You can click on the link below to go to a PDF version of the policy or click the “Download” button to download the policy. Please note that in the text version on this website, the sub-sections are labeled by number while the original document labels them by letter.

PMC Protection and Abuse Response PolicyDownload

How to use the Peace Mennonite Church Protection and Response Policy

Policy Summary: Peace Mennonite Church (PMC) commits to work toward the prevention of abuse; when abuse does occur, we commit to address it in an open and transparent fashion that centers around the needs of survivors.

The Pastor, Administrative Assistant, Christian Education Committee members, and Coordinating Committee members: see Appendix C for a summary of their responsibilities under this policy.

Ministry Team members: Please be familiar with the abuse response procedures in this policy and be attentive to the principles of trauma-informed care.

Potential children/youth volunteers: Note the Protection #1 section of this policy. You will be required to read this policy and sign the Volunteer Policy Agreement (appendix D).

Current children/youth volunteers: Note the Protection #2 section for church guidelines including the two-adult rule and prohibition of physical discipline. 

Survivors: You are loved by God and by the church. We hope that understanding how all Peace Mennonite participants are expected to respond to disclosures of abuse will help you decide whether/how to share about your experiences. You may be particularly interested in our guidelines regarding congregational notification (Abuse Response #4).

If you suspect someone in the PMC community has been abused or if someone shares with you that they have been abused: You should strive to follow the procedures outlined in the “Abuse Response” section of this policy. While there are some requirements for reporting abuse of minors, you should honor the wishes of the survivor as much as possible throughout the process. Know that God is with you as you minister in this important way. 

  1. When you suspect or learn of abuse, begin with the Abuse Response #1 section.
  2. If the offender is also part of PMC, note additional steps in section #2.
  3. If the alleged/suspected offender is the pastor or staff of PMC, also note section #5.
  4. When in doubt, as long as the adult survivor consents, contact the pastor who can walk with you and the survivor through this process.

If you learn that someone active with PMC has committed abuse or learn that someone credibly accused of abuse plans to attend PMC please contact the church moderator or pastor. Note the guidelines in Abuse Response #3.

All PMC participants are encouraged to take note of the resources listed in Appendix B. Many of these resources will be valuable for survivors and those supporting them even beyond the church context. 

Peace Mennonite Church

Protection and Abuse Response Policy


Peace Mennonite Church (PMC) is a Christ-centered community that seeks to create peace, work for justice, care for creation, serve others, and nurture thoughtful faith. In our efforts to faithfully follow Christ and be a community of peace and justice, we will do our best to create an environment that is physically, emotionally, spiritually, and systemically safe for all who participate with us.

We acknowledge the sad reality that some people choose to abuse others, and we are committed to preventing abuse whenever possible. In cases where abuse does occur, we are committed to addressing it in an open and transparent fashion that centers around the needs of survivors.

In this policy, the term “abuse” refers to 

  1. Non-consensual sexual contact. This includes, but is not limited to, groping of breasts, buttocks, or genitals over and/or under clothes; forced kissing; and rape. 
  2. Physical harm or threats of physical harm (including sexual assault).
  3. Sexual harassment. This includes but is not limited to, unwanted verbal or digital communication of a sexual nature: exposing one’s genitals; sending sexually explicit messages; making sexually explicit comments, stalking (including cyber-stalking).
  4. Elder abuse. This includes all forms of abuse listed here as well as taking advantage of an elder financially.
  5. Emotional abuse. We recognize that this is a difficult kind of abuse to determine, and that hurt feelings do not necessarily equal abuse. Emotional abuse constitutes a pattern of interaction that diminishes a person’s ability to thrive and function. It includes, but is not limited to, gaslighting (intentionally undermining someone’s reality), frequent insults/put-downs, and threats.
  6. Spiritual abuse. This occurs when someone uses their own position in the church and/or draws on spiritual/religious beliefs to manipulate, control, create inappropriate intimacy, or undermine a person’s sense of self-worth.

