leader. The person(s) coming forward may contact their local safe church team, classis safe church team, or denominational safe church team with their allegations, or perhaps they’ve contacted their local church council directly. As part of the investigation process, such as in an advisory panel process, a safe church team member would help ensure the person coming forward has an advocate. An advocate is someone who can be in attendance and support them through the process, and may even help to compile evidence and testimonies from witnesses and represent them in planning discussions. The advocate may be a classis safe church member, a friend, or even a hired victim advocate. 

Either way, a local member of the executive church council or chairperson of the safe church team should be contacted with a formal letter of allegations with the name(s) of the person coming forward and the accused. From there, the council should contact their classis church visitor to be involved in the process. Next steps are then collaboratively planned including the church executive council, the safe church lead, the claimant’s advocate, and the church visitor. It is during this stage the path to explore the seriousness of the allegations is formed.

In most cases, the plan involves the council participating in safe church training. Thrive safe church has  council training specifically related to responding to abuse which aides councils to respond well to allegations of abuse. Depending on the situation, the plan may also involve suspending the accused from their leadership position, without prejudice, while the investigation is being conducted. From this point, there are several church pathways available. Let’s take a look at these pathways and some examples of when you can use them. 

Advisory Panel Process 

There are 3 different elements of when an advisory panel process (APP) could be implemented. An APP can be useful when the person coming forward with allegations is an adult.  Although this process involves an adult coming forward with allegations, the abuse may have occurred while this person was a child or a youth. Check with your state regarding statute of limitations. In Canada, there is no statute of limitations so someone can come forward even decades later after the abuse occurred. Secondly, an APP can be used when the person accused is a leader within the CRC. Lastly, an APP can be used if the abuse was physical, sexual, or emotional in nature. 

In an APP, a trained panel of individuals, along with observers selected from the council, will hear evidence and testimony from the person coming forward with allegations of abuse. The panel is required to have appropriate APP and up-to-date safe church training and can’t have church members associated with either the accused or the person coming forward with allegations. Everyone signs a confidentiality agreement for impartiality and to protect privacy during the investigation. If the allegations are serious and likely, the accused is notified and the panel will hear testimony from the accused as well. From there, the likelihood and seriousness of allegations are determined and the panel develops recommendations. Those findings and recommendations are then presented to the church council. 

The church council can follow the panel’s recommendations, and/or another action they deem appropriate, including enacting discipline using Church Order or conducting their own internal investigation. As mentioned above, the church council makes the ultimate decision on the response that they feel they should implement the recommendations in light of what has been determined through the assessment/investigation. Council’s decision can be appealed to the local classis or to Synod if requested and warranted. 

Third Party Investigators

There may be situations in a church where a third party investigator is warranted. According to the Model Safe Church Policy (2022), third party investigators are strongly recommended if the allegations of abuse are against a church leader who is well known in the community or public. They are strongly recommended when there are allegations of abuse from multiple people or from multiple different churches. Lastly, third party investigators are highly recommended when you think there may be conflicts of interest, whether they are actual conflicts of interest or not, as this can impact the bias and objectiveness of the investigation. 

The Dignity Team 

The Dignity Team was created to respond to situations where the abuse of power is less discernible and doesn’t quite meet the requirements of the other ecclesiastical processes in place. The goal of this team is to restore respectful relationships and promote healing and reconciliation. A CRCNA article highlights some examples of when the Dignity Team can be utilized, which include, an abuse of power that doesn’t meet the requirements of a formal process but should still be addressed to promote positive change, conflict resolution, and/or reconciliation. This team is also used when there are differing viewpoints or opinions that are seen as disrespectful, or in situations when the abuse of power occurs within the CRCNA’s systems of accountability. You can contact the Dignity Team at [email protected].  

Internal Investigation 

A local church council may decide to conduct an internal investigation where a church council selects designated individuals to conduct an investigation without involving other parties. A church council may also decide to conduct their own investigation after an advisory panel process has been completed. The church council discerns and decides if and when they should conduct their own internal investigation. Before a local church conducts an internal investigation, the council should prayerfully discern their ability to be impartial during the process. An internal investigation shouldn’t be conducted if the council is unable to be objective during their assessments.There are several instances where an internal investigation could be done but some examples include disagreements and abuses of power that could be appropriately addressed without the assistance of the Dignity Team or external parties. It could also include situations involving human resources complaints that don’t rise to the level of civil action, etc. 

Thrive Investigation 

In this type of investigation, Thrive’s safer church consultants get involved. This may be needed when the local church involved doesn’t have a safe church team or there aren't enough trained individuals to conduct an advisory panel or when the claimant and the safe church team require more assistance, confidence, and/or competence in their next steps in the process. The main components of a Thrive investigation involves meeting with the church council, collecting data, analyzing the data, and following up with the council with a report. 

Ultimately, in all types of ecclesiastical investigations, the ultimate decision makers are the local church council where the allegations arose from. Church councils have a responsibility to follow up on allegations of abuse against a clergy member. While the safe church team, either local or denominational, can provide recommendations, the church council can decide whether or not to implement those recommendations.The church council has to follow the law or legal advice if there is a criminal or civil case involved, but they can still move forward with an internal process unless told by authorities or lawyers not to do so.

Criminal Investigation 

While ecclesiastical processes can’t determine a person’s guilt within the legal system, a criminal investigation is necessary to determine a person’s guilt when a crime has been committed, such as sexual assault, battery, harrassment or exploitation. Each province and state will have their own legal definitions of abuse, including physical, sexual, and emotional and the different crimes punishable in a court of law. If you witness or hear of a crime being committed, please contact your local law enforcement. While the definition of a child differs between provinces and states, all agree that if an allegation of abuse concerns a child, the police and/or child protective services are required to be notified. 

Civil Suit 

This pathway involves hiring a lawyer and suing the church member and/or the church council depending on the situation. While this list is not exhaustive, reasons to file a civil suit related to abuse allegations could include the abuse allegations themselves, but can also include negligence, discriminatory behaviour, harassment, bodily injury and personal injury, such as defamation of character, slander, or breach of privacy or confidentiality. 

No matter which pathway is taken, confidentiality is important not only to protect the privacy of the person coming forward with abuse allegations, but to also protect any criminal or legal investigations. Information should be shared on a need-to-know basis, such as with the safe church team, executive council, Pastor, Pastoral care clergy for the person coming forward with abuse allegations and the accused. Any information shared with the congregation should be discerned by the church council with approval and recommendations by legal counsel. If the accused is charged with a crime or legal action has been finalized, the church council will develop a plan to address the harm and needed healing for the congregation.  

With the many pathways available when abuse allegations are brought against a church leader, let us not go down the most unfortunate pathway of silence, denial, and injustice. If your church doesn’t have a local safe church team, please reach out to your classis safe church team. If your classis safe church is unavailable, or unsure how to proceed, please reach out to the denominational safe church team at 1-877-272-6206 or you can reach out to Julia Rathbun, Thrive’s Safe Church Consultant, at [email protected]. 

Photo by Victor