Legislation

Petition # 20541-IC-R2044-G

The abuse of power occurs when we use power to gratify our own needs rather than to carryout God’s sacred trust.  It happens when we refuse to own the responsibility of guardianship that comes with the privilege of power. . . until we understand that power is the responsibility to give, instead of the opportunity to take, we will continue to abuse it.”

            “There is little doubt that sexual misconduct in church and society is significant and troubling for our communities and congregations worldwide.  This unwanted behavior damages the moral environment where people worship, minister, work, and learn.  In 1996, the General Conference made a commitment to focus on sexual misconduct within the church and took action to address this brokenness and pain within The United Methodist Church” (The Book of Resolutions, 1996, p. 128; 2000, p. 135; 2004, p.150)

Sacred Trust, Power, and Responsibility

The Book of Discipline, 2012, ¶ 161F, declares all human beings have equal worth in the eyes of God. As the promise of Galatians 3:26-29 states, “you are all God’s children”; therefore, we as United Methodists support equity among all persons without regard to ethnicity, situation, or gender. In our congregations and settings for ministry, we seek to create an environment of hospitality for all persons, male or female, which is free from misconduct of a sexual nature and encourages respect, equality, and kinship in Christ.

Those in positions of authority in the church, both clergy and lay, have been given much responsibility, vested with a sacred trust to maintain an environment that is safe for people to live

and grow in God’s love.  Misconduct of a sexual nature inhibits the full and joyful participation of all in the community of God. Sexual misconduct in church and ministry settings impedes the mission of Jesus Christ. Ministerial leaders have the responsibility not only to avoid actions and words which hurt others, but also to protect the vulnerable against actions or words which cause harm.

As our children, youth, and adults come to worship, study, camps, retreats, and schools of mission, they bring a heightened awareness of the issues of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, incest, rape, and sexual assault. Ministerial leaders have the responsibility

not only to avoid actions and words that hurt others, but also to protect the vulnerable against actions or words that cause harm. In the safety and sanctity of the church’s settings, we as  church leaders, both clergy and lay, paid and volunteer, must be held to the highest standard of conduct as we lead, provide guidance and support, and work with children, youth, and adults in

ministry settings. Sexual misconduct in any form is a violation of the membership and ordination vows we take as laity and clergy in The United Methodist Church. Sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment are chargeable offenses both for clergy and laity per The Book of Discipline, ¶ 2702.

Definitions

Sexual misconduct within ministerial relationships is a betrayal of sacred trust. It is a continuum of sexual or gender-directed behaviors by either a lay or clergy person within a ministerial relationship (paid or unpaid). It can include child abuse, adult sexual abuse, harassment, rape or sexual assault, sexualized verbal comments or visuals, unwelcome touching and advances, use of sexualized materials including pornography, stalking, sexual abuse of youth or those without capacity to consent, or misuse of the pastoral or ministerial position using sexualized conduct to take advantage of the vulnerability of another. In includes criminal behaviors in some nations, states, and communities.

Sexual harassment is a form of sexual misconduct and is defined in ¶ 161I (Book of Discipline, 2012) in the Social Principles.  To clarify further, it is unwanted sexual or gender-directed behavior within a pastoral, employment, ministerial (including volunteers), mentor, or colleague relationship that is so severe or  pervasive that it alters the conditions of employment or volunteer work or unreasonably interferes with the employee or volunteer’s performance by creating a hostile environment that can include unwanted sexual jokes, repeated advances, touching, displays, or comments that insult, degrade, or sexually exploit women, men,

elders, children, or youth.

Sexual abuse is a form of sexual misconduct and occurs when a person within a ministerial role of leadership (lay or clergy, pastor, educator, counselor, youth leader, or other position of leadership) engages in sexual contact or sexualized behavior with a congregant, client, employee, student, staff member, coworker, or volunteer (1996 Book of Resolutions, p. 130). It can include coerced or forced sexual contact (including those unable to give informed

consent), sexual interaction or contact with children or youth, and sexual exhibitionism or display of sexual visuals or pornography.