Any form of bullying is never acceptable, whether it falls under the above definitions of abuse or not. People are encouraged to talk to the pastor or a Ministry Team member about any church-related  situations that make them uncomfortable. 

The second section of this policy indicates how PMC will deal with credible accusations of abuse. We understand that false reports of abuse are rare and will, therefore, consider all accusations credible unless extenuating circumstances suggest otherwise. All people who come forward with allegations will be treated with care and respect.

Please note that Appendix B includes a list of organizations by category. List references in this document are marked with an asterisk (*).

Protection: PMC commits to work toward the prevention of abuse. 

  1. PMC will offer volunteer training and accountability.
    1. Before volunteering with children and/or youth (including mentors, Sunday School teachers, and nursery volunteers), adult volunteers must complete *training approved by the Coordinating Committee. Such training must be completed before the volunteer begins duties with children. The administrative assistant will keep track of those who have completed training.
    2. Annually, the Christian Education Committee will provide additional *training and/or educational materials to all adults in the congregation. These materials may be articles, videos, and/or workshops that address diverse aspects of preventing and responding to various types of abuse, as well as education on trauma-informed care. Those who teach Sunday School for children/youth, volunteer in the nursery, or otherwise work with children and/or youth in the church will be expected to engage with this material.
    3. Adults volunteering with children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults (including but not limited to elders and people with intellectual, emotional, and physical disabilities) must have a *background check before assuming their volunteer position. The church administrative assistant will send out background check forms to new volunteers, re-administer background checks every four years, and maintain records of these checks. The pastor will also have access to the database of volunteer background checks. Minors volunteering with younger children will work with an appropriate adult volunteer.
    4. Annually, the administrative assistant will provide each committee member and active children/youth volunteer with a hard copy or an electronic link to an online copy of this protection and abuse response policy. The first time a volunteer working with children/youth receives the policy, they will be required to sign the volunteer policy agreement.  (See Appendix D) The administrative assistant will keep these agreements on file.
    5. Names of potential volunteers will be sent to the *Mennonite Abuse Prevention List to assure that there have been no reports of abuse made to that organization. The administrative assistant will send in these names when they are submitted for background checks.
    6. Individuals must have regular involvement in the church for at least six months before they are permitted to volunteer with children or youth.
    7. The pastor is responsible for submitting names of potential volunteers to the administrative assistant and reviewing the background check results before permitting the individual to begin their volunteer responsibilities.
  1. PMC will provide safe and adequate supervision to children and youth.
    1. There must be visibility from inside the building into all rooms where children or youth are present (with the exception of restrooms). If there is no uncovered window in the door, the door must remain open.
    2. We will follow a two-adult rule, avoiding situations where children are alone with one adult who is not their parent or guardian. Exceptions may be made for Sunday School classes with a single teacher and meetings between a mentor or pastor and a child/youth, in which case all adult and minor participants will be visible through a window or open door at all times. 
    3. Prior consent will be obtained from a parent or guardian if a child or youth is to be transported away from church facilities or interact with adults from church off of church grounds.
    4. Those working with children and youth will practice and model appropriate touch, being mindful of issues of consent.
    5. No physical discipline (e.g., hitting, slapping, spanking) will be used. When a child misbehaves, we will use redirection and/or respectful verbal means to guide the child’s behavior. (Yelling and all forms of verbal abuse are prohibited.) If this does not work, the child will be taken to their parent or guardian. If a guardian is not available, we will speak with them as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will ensure the child’s safety by removing them from the activities to minimize disruption.
  2. PMC will attend to related personnel issues.
    1. A *background check, including child abuse and sex offender registries and criminal history, will be conducted on final candidates for all church staff positions before hiring. 
    2. PMC will check personal and institutional references for final candidates for staff positions.
    3. Church contract personnel (such as service technicians and cleaning services) will receive a background check only if their role will require them to be in frequent contact with children and youth.
    4. Names of potential staff will be sent to the *Mennonite Abuse Prevention List to assure that there have been no reports of abuse made to that organization. 
  1. PMC will assure institutional accountability.
    1. Annually, the Coordinating Committee will check to make sure these prevention issues have been attended to. (See Appendix C.)
    2. This policy will be posted on the church website and posted in the church building. 
    3. The Coordinating Committee will review this policy at least every 2 years and update it as needed. 

