Listening to those who have been harmed
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has spent the last several years strengthening its response to sexual misconduct. The 223rd General Assembly (2018) directed the Stated Clerk to pursue greater transparency regarding allegations and charges of sexual misconduct across the denomination. Subsequent General Assemblies have amended the Book of Order, strengthened training requirements, and approved the report of the Survivors of Sexual Misconduct Task Force. Together, these actions represent meaningful efforts toward accountability and reform.
Yet important questions remain. How do we know whether our systems are actually serving survivors in a consistent manner? How do we identify patterns, gaps and barriers that may exist across congregations, presbyteries, synods and denominational offices? And how do we ensure that survivors are not left to navigate these systems alone?
Despite positive steps toward justice, the Advocacy Committee for Women and Gender Justice continues to hear from survivors about the pain, isolation and lack of support they experience while navigating investigations of alleged misconduct. These survivors include members and non-members of congregations as well as ministers of Word and Sacrament. Their stories reveal that reforms adopted at the denominational level do not always translate into consistent care on the ground.
When systems fail survivors
Too often, ministers of Word and Sacrament who experience misconduct or abuse conclude that the only path forward is to leave a call, and sometimes to leave ministry altogether. The loss is not only personal. It is a loss to the church.
Meanwhile, the system remains largely unchanged, and the cycle repeats itself for the next survivor who finds the courage to speak. One cannot help but wonder how many survivors within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have chosen silence rather than confronting a system they fear may compound their pain.
How many stories remain untold because survivors do not trust the system to protect their dignity and well-being?
Policies matter, training matters and accountability matters. But if survivors continue to encounter vastly different experiences depending on their congregation, presbytery, or synod, our work remains unfinished. The challenge before the church is not simply whether misconduct is reported. It is whether survivors experience care, dignity, accompaniment and justice when they come forward.
For some survivors, the cost of seeking accountability has been so great that they have left calls, left ministry or remained silent altogether. A church committed to justice must ask not only how it responds when reports are made, but also how many stories remain untold because survivors do not trust the system to protect their dignity and well-being.
A church-wide responsibility
This is why the Advocacy Committee for Women and Gender Justice has brought two recommendations to the 227th General Assembly.
The first, GEN-04, focuses on transparency and accountability. Before systems can be improved, the church must understand how they are functioning today. GEN-04 seeks to strengthen the collection, tracking and reporting of information related to sexual misconduct matters so that the denomination can identify patterns, understand where requests for support are entering the system, evaluate how those requests are addressed, and recognize where gaps remain. Transparency is not an end in itself. Transparency creates the conditions for accountability. Accountability creates the conditions for trust. Without meaningful information, the church cannot fully understand the experiences of survivors or assess whether reforms are producing the outcomes they were intended to achieve.
Transparency creates the conditions for accountability. Accountability creates the conditions for trust.
The second recommendation, GEN-05, addresses what happens after someone reaches out for help. Even when accountability processes are available, survivors are often left to navigate them alone. GEN-05 proposes the creation of a special committee charged with developing and testing a trauma-informed, survivor-centered model of accompaniment. Through a pilot process, the church would learn what effective accompaniment looks like, how it interacts with existing accountability structures, what resources are needed, and how care can be provided consistently across the denomination.
These recommendations are complementary commitments. GEN-04 asks the church to look honestly at itself. GEN-05 asks the church to walk faithfully alongside those who have been harmed. One recommendation seeks clarity while the other seeks care. Together, they recognize a truth that survivors have been telling the church for years: accountability without support is incomplete, and support without accountability is insufficient.
The goal is to align our structures with our values. If we believe every person bears the image of God, then our systems must reflect that belief. If we believe justice and compassion belong together, then our processes must embody both.
A path toward healing and trust
The church has already taken important steps toward addressing sexual misconduct. The question now is whether we are willing to take the next steps.
GEN-04 and GEN-05 offer an opportunity to move from isolated reforms toward a more coordinated and survivor-centered response. They invite us to learn where our systems are succeeding, acknowledge where they are falling short, and build pathways that promote both accountability and healing.
Ultimately, this work is not about policies alone. It is about people.
Ultimately, this work is not about policies alone. It is about people. It is about creating a church where survivors are heard, where accountability is meaningful, where care is consistent, and where no one has to walk through harm alone.
Want to learn more about ACWGJ’s work on GEN-04 and GEN-05? The committee made an explainer video.