Sexualized behavior is behavior that communicates sexual interest and/or content. Examples include, but are not limited to displaying sexually suggestive visual materials; use of pornography in church programs on or with church property, making sexual comments or innuendo about one’s own or another person’s body; touching another person’s body; touching another person’s body/hair/clothing; touching or rubbing oneself in the presence of another person; kissing; and sexual intercourse. Sexualized behavior can be a form of sexual misconduct when this behavior is unwanted by the recipient or witness, is a violation of society’s or the Church’s law, breaks the sacred trust in the ministerial role, or violates the vows taken at membership or ordination.

The continuum of behaviors called sexual misconduct within the ministerial relationship represents an exploitation of power and not merely “inappropriate sexual or gender-directed conduct.” Sexual misconduct in any form is unacceptable in church and ministry settings whether it is clergy-to-lay, lay-to-clergy, clergy-to-clergy, lay-to-lay, staff-to-staff, staff-to-volunteer, volunteer-to-volunteer, or volunteer-to-staff. Anyone who works or volunteers under the authority or auspices of the Church must be held to the highest standards of behavior, free of sexual misconduct in any form.

Those in Ministerial Roles

Both laity and clergy fill ministerial roles in our Church. In addition to clergy or professional staff, any United Methodist may fill a ministerial role by participating in ministries including, but

not limited to:

• leading and participating in lay servant ministries;
• counseling or leading events for children, youth, and adults;
• teaching and leading in church schools for children, youth, and adults;
• counseling victims of violence, domestic violence, or sexual abuse;
• counseling couples about marriage, divorce, or separation;
• leading in worship as speaker from the pulpit, liturgist, communion server, or usher;
• volunteering to chaperone trips, work camps, or special events;
• working in Walks to Emmaus and Chrysalis retreats;
• mentoring;
• supervising church staff members; and
• working with computers, websites, and the Internet in church property/programs.

Progress and Troubling Trends

The General Conference not only has mandated adoption of policies in our churches, conferences, agencies, and schools, it called for training, advocacy practices, and surveys of progress as a denomination conducted by the General Commission on the

Status and Role of Women.

Now twenty years after General Conference first committed to the elimination of sexual misconduct in the Church (1988), good work has been done:

• Thirty-five annual conferences now assign oversight of sexual misconduct issues to a “team”;
• Many conferences require sexual misconduct awareness training for all clergy, lay leadership, and appointees;
• The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women has provided support and counsel to victims and church officials in hundreds of cases.

Work remains to be done. Recent findings show the experiences of leadership of the Church on many levels—local church, seminary, annual and general conferences in particular:

• Awareness of the denomination’s policy on sexual misconduct is high, but awareness of the resources for victims and congregations is much lower.
• Harassment is still a significant problem:  well over three-fourths of the clergy (men and women) and half of the lay women ha d experienced sexual harassment in the Church (about one third of laymen).
• Holding offenders accountable, removing errant pastors, lay staff, or volunteers as needed, and requiring counseling, training, and supervision before resumption of ministerial roles are remedial steps our episcopal and superintending leader should use;
• Follow-up on situations of misconduct so that appropriate and effective remediation is achieved so that the behavior stops, does not reoccur, and relationship and ministry are returned to wholeness as much as possible;
• Placing justice for victims above protection of offenders, including pastors, is an equally pressing need;
• With this global Internet age and the growing use of computers by clergy and laity has come more frequent reports of the use of pornography and sexualized materials by laity and clergy within church programs or with church computers or property.

Progress in four areas is not adequate:  prevention, education, intervention and healing.  Additional work is now needed:

1. Resources for various constituencies addressing prevention, education, intervention, and healing after lay or clergy sexual misconduct (including the United Methodist website on sexual ethics www.umsexualethics.org);
2. Updated training (initial, follow-up, and advanced) for the various constituencies within the church, including education on the prevention and the use of pornography, its destructive impact on users, and its potential for abuse in or with church programs or property;
3. Implementation of models for intervention and heling in order to provide a consistent and thorough response when complaints are initiated;
4. Development of a model for ongoing assessment of policies, practices, and responses of conferences;
5. Appropriate handling of the presence and involvement of legally convicted sexual offenders in local congregational activities and ministry;
6. Opportunities for annual conferences to share their resources and experience.