Abuse Response: PMC commits to respond to abuse in faithful, survivor-centered ways.

Terms to note:

  • “Survivor” refers to the person who has disclosed abuse or the person someone suspects has suffered abuse. 
  • “PMC representative” refers to the person connected with Peace Mennonite Church to whom the abuse is disclosed or who suspects abuse. 
  1. When abuse is reported and/or credibly suspected:
  1. In cases where the survivor is under the age of 18, the PMC representative will immediately make a report to the 24-hour *Kansas Protection Report Center and may also call the *Lawrence Police Department. 
  2. In cases where the survivor is an adult, PMC commits to respecting the survivor’s right to control if/how knowledge of the abuse is shared.
  3. Information on how to *report the abuse will be provided to adult survivors. The PMC representative will offer to be present with the survivor to make these reports, to connect them with a trained *advocate, and/or to make these reports on the survivor’s behalf. The PMC representative will respect the wishes of survivors regarding reporting to law enforcement.  
  4. The PMC representative will do what is possible to assure the survivor’s immediate safety and make sure any medical needs are attended to. 
    1. For an adult survivor, if the home is not safe, the representative will suggest the survivor call *a domestic violence shelter.
    2. For a child, if the home is believed to be unsafe, the representative will contact the *Kansas Protection Report Center. 
  5. In cases of adult sexual assault, the PMC representatie will offer to connect the survivor with a *survivor support organization. 
  6. In cases where the survivor is under the age of 18, the PMC representative (if someone other than the pastor) will notify the pastor, who will notify the moderator. If the allegation is against the pastor or the moderator, the moderator-elect will be notified in place of the accused.  
  7. Adult survivors will be supported in their decision about whether or not to inform church leadership of the situation.
  8. Upon notification, the pastor will:
    1. Follow up with the PMC representative to offer pastoral care and find out how PMC can otherwise support the survivor.
    2. Follow up with the survivor to provide pastoral care and determine what further support is needed.
    3. Document all information received about the reported or suspected abuse and actions taken by church participants and staff. 
      1. For minors, this documentation will be shared with the *Western District Conference Minister and church moderator to provide accountability for following proper procedures. Documentation will also be shared with the guardian(s) of the survivor, where applicable, and the police as requested.
      2. For adult survivors, the documentation will be made available to them to share in any way they want and will be shared with others only with the survivor’s permission.
  9. Throughout the process, adult survivors and non-offending guardians of minor survivors will be consulted about and informed of all actions taken by the church related to their case.
  10. If the survivor is working with an *advocate, church leaders will communicate with and through the advocate as requested.
  1. In cases when the survivor and alleged offender are both in the church community, PMC will follow these additional steps:
    1. Strive to keep the survivor’s needs as the central focus at all times. 
    2. The Coordinating Committee will initiate an *investigation by a team composed of individuals with relevant expertise in abuse. PMC will not lead this investigation.
    3. In consultation with the survivor and, as appropriate, their advocate and (non-offending) guardians, institute a limited access agreement (see Appendix A) with the alleged offender to be in effect through the duration of the investigation. This agreement may bar the accused from all participation in the church community. 
    4. When the results of the investigation are available, the pastor will make sure the survivor knows of the investigation results before reporting to other bodies. Results will then be reported to the Coordinating Committee and Ministry Team.
    5. The pastor or another designated leader will report the results of the investigation to the congregation in survivor-approved language. 
    6. A special congregational meeting will be called within one month of the conclusion of the investigation to discuss the investigation results and next steps for the survivor, alleged offender, and congregation. 
    7. Even if the abuse is not confirmed, PMC Ministry Team will be responsible for attending to continuing emotional and spiritual needs related to the dynamics that prompted the allegations. 
    8. Once a report of abuse is made, the pastor will focus on survivor-centered pastoral care and refer the alleged perpetrator outside PMC for appropriate therapy and/or pastoral care if desired.
    9. If allegations are substantiated, the pastor will focus on continuing to offer survivor-centered pastoral care for the survivor and wider PMC community. 
