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Introduction

In recent years, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ has faced an increasing number of situations involving pastoral sexual misconduct. So have other denominations.

Inappropriate sexual contact with a person of the opposite or same sex is sin, even among consenting adults. This might involve child molestation, adultery, homosexuality, sexual harassment, voyeurism, and other types of inappropriate sexual contact. These sins should not occur among Christians...but they do. Therefore, the church must face them firmly and have a plan for dealing with them.

Pastoral misconduct can take a variety of forms, including sexual sins, financial irresponsibility, and chemical addictions. The principles presented here regarding discipline and restoration can be applied to all types of pastoral misconduct. Similarly, such misconduct occurs among the laity, and we also need to apply discipline and restoration in those cases.

However, this document specifically focuses on sexual misconduct among ministers.

The Importance of Church Discipline

Discipline is not optional. It is mandatory in Scripture.

Matthew 18:15-20 teaches that a sinning brother is to be confronted, reproved and, if he refuses to repent, excluded from the church.

Acts 5:1-11 illustrates the seriousness of sin within the church, the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit to sin, and the quick judgment of God upon sin.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 teaches that the church's response to persistent, unrepentant sin is to grieve, deliberate, judge the sin, and exclude the unrepentant member.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 commands us to warn the disobedient and the disorderly.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 teaches us to warn the undisciplined brother and withdraw from him.

1 Timothy 5:20 tells us to rebuke persistent sin publicly.

Titus 1:13 says to severely reprove those who teach untruth.

Titus 3:10 commands us to withdraw from a person who causes divisions, but only after adequate warning.

Revelation 2-3 calls churches to repentance and warns of impending discipline if they refuse.

These passages make it clear that God intends the church to take corrective measures when members persist in sinning.

The Church is a Redemptive Community

When a sexual offense occurs, the objective from that point is restoration. That is a foundational assumption in this document. Restoration involves such components as confrontation, confession, repentance, personal counseling, marriage or family counseling, and accountability groups.

The restoration process is not easy and it takes time. The pastor must be willing to be disciplined and held accountable for specific growth spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and socially.

When sexual misconduct occurs, the church needs to adopt specific procedures. On the one hand, stating specific actions can be helpful. But on the other hand, being too specific can make it impossible to follow the adopted procedure in every case. Failure to follow adopted procedures can result in litigation.

The church views sexual misconduct as a violation of ministerial ethics. When a concern about a possible incidence of sexual misconduct by a minister comes to light, the regional Ministerial Licencing and Ordination Commission will follow up on the concern or allegation.

The Bible is our foundational document for dealing with sexual misconduct. Other literature, including psychological insight, can help us understand and interpret behavior, but the Bible provides the basic foundation on how to treat people as we carry out a ministry of reconciliation and restoration.

This paper outlines many of the complicated areas that could be involved in a sexual misconduct case. Each situation is different. In one case, sexual misconduct is discovered because of an accusation by a victim or a friend. In another situation, a minister confesses his sin to a superior or fellow minister and presents the misconduct before the church.

Even though each case is different, fundamental principles can guide the church in dealing with sexual misconduct. These principles, along with working assumptions, will be summarized here.

This document provides a process for dealing with sexual or other immoral misconduct. It is intended as a policy statement for churches within the Church of the United Brethren in Christ when they face such misconduct. Many of the principles can also apply to laypersons in local churches who are charged with sexual misconduct or who confess to immorality.

May God empower leaders to handle these difficult situations with a biblical foundation and a Christ-like attitude