Therefore be it resolved, that The United Methodist Church renews its stand in opposition to the sin of sexual misconduct within the Church worldwide.  It further recommit all United Methodists to the eradication of sexual misconduct in all ministerial relationship, and calls for:

1. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, to continue to convene and coordinate a cooperative interagency group to address the areas of prevention, education, intervention, and healing including a representative of the Council of Bishops, the General Boards o Discipleship, Higher Education and Ministry, Global Ministries, Church and Society, the General Council on Finance and Administration, the Division on Ministries with Young People, and representative of annual conference Response/Crisis Teams and Safe Sanctuary Teams (each agency member responsible for his or her own expense and a share of the expense of the annual conference representatives);
2. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women be provided resources sufficient to develop/distribute resources for leaders of lay events and programs with the church in order to help train and equip them to raise this important issue with laity (including lay servants, lay leaders, Christian educators, persons in mission, leaders in School of Christian Mission, Walks to Emmaus, Chrysalis, and leaders of events with young people);
3. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, through the interagency group, to ensure that resources for laity and clergy in ministerial roles are identified and promoted for use in conferences, districts or clusters, and local congregations;
4. The Council of Bishops to reaffirm its commitment to preventing and eradicating sexual harassment, abuse, and misconduct in the church through education, training, and sharing of resources.  Each episcopal area will implement policies, procedures, and ongoing plans to coordinate person involved in prevention and intervention, including but not limited to:  district superintendents, boards of ordained ministry, boards of laity, advocates, intervention and healing teams, trained mediators, and staff-parish relations committees;
5. United Methodist-related schools of theology to provide training on the prevention and eradication of sexual harassment, abuse and misconduct within the ministerial relationship;
6. Annual conference boards of ordained ministry to provide education (entry level, follow-up, advanced) for all appointed clergy, local pastors, and commissioned members.  Annual conferences are also encouraged to provide similar education and training for those employed in ministerial leadership;
7. Episcopal areas to require that all clergy, local pastors assigned laity, and commissioned members appointed in each annual conference have regular, up-to-date sexual ethics training to be in good standing for appointment;
8. The General Board of Church and Society to continue to advocate for just laws that address or counter sexual harassment and abuse in our larger societies.

Sacred Trust, Power, and Responsibility

The Book of Discipline, 2016, ¶ 161F, declares all human beings have equal worth in the eyes of God. As the promise of Galatians 3:26-29 states, “you are all God’s children”; therefore, we as United Methodists support equity among all persons without regard to ethnicity, situation, or gender. In our congregations and settings for ministry, we seek to create an environment of hospitality for all persons, male or female, which is free from misconduct of a sexual nature and encourages respect, equality, and kinship in Christ.

Those in positions of authority in the church, both clergy and lay, have been given much responsibility, vested with a sacred trust to maintain an environment that is safe for people to live and grow in God’s love.  Misconduct of a sexual nature inhibits the full and joyful participation of all in the community of God. Sexual misconduct in church and ministry settings impedes the mission of Jesus Christ. Ministerial leaders have the responsibility not only to avoid actions and words which hurt others, but also to protect the vulnerable against actions or words which cause harm.

As our children, youth, and adults come to worship, study, camps, retreats, and schools of mission, they bring a heightened awareness of the issues of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, incest, rape, and sexual assault.  In the safety and sanctity of the church’s settings, we as  church leaders, both clergy and lay, paid and volunteer, must be held to the highest standard of conduct as we lead, provide guidance and support, and work with children, youth, and adults in ministry settings. Sexual misconduct in any form is a violation of the membership and ordination vows we take as laity and clergy in The United Methodist Church. Sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment are chargeable offenses both for clergy and laity per The Book of Discipline, ¶ 2702.