    10. If abuse is substantiated and the offender desires to remain part of the church, the pastor will consult with the survivor(s) and/or their (non-offending) parents as well as with an outside *consultant to determine whether any level of participation in the church is appropriate for the offender.  
    11. The pastor will *report investigation results to *Western District Conference, *MC USA leadership, and the *MAP list of the perpetrator’s status as an offender. The pastor will send an email to *local clergy, as deemed appropriate, alerting them of the offender’s status.
  1. At the time church leadership learns that a known or credibly accused abuser (“offender”) is participating in or requests to participate in the church community, the following steps will be taken: 
    1. Note that inclusion on the sex offender registry does not automatically require the actions below, nor does exclusion from the registry mean that someone is not considered an offender.  (See definitions of abuse at the beginning of this policy.)
    2. Note that these steps apply whether the offence has been perpetrated against someone within or someone outside the PMC community.
    3. Allegations of abuse against minors will be reported to the 24-hour *Kansas Protection Report Center and the *Lawrence Police Department if such reports have not already been made.
    4. In any situation where the pastor and Ministry Team determine the offender poses a risk to the community, the offender will be required to sign a limited access agreement. Such an agreement will be required in all cases that involve an adult sexually abusing a child. The limited access agreement provided in Appendix A is considered the baseline for such a document. Further restrictions may be added; none should be removed without due deliberation and *consultation with an outside agency.
    5. Regardless of whether the offense was against children or adults, the offender will not be allowed to be around children or youth unsupervised and will not be involved in children’s or youth ministry (formal or informal). The offender’s access to other vulnerable people will also be restricted.
    6. The offender will not be allowed to serve on the Coordinating Committee or Ministry Team.
    7. The pastor will inform *Western District Conference, *MC USA leadership, and the *MAP list of the perpetrator’s status as an offender.
    8. PMC will adhere to any parole conditions and/or other legal restrictions of the offender even if those conditions are not otherwise covered in this policy. 
  1. PMC leadership will follow these guidelines regarding congregational notification: 
    1. All active PMC participants will be notified if there is a known or credibly accused sex offender attending the church whose previous offenses suggest the offender poses a threat to the emotional, sexual, and/or physical safety of church participants. We recognize that in most cases, the presence of an abuser poses such a risk. In situations where church leadership is considering not notifying the community, church leadership will take counsel from an outside *consultant.  A threat to safety will be automatically acknowledged if any of the following conditions are in place:
      1. Sexual abuse of a child
      2. A current and/or recurrent pattern of inappropriate sexual comments, advances, harassment, abuse, or assault against children and/or adults (Note that a “pattern” consists of more than one instance, with single or multiple survivors.)
    2. In cases where a known offender who meets the criteria above (4.a.) plans to begin attending the church, the Coordinating Committee will discuss the situation at their regular monthly meeting following the time they learn of concrete plans for the offender’s arrival. The Coordinating Committee will approve an email announcement to be sent to all active church participants. The pastor will send the announcement before the following Sunday. It will also be shared with the offender.
    3. In cases where it is learned that a current PMC participant has offended against someone who is not part of PMC, the Coordinating Committee will discuss the situation at their regular monthly meeting following this discovery. They will determine whether this situation warrants notifying the full congregation, using criteria stated above (4.a.) and *consulting with an outside agency as needed. If it is determined that the full congregation should be notified, the Coordinating Committee will draft an email announcement to be sent to all current church participants as well as past participants if deemed advisable. Within a week of drafting the announcement, the pastor will share it with the offender before sending it to all church participants.
