Strengthening a Culture of Safe Churches
Thrive, the congregational support agency of the CRCNA, continues to expand its work of equipping congregations in abuse awareness, prevention, and response. The goal, says Thrive safe church consultant Julia Rathbun, is to build communities where “the value of every person is honored and people are free to worship and grow without fear.”
This vision calls for safety not as an administrative checkbox but as a cultural commitment woven into the fabric of congregational life. “A truly safe church isn’t just one that reacts well when harm occurs,” Rathbun explained. “It’s one that proactively builds trust, accountability, and respect into its daily rhythms of ministry.”
Thrive emphasizes that a safe church includes not only protecting children and preventing domestic harm but also understanding more subtle forms of abuse of power, such as emotional, psychological, or spiritual mistreatment, that undermine community trust and congregational health.
“The reality is that abuse can take many forms, and sometimes it happens in ways that are hard to name,” said Rathbun. “We want church leaders to have the language and tools to recognize these dynamics before they cause deep damage.”
With this priority in mind, Thrive works to equip congregations before harm occurs by offering training, policy-review support, and resources designed to help local churches create environments where safety and transparency are normalized.
“Prevention is the most powerful tool we have,” Rathbun said. “When congregations talk openly about safety, review their policies regularly, and create space for accountability, they dramatically reduce the risk of harm.”
She encourages churches to see abuse prevention as part of their discipleship and ministry identity.
To deepen engagement across the denomination, Thrive recently launched a new initiative: monthly safe-church conversations. These opportunities for dialogue serve as an open invitation to pastors, church staff, volunteers, and members who care about abuse awareness, prevention, and response to learn about one topic each month, ask questions, and share experiences.
“We wanted to create something that’s accessible and relational,” Rathbun explained. “In these conversations people can wrestle with real-life situations and learn from one another. We also do some training and conversation facilitation, but these conversations are mostly for community learning.”
In addition to these safe-church conversations, Thrive makes a wide range of resources available to churches, including The Power to Do Good: The Use and Misuse of Power in the Church training, Responding to Abuse: A Toolkit for Churches (available in English, Spanish, and Korean), and the Safe Church Basics webinar series.
Thrive also offers hands-on guidance for congregations navigating sensitive situations. In instances where abuse is reported, Thrive’s role shifts from prevention to response to ensure that survivors are supported and that accountability is upheld. Rathbun emphasizes that this process must be transparent and restorative.
“Response is about truth-telling, justice, and healing,” she said. “We journey alongside churches so that survivors are heard and cared for, and so that leadership understands how to respond in ways that build trust.”
In addition, the CRCNA has encouraged every classis to establish a safe church team. These teams support education, coordinate the advisory panel process when allegations are brought against church leaders, and provide compassionate guidance for survivors.
Thrive’s work aims to ensure that churches are not only places where abuse is prevented but also places where those who have been harmed can find refuge and renewal.
“Our hope,” Rathbun reflected, “is that every church becomes a place where people can worship freely, serve safely, and experience the healing presence of Christ in community.”
Interested parties can review the topics of upcoming monthly safe church conversations and register to attend here.