Definitions

Misconduct of a sexual nature within ministerial relationships is a betrayal of sacred trust. It is a continuum of sexual or gender-directed behaviors by either a lay or clergy person within a ministerial relationship (paid or unpaid). The continuum of behaviors within the ministerial relationship represents an exploitation of power and not merely “inappropriate sexual or gender-directed conduct. Misconduct of a sexual nature in any form is unacceptable in church and ministry settings whether it is clergy-to-lay, lay-to-clergy, clergy-to-clergy, lay-to-lay, staff-to-staff, staff-to-volunteer, volunteer-to-volunteer, or volunteer-to-staff. In some states, nations, and communities, sexual relationships between clergy and parishioners is a criminal offense.  Anyone who works or volunteers under the authority or auspices of the Church must be held to the highest standards of behavior, free of sexual misconduct in any form.

  Misconduct of a sexual nature for clergy is listed in ¶2702.1 “A bishop, clergy member of an annual conference (¶370), local pastor, clergy on honorable or administrative location, or diaconal minister may be tried when charged (subject to the statute of limitations in ¶2702.4) with one or more of the following offenses: . . . (h) sexual abuse; (i) sexual misconduct including the use or possession of pornography, (j) harassment, including, but not limited to racial and /or sexual harassment; (k) racial or gender discrimination;. . .”

Misconduct of a sexual nature for a professing member is listed in ¶2702.3 “A professing member of a local church may be charged with the following offenses, and if so, may choose a trial:. . .(e) sexual abuse; (f) sexual misconduct; (g) child abuse; (h) harassment, including, but not limited to racial and/or sexual harassment; (i) racial or gender discrimination;. . .”

Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse is a form of misconduct of a sexual nature and is defined in ¶161I (Book of Discipline, 2016) in the Social Principles.  It also includes Sexual assault as defined in ¶161J (Book of Discipline, 2016) in the Social Principles.  Sexual Abuse includes penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape, sexual assault, fondling and unwanted touching, forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body and sexual abuse of youth or those without capacity to consent. 

Sexual Misconduct: Sexual Misconduct is a form of misconduct of a sexual nature that uses sexualized verbal comments or visuals, unwelcome touching and advances, use of sexualized materials including pornography, stalking, or misuse of the pastoral or ministerial position using sexualized conduct to take advantage of the vulnerability of another.   The misconduct regarding use of pornography is further defined in ¶161Q (Book of Discipline, 2016) in the Social Principles.

Sexualized behavior is behavior that communicates sexual interest and/or content. Examples include, but are not limited to displaying sexually suggestive visual materials; use of pornography in church programs on or with church property, making sexual comments or innuendo about one’s own or another person’s body; touching another person’s body; touching another person’s body/hair/clothing; touching or rubbing oneself in the presence of another person; kissing; and sexual intercourse. Sexualized behavior can be a form of sexual misconduct when this behavior is unwanted by the recipient or witness, is a violation of society’s or the Church’s law, breaks the sacred trust in the ministerial role, or violates the vows taken at membership or ordination.

Child Abuse: Child Abuse includes but is not limited to Child Sexual Abuse.  Child Sexual Abuse is sexual activity with a minor and does not need to include physical contact between a perpetrator and a minor.  Some forms of child sexual abuse includes exhibitionism or exposing oneself to a minor; fondling; intercourse; masturbation in the presence of a minor, or forcing the minor to masturbate; obscene phone calls, text messages; producing, owning, or sharing pornographic images of children; sex with any kind of a minor including vaginal, oral, or anal; sex trafficking.

Sexual Harassment:  Sexual harassment is a form of misconduct of a sexual nature and is defined in ¶ 161J (Book of Discipline, 2016) in the Social Principles. To clarify further, it is unwanted sexual or gender-directed behavior within a pastoral, employment, ministerial (including volunteers), mentor, or colleague relationship that alters the conditions of employment or volunteer work or unreasonably interferes with the employee or volunteer’s performance by creating a hostile environment that can include unwanted sexual jokes, advances, touching, displays, or comments that insult, degrade, or sexually exploit anyone within the life of the Church.