    4. In cases where a current PMC participant reports abuse by another participant, the PMC representative will report to the pastor (with adult survivor’s permission) who will consult with the Coordinating Committee (with adult survivor’s permission) about the need to notify the full congregation. If it is deemed a report is warranted, using criteria above (4.a.), the pastor will seek permission from the survivor and/or (non-offending) parents/guardians to notify the congregation of the alleged abuse. Within 48 hours of receiving permission, the pastor will inform the church community of the allegations, using survivor-approved language.  The report will ask that if other individuals have experienced abuse by the offender, they report it to the pastor or their Ministry Team member. Notification will be made through an email to all current and time-line-relevant past participants. The pastor and/or a member of the Ministry Team will follow up personally with those known to have had significant interaction with the accused. 
      1. Note that the process of congregational notification is separate from the process of an outside investigation. The Coordinating Committee does not need to–and in many cases should not–wait for the results of the investigation to notify the congregation of an accused offender’s presence.
    5. In situations where an adult survivor does not grant permission for the reported abuse to be shared with the pastor and/or Coordinating Committee, the PMC representative and/or pastor may still share this information if they believe that withholding such information threatens the safety of other PMC participants. In this case, the PMC representative is encouraged to *consult an outside expert before disclosing information the survivor wishes to keep confidential.
    6. In situations where an adult survivor does not grant permission for the reported abuse to be shared with the full congregation but the Coordinating Committee believes that withholding this information poses a threat to the safety of community members, the Coordinating Committee will *consult with an outside organization.  If this consultation affirms the need to notify the congregation, the pastor will report the abuse as described above, without disclosing the name of the survivor. The survivor will be notified before the congregation is notified, and appropriate steps will be taken to provide for the survivor’s safety.
    7. If notification has been sent to the entire congregation about an offender, this same information will be shared with new PMC participants as long as the offender continues to participate in the church. The pastor will notify people of this information within two months of when they  begin to attend the church.
  1. If the pastor or other PMC staff is accused of abuse:
    1. The report will be shared immediately with the church moderator and moderator-elect, who will contact all pastor/staff members to inform them of the allegations.
    2. For victims under that age of 18, if the allegations have not already been reported, the moderator or moderator-elect will report abuse to the *Kansas Protection Report Center and call the *Lawrence Police Department. Adult survivors will be supported in their decisions about how and when to report.
    3. The pastor/staff person will be suspended from their church duties, from participating in any church activities, and will be banned from church premises pending the results of the investigation.
    4. The *Western District Conference Minister will be informed of the situation as soon as possible.
    5. If the pastor is accused of abuse, all steps in this section (“Abuse Response”) must be completed with the moderator or other designee assuming the responsibilities of the pastor.
  1. Report abuse as indicated above and review abuse response. 
  1. Reports do not require more evidence than the credible testimony of a single individual. 
  2. The church will not attempt to investigate abuse without reporting it. 
  3. Church leadership will not attempt to handle abuse internally. 
  4. If an active PMC participant is accused of abuse against a minor, both the pastor and church moderator will be informed. If a participant is accused of abuse against an adult, the PMC representative will request that the survivor allow the pastor and moderator to be informed and will honor the survivor’s wishes about this disclosure.
  5. *Western District Conference staff will be notified of any credible reports of abuse against minors, any investigations, and any limited access agreements that are in place. 
  6. PMC will cooperate with professional authorities.
  7. All documentation will be released as required by law and as requested by the survivor(s) involved in the case. 
  8. Public statements regarding the case–including church-wide email texts, bulletin and newsletter announcements, and statements made during worship and congregational meetings–will be shared at the request of the survivor and/or any relevant organization or advocacy group including but not limited to: law enforcement, *WDC, *MCUSA, and the *MAP List.
  9. If an abuse case is active, the Coordinating Committee will review the case at each monthly meeting to ensure compliance with this policy. When a case has been resolved, the Coordinating Committee will approve a summary statement of the procedure followed and outcome of the case.

