Seeking to strengthen both accountability and care for survivors, the Advocacy Committee for Women and Gender Justice (ACWGJ) is bringing two related proposals to the 227th General Assembly that would gather better data about sexual misconduct and begin building a churchwide survivor support system.
One recommendation (GEN-04) would direct the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to conduct a denomination-wide survey of congregations about experiences with sexual misconduct and congregational responses. A second proposal (GEN-05) would create a special committee charged with developing and piloting a trauma-informed survivor accompaniment program.
Together, the proposals represent one of the denomination’s most comprehensive efforts in recent years to address sexual misconduct. The committee argues in the resolution that the church lacks both reliable information about the prevalence of misconduct and a consistent, survivor-focused process to support the affected individual and the congregation.
“After hearing many stories from survivors in our denomination, our committee has identified this as a gap in our disciplinary process that must be filled if we are to stay in right, loving relationship with all of God’s people,” said committee co-chair Hailey Malcolm.
A push for better data: What GEN-04 would do
The ACWGJ, formerly known as the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns, heard from individuals in the church concerned about care for survivors of sexual misconduct, said Oak Arias, ACWGJ committee member. They learned that comprehensive data had not been collected on sexual misconduct in the church for 20 years.
“Even though, as a denomination, we have adjusted the language and discipline around sexual misconduct, we still have no data about what is happening in our churches,” said Arias, who is a professional crisis response and trauma recovery practitioner.
“There is only limited reporting now, and it is not consistent among presbyteries,” they added.
Information on allegations and charges of sexual misconduct is currently collected through two questions as part of the annual statistical reporting process. A report has been prepared for the 227th General Assembly using year-end 2024 and 2025 statistical reports, according to Melonee Tubb, manager for Advocacy Committee Support with the PC(USA).
She said that seven charges of sexual misconduct were reported for 2024 and seven for 2025. Not all presbyteries report this information.
GEN-04’s proposed one-time survey would be confidential and voluntary, and would be added to the denomination’s Annual Statistical Report, according to the resolution. The questionnaire would have summary information – yes or no questions – only, Arias said, and would be completed by the end of this year. Findings would be reported churchwide by September 2027.
From reporting to accompaniment: What GEN-05 would do
The proposed survivor accompaniment plan would create a seven-member, one-time committee to report to the 2028 and 2030 General Assemblies.
“Ultimately, we hope that these resolutions lead to eventual changes in the Book of Order which help the survivors of misconduct feel surrounded by people of God who love and support them,” said Malcolm, who serves as the youth associate at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and as senior project coordinator at Transforming Chaplaincy.
The proposed Special Committee on Survivor Support and Accompaniment would design and conduct, in partnership with one synod, a pilot program to provide trauma-informed, survivor-centered support and accompaniment for individuals affected by sexual misconduct within the life of the church. This committee would ensure that the pilot reflects trauma-informed, culturally competent, and racially just practices and examine the interaction with the current disciplinary process, according to the resolution.
“Our hope is that we create structure in place for survivors who choose to access the services,” said Arias. “This choice for survivors restores part of their agency.”
He added that survivors were involved in creating both resolutions.
“We would love to see this expanded from a pilot project in one synod to survivor support team training with structured, competent, consistently trained trauma-informed team available to all survivors in the denomination,” Arias said.
Creating structures for healing
“The current lack of consistency for survivors means they never have their agency restored, and the body cannot heal,” Arias said. “This will restore agency for survivors.”
While one proposal seeks answers about the scope of sexual misconduct in the church, the other seeks to answer a different question: what support survivors should be able to expect when they come forward. Together, ACWGJ leaders say, the measures are intended to help the denomination move toward a more transparent and survivor-centered response.
“We have never had so much focus and scrutiny on the topic of survivors of sexual abuse,” Arais said. “Now is the time to create this momentum toward doing the right thing.”