 Those in Ministerial Roles

Both laity and clergy fill ministerial roles in our Church. In addition to clergy or professional staff, any United Methodist may fill a ministerial role by participating in ministries including, but

not limited to:

• leading and participating in lay servant ministries;
• coordinating and/or leading events for children, youth, and adults;
• teaching and leading in church schools for children, youth, and adults;
• leading in worship as speaker from the pulpit, liturgist, communion server, or usher;
• volunteering to chaperone trips, work camps, or special events;
• working in Walks to Emmaus and Chrysalis retreats;
• mentoring;
• supervising church staff members; and
• working with computers, websites, and the Internet in church property/programs.
• participation in Stephen Ministries

 Progress and Troubling Trends

The General Conference not only has mandated adoption of policies in our churches, conferences, agencies, and schools, it called for training, advocacy practices, and surveys of progress as a denomination conducted by the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women.

Work remains to be done. Recent findings show the experiences of leadership of the Church on many levels—local church, seminary, annual and general conferences in particular:

• Awareness of the denomination’s policy on sexual misconduct is high, but awareness of the resources for victims and congregations is much lower.
• Awareness of policy by members and guests continues to be low.
• Harassment is still a significant problem:  well over three-fourths of the clergy (men and women) and half of the lay women had experienced sexual harassment in the Church (about one third of laymen).
• Holding offenders accountable, removing errant pastors, lay staff, or volunteers as needed, and requiring counseling, training, and supervision before resumption of ministerial roles are remedial steps our episcopal and superintending leader should use in every case;
• Accountability for follow-up on situations of misconduct so that appropriate and effective remediation is achieved, so that the behavior stops, does not reoccur, and relationship and ministry are returned to wholeness as much as possible;
• Placing justice for victims above protection of offenders, including pastors, is an equally pressing need;
• With this global Internet age and the growing use of computers by clergy and laity has come more frequent reports of the use of pornography and sexualized materials by laity and clergy within church programs or with church computers or property.

Progress in four areas is not adequate:  prevention, education, intervention and healing.  Additional work is now needed:

1. Resources for various constituencies addressing prevention, education, intervention, and healing after lay or clergy sexual misconduct (including the United Methodist website on sexual ethics www.umsexualethics.org);
2. Updated training (initial, follow-up, and advanced) for the various constituencies within the church, including education on the prevention and the use of pornography, its destructive impact on users, and its potential for abuse in or with church programs or property;
3. Implementation of models for intervention and healing to all affected, in order to provide a consistent and thorough response every time when complaints are initiated;
4. Development of a model for ongoing assessment of policies, practices, and responses of conferences;
5. Appropriate handling of the presence and involvement of legally convicted sexual offenders in local congregational activities and ministry;
6. Opportunities for annual conferences to share their resources and experience. (see www.umsexualethics.org)

Therefore be it resolved, that The United Methodist Church renews its stand in opposition to the sin of sexual misconduct within the Church worldwide.  It further recommits all United Methodists to the eradication of sexual misconduct in all ministerial relationship, and calls for:

1. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, to continue to convene and coordinate a cooperative interagency group to address the areas of prevention, education, intervention, and healing including a representative of the Council of Bishops, the General Boards of Discipleship, Higher Education and Ministry, Global Ministries, Church and Society, the General Council on Finance and Administration, Wespath, UMM, UMW, and representatives of annual conference Response/Crisis Teams and Safe Sanctuary Teams (each agency member responsible for his or her own expense and a share of the expense of the annual conference representatives);
2. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women be provided resources sufficient to develop/distribute resources for leaders of lay events and programs with the church in order to help train and equip them to raise this important issue with laity (including lay servants, lay leaders, Christian educators, persons in mission, leaders in School of Christian Mission, Walks to Emmaus, Chrysalis, and leaders of events with young people);
3. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, through the interagency group, to ensure that resources for laity and clergy in ministerial roles are identified and promoted for use in conferences, districts or clusters, and local congregations;
4. The Council of Bishops to reaffirm its commitment to preventing and eradicating sexual harassment, abuse, and misconduct in the church through education, training, and sharing of resources.  Each episcopal area will implement policies, procedures, and ongoing plans to coordinate person involved in prevention and intervention, including but not limited to:  district superintendents, boards of ordained ministry, boards of laity, advocates, intervention and healing teams, trained mediators, and staff-parish relations committees;
5. United Methodist-related schools of theology to provide training on the prevention and eradication of sexual harassment, abuse and misconduct within the ministerial relationship;
6. Annual conference boards of ordained ministry to provide education (entry level, follow-up, advanced) for all appointed clergy, local pastors, and commissioned members.  Annual conferences are also encouraged to provide similar education and training for those employed in ministerial leadership;
7. Episcopal areas to require that all clergy, local pastors assigned laity, and commissioned members appointed in each annual conference have regular, up-to-date sexual ethics training a minimum of once every four years to be in good standing for appointment;
8. The General Board of Church and Society to continue to advocate for just laws that address or counter sexual harassment and abuse in our larger societies.

Submitted: 7/31/2019
Petitioner: Dawn Wiggins Hare, General Secretary of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women

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Petition # TBD / R2045 (New legislation submitted in 2023)

Since the mid-1970s when the term “sexual harassment” was first recognized, the world has seen an evolution in awareness, laws and litigation, policies, advocacy, and international collaboration to eradicate sexual harassment in the workplace. In our own communities we have moved from debating whether or not sexual harassment is even a problem to witnessing women and men join together across national boundaries to address it in global settings, churches and ministries, and multinational workplaces. 

Since the 1990s, sexual harassment is a recognized form of sexual violence and misconduct in our societies and in The United Methodist Church. The Church declared sexual harassment a sin against individuals and communities, and a chargeable offense against our clergy or laity. Critical to our understanding of the impact of harassment is the recognition that it is certainly an abuse of power over another, not only inappropriate sexual or gender-directed conduct. 

Definitions 

Beginning with the continuum of behaviors that includes sexual harassment: Sexual misconduct within ministerial relationships is a betrayal of sacred trust. It is a continuum of unwanted sexual or gender-directed behaviors by either a lay or clergy person within a ministerial relationship (paid or unpaid). It can include child abuse, adult sexual abuse, harassment, rape or sexual assault, sexualized verbal comments or visuals, unwelcome touching and advances, use of sexualized materials including pornography, stalking, sexual abuse of youth or those without capacity to consent, or misuse of the pastoral or ministerial position using sexualized conduct to take advantage of the vulnerability of another. It includes criminal behaviors in some nations, states, or communities. 

Sexual harassment is a form of sexual misconduct. The Social Principles define it as “any unwanted sexual comment, advance or demand, either verbal or physical, that is reasonably perceived by the recipient as demeaning, intimidating, or coercive. Sexual harassment must be understood as an exploitation and abuse of a power relationship rather than as an exclusively sexual issue. Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, the creation of a hostile or abusive working environment resulting from discrimination on the basis of gender” (¶ 161J). 

To clarify further, it is unwanted sexual or gender-directed behavior within a pastoral, employment, ministerial (including volunteers), mentor, or colleague relationship that is so severe or pervasive that it alters the conditions of employment or volunteer work or unreasonably interferes with the employee or volunteer’s performance. It can create a hostile, offensive environment that can include unwanted sexual jokes, repeated advances, touching, displays, or comments that insult, degrade, or sexually exploit women, men, elders, children, or youth.

Generally, anyone Anyone can be a target, and anyone can harass—women, men, youth, interns, volunteers, all racial/ethnic groups, any level of employee, clergy, or laity. In the learning place, it affects any students of either all genders, any grade, any teacher or professional, or any volunteer. 