This policy will be implemented and facilitated by the Coordinating Committee of Peace Mennonite Church. All exceptions to this policy must be approved by both the PMC Ministry Team and Coordinating Committee.  No exceptions will be made to this policy without consultation with *outside experts. *Outside experts should also be consulted in cases that are particularly complex or otherwise do not fit neatly into the categories established by this policy. PMC will pay a consulting fee and/or make a donation for the consulting services.

Approved by the congregation of PMC at its August 9 ,2020 congregational meeting.
Updated: ___________________ (date)

Appendix A: Baseline Limited Access Agreement 

*Note: This is a baseline agreement. Further restrictions may be added; none should be removed without due deliberation and consultation with outside experts.

This Limited Access Agreement is between _____________________ and Peace Mennonite Church. It will be in effect for the duration of your participation with the church, unless the Coordinating Committee revises or cancels it.

  1. Supervision:
    1. Two or three participants of the congregation will be designated to be your supervisors. One of these people will supervise you each time you are participating in a church event. 
    2. Your supervisors will be aware of the terms of this agreement and will encourage you to follow them. 
    3. The supervisors will report non-compliance to church leadership.
  2. Volunteer Limitations:
    1. You will not be allowed to serve as a volunteer with children or youth.
    2. You will not be allowed to serve on the Coordinating Committee or Ministry Team.
  3. Building Access Limitations:
    1. You will enter and leave the church building only through the main, double-door entry. 
    2. You will use only the north bathroom by the kitchen. 
    3. When in the meetinghouse, you will stay in the sanctuary, foyer, kitchen, or designated bathroom unless accompanied by your supervisor or the pastor.
  4. Notifications:
    1. All active church participants will be notified of your status as an offender.
    2. New participants to the church will be notified by the pastor of this information within two months of beginning to attend church.
  5. Support:
    1. The pastor and 2 or 3 church participants who serve as your supervisors will be your church support team.
    2. Your church support team will have contact information for other community supports such as therapists, probation officers, and family members. These community supports will be given a copy of this agreement.
    3. Someone from the support team will check in with you monthly and you will be expected to meet with the team quarterly. This agreement will be reviewed and, if necessary, revised, at each quarterly meeting.
  6. Noncompliance: 
    1. If you re-offend, you will no longer be welcome to attend worship and general congregational events of the church.
    2. If you violate any part of this agreement, you will meet with the support team to discuss the violation and make a plan to do better.
    3. After three violations, you will no longer be welcome to attend worship and general congregational events of the church.
  7. If an offender is willing to agree to the above conditions for church involvement, and if this agreement will extend beyond the time period of the investigation, a consultation between the church, the offender, and an outside organization (such as Safe Communities) will be arranged to create a final version of this Limited Access Agreement and provide structures for accountability.

Signatures:

Supervisors: ___________________________________________ Date: ____________

        ___________________________________________ Date: ____________

___________________________________________ Date: ____________

Moderator: ___________________________________________ Date: ____________

Pastor: ___________________________________________ Date: ____________

Offender: ___________________________________________ Date: ____________

One copy goes to the offender and one is kept in church files.

Appendix B: Contact Information for Relevant Organizations and Individuals

Consultants

Dove’s Nest: 402-577-0866 (dovesnest.net)

Dove’s Nest is a Mennonite-based organization that equips faith communities to keep children  and youth safe. They provide curriculum for children and youth as well as educational resources for faith communities.

Faith Trust Institute:  (206) 634-1903 (https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/)

Faith Trust Institute is a multi-faith training and education organization working to end sexual and domestic violence. They provide a wide variety of resources and offer consulting services.

Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) info@netgrace.org (https://www.netgrace.org/) 

GRACE empowers Christian communities to recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse. They provide investigations and consulting for churches and other Christian organizations.

Into Account: skrehbiel@intoaccount.org (intoaccount.org)

Into Account provides advocacy and resources for survivors of sexual, spiritual, and other abuse in Anabaptist and other Christian contexts. 

Safe Communities: 717-560-9989 (https://www.safecommunitiespa.org/)

Safe Communities is an organization based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, working to end child sexual abuse. They are available to consult with churches and other organizations.

