Restoration Home

Steps to Take When
There is Sexual Misconduct

Several steps may occur before an allegation of sexual misconduct has been confirmed.

• You hear the charge and take it seriously.
• You confront the persons against whom the charge has been made.
• A Response Team may be needed to investigate the accuracy of the charge.
• The conference superintendent needs to be made aware of the charge.

The person may confess to wrongdoing and be repentant--or the person may deny that anything wrong happened. Regardless of the person's response, if sexual misconduct is confirmed--either as a result of confession, or after a Response Team reports on the accuracy of a sexual misconduct charge--the following process should be followed.

1. Remove Ministerial Credentials

The cluster leader or bishop, who may consult with the Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Commission, will ask the person to surrender his/her ministerial credentials.

• It is understood that the person guilty of sexual misconduct will be removed as pastor of that church.
• It is understood that there will be mixed reactions to this decision by parishioners, family, and friends. However, the church will be given an explanation of the policy and additional rationale for this action.

2. Determine the Disciplinary Action to Take

Outline the Process. The cluster leader, with the help of the Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Commission, will outline a process of disciplinary action for the minister.

Communicate the Process. This process needs to be communicated to the church's Board of Administration and then to the entire congregation. The cluster leader will determine the nature of this communication. It may come in the form of a public confession, or it may take the form of a written communication to the appropriate people. This letter may be written by the pastor or the cluster leader.

Guide the Process. The cluster leader will guide the congregation in ways they can be helpful to their former minister and his/her family.

Note: The recommended role of the cluster leader is to coordinate the various groups that will be involved in the process of determining truth (review committee), discipline, and restoration. Allegations take a tremendous amount of staff time.

3. Appoint a New Leader

The congregation will experience a deep mixture of emotions when news of a fallen leader becomes public. There is shock, anger, grief, and confusion. The Body of Christ is going through a traumatic experience.

The church needs someone to lead them in a healing process. This may be the role of the cluster leader or the role of an interim pastor who has been trained in a healing ministry.

The cluster leader will work with the Personnel Relations Commission and/or the Board of Administration for pulpit supply and then an interim minister.

4. Arrange Counseling

The cluster leader and the chairperson of the Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Commission will arrange competent counseling for the minister and arrange for marriage counseling when both partners are willing to restore their marriage.

• It is essential that the spouse have a support group during this painful time. A number of issues need to be processed by a spouse for personal healing to happen.
• There needs to be a sensitivity to children in the family who may be hurt by the sexual misconduct and the subsequent actions by the church.
• Someone needs to determine who will pay for the personal and marriage/family counseling, and for how much counseling. Insurance may cover some or all of the cost.

5. Appoint a Restoration Team

The cluster leader will appoint a restoration team of 3-5 persons who will be committed to helping the person find healing and growth spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and socially. The goal is to restore a person spiritually with the Lord, to restore the marriage, to restore the person to the church, and perhaps to restore the person to ministry.

• The cluster leader or his appointee will outline the restoration responsibilities and offer training for this very important area of ministry.
• The bishop may need to offer training for restoration teams.
• The restoration team will place a high priority on the importance of confession, repentance, and reconciliation with the Lord Jesus Christ.
• The restoration team will take a strong interest in the marriage, and will help facilitate appropriate help for the hurting spouse and children.
• The restoration team will be responsible for asking tough questions regarding thoughts and behaviors, and will provide support for new thinking and behavior patterns.
• The restoration team should meet weekly with the fallen leader in the initial months and then gradually stretch out the meeting times as progress develops.
• If possible, the fallen minister and his/her family should be placed in a loving environment. This may mean keeping the fallen minister and his/her family in the church as members. This loving environment will help with the restoration process. Read Don Baker's book, Beyond Forgiveness.
• The restoration team will make quarterly reports to the bishop, cluster leader, and the chairperson of the Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Commission.

The above ideas are based on the assumption that the fallen leader is willing to submit to a restoration or accountability team.)

6. Determine if the Person Should be Restored to Ministry.

The Restoration Team, the counselor, the cluster leader, and the Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Commission will work together to determine if and when a fallen minister will be restored to ministry. However, it may not be possible for a minister to return to pastoral ministry.

• The decision to restore to pastoral ministry must be approved by the spouse.
• The process of restoration will normally be a period of two to three years, sometimes longer.
• If the fallen minister is restored to an ordained or licentiate status and is used by the a stationing committee to pastor another church, the leaders of the church will be told about the past history and the process of restoration.
• An accountability team for the pastor will be continued.