Businesses, governments, congregations, and organizations lose significant human and financial resources when harassment is permitted to devastate workers, customers, or members. It damages self-esteem, productivity, and ability to minister or earn wages. It can result in illness, absenteeism, poor performance, loss of promotions and opportunities. For students it can result in failure, absenteeism, isolation from peers, loss of self-esteem and learning potential, withdrawal from teams and groups, and illness. Families of the harassed and others in work, worship, and learning places are also victims of the hostile, intimidating environment harassment creates. 

Harassment in the Church 

In the church, harassment can occur between a staff person, pastor, committee or council chairperson, church school teacher or helper, student, camper, counselor, youth worker, volunteer, or chaperone, paid or unpaid. It can happen on the bus to camp, in a youth group or Bible study, on a church computer or in choir rehearsal. The devastating effects on persons when it happens in a faith community jeopardize spiritual life, theological meaning, and relationships. For some, the loss of a sense of safety and sanctuary can be permanent. 

In 1990, the General Council on Ministries released the study mandated by General Conference in 1988 examining sexual harassment in The UMC. Then, half of the clergy, 20 percent of laity, nearly half of students, and 37 percent of church staff had had an experience of harassment in a church setting. Nearly 20 years ago we had much work to do to eradicate this form of sexual misconduct and violence. 

our quadrennia later, good work has been done toward the elimination of sexual harassment in the Church. Thirty-five annual conferences now assign oversight of harassment issues to a “team,” and many conferences require sexual misconduct awareness training for all clergy. Since the General Conference mandated sexual harassment policies in 1996, more and more churches of every size continue to report policies in place (in 2007: 34 percent of smallest and 86 percent of largest membership congregations have policies—up from 9 percent and 36 percent, respectively, in 1995). The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women has provided support and counsel to victims and church officials in hundreds of cases. 

But the most recent surveys of our progress in eradicating sexual harassment (2005 and 20071) are very troubling: sexual harassment remains a significant problem for women and men, lay and clergy in our church settings, programs, and with church property (including computers and the Internet): 

1. Awareness of the denomination’s policy on sexual harassment is relatively high (higher among clergy than laity), but awareness of the resources for victims and congregations is much lower.

2. While every local congregation is required to have a policy and procedure on sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, in 2007 only 34 percent of small and 86 percent of largest membership churches report that they do. 

3. Ninety percent of pastors clergy have attended at least one sexual ethics training course, but only one of four twenty-five percent of pastors clergy has have attended supplementary training. 

4. More than three-fourths of the clergywomen and half of the laywomen had experienced sexual harassment in the Church (only a third of laymen had); the most commonly reported settings were church meetings and offices, and workplaces and social gatherings at seminary. 

5. Perpetrators are most often men and increasingly laypersons in the local church. Clergy commit over a third of reported offenses. A significant change since the 1990 study was significant increases in the number of laity harassing laity, and laity harassing clergy. 

6. Local churches were most likely to trivialize reports/complaints while seminaries and UM offices were more likely to move toward action against offenders. 

7. Personal friends and relatives were most helpful to victims, while district superintendents, personnel officers, and seminary administrators were among the least helpful. 

8. The most lasting negative effects were inability to work with the offender, emotional impacts, and worsened feelings about self and the church. 

9. Smaller membership churches need resources and training specifically developed for their unique settings and dynamics.

In The United Methodist Church, constant vigilance is needed to keep effective, updated policies and procedures in all places in the church. Regular training of our lay and clergy leaders is a critical ongoing ministry of our church, with focus on the troubling use of “cyber-sex” (sexualized material in telecommunications) in church programs, with church property, or on church premises. 

In 2006, a significant the first national symposium addressing sexual misconduct in The United Methodist Church, “Do No Harm,” was held. At that critical event, participants asked episcopal leaders to focus on clergy training, lay leadership training, and early intervention with problem clergy. Advocacy and intervention teams have been working in many conferences but not all, and every episcopal area needs to maintain working, effective channels and procedures. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women continues to host “Do No Harm” regularly and has subsequently developed an online resource called, “Do No More Harm” to provide guidance when there is a concern or complaint of sexual misconduct in The United Methodist Church. We need and are grateful for strong episcopal leadership across the Church who maintain our achievements and forcefully