Domestic Violence Shelters:

The Willow Domestic Violence Center: 785-843-3333 (willowdvcenter.org)

The Willow provides shelter, services and support to survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. They are based in Lawrence and serve people of all genders.

Investigation

Faith Trust Institute:  (206) 634-1903 (https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/)

Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) info@netgrace.org (https://www.netgrace.org/) 

Western District Conference: 316-283-6300 (mennowdc.org)

Reporting

Kansas Protection Report Center: 1-800-922-5330

Call this number to report suspected child abuse or neglect in Kansas. The Report Center is managed by Child Protective Services. (785-296-4653)

Lawrence Interfaith Clergy: tjholcombe@gmail.com 

LIC is a group of faith leaders in Lawrence, KS. Thad Holcombe is the current facilitator.

Lawrence Police Department: 785-832-7509

Mennonite Abuse Prevention (MAP) List: info@themaplist.org; (https://www.themaplist.org/the-map-list/) 

The MAP List is part of the national SNAP organization (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests).  They maintain a list of Mennonites who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. 

Mennonite Church USA (MC USA): 1-866-866-2872 (mennoniteusa.org)

Pastor: Rev. Joanna Harader (peacemennopastor@gmail.com)

PMC Moderator: see church committee list

PMC Moderator-Elect: see church committee list

Western District Conference: 316-283-6300 (mennowdc.org)

Screening

Protect My Ministry: (protectmyministry.com)

Protect My Ministry facilitates background checks for faith organizations and provides volunteer training resources.

Mennonite Abuse Prevention (MAP) List: info@themaplist.org; (https://www.themaplist.org/the-map-list/) 

Survivor Support and Advocates:

Into Account: skrehbiel@intoaccount.org (intoaccount.org)

Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOSCA): 913-642-0233 (https://www.mocsa.org/)

MOSCA is a Kansas City-based organization that provides advocacy, counseling for survivors and community education.

Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center: 785-843-8985 (stacarecenter.org)

The Care Center has offices in Lawrence and Ottawa. They provide advocacy and counseling for survivors and community education.

Training and Education Resources:

Dove’s Nest: 402-577-0866 (dovesnest.net)

Faith Trust Institute:  (206) 634-1903 (https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/)

Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOSCA): 913-642-0233 (https://www.mocsa.org/)

Protect My Ministry: protectmyministry.com

Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center: 785-843-8985 (stacarecenter.org)

Appendix C: Abuse Prevention Checklist

Parenthetical notes refer to the relevant section in the Protection section of this policy.

Pastor

  • Submit names of potential volunteers to administrative assistant for background checks (1.g)
  • Review background check results before allowing individuals to volunteer with children/youth (1.g)

Administrative Assistant:

  • Maintain list of volunteers who have completed initial volunteer training (1.a)
  • Run background checks on potential volunteers (1.c)
  • Readminister background checks on current volunteers every four years (1.c)
  • Maintain records of all background checks on current PMC volunteers (1.c)
  • Provide new volunteers with a copy of this policy and the “Volunteer Policy Agreement” (Appendix D) (1.d)
  • Keep signed Volunteer Policy Agreements on file (1.d)
  • Annually provide all committee members and child/youth volunteers with a copy of this policy (either a hard copy, digital copy, or link to digital copy) (1.d)
  • Send names of potential volunteers to the Mennonite Abuse Prevention list

Christian Education Committee

  • Annually provide relevant educational material to all adults in the congregation (1.b)

Coordinating Committee

  • Check institutional and personal references before hiring staff
  • Assure that policy is posted on the church website and in the church building
  • Review this policy every two years and update as needed
  • Review this checklist annually to assure prevention measures are in place

Appendix D: Volunteer Policy Agreement

Name: _____________________________________________

Volunteer Position(s): ____________________________________

Any questions regarding the Peace Mennonite Church Protection and Abuse Response Policy?

*I have read the PMC Protection and Abuse Response Policy. I agree to follow all established protection guidelines and follow the indicated procedures if I hear allegations or have suspicions of abuse.

Signature: _____________________________________     Date: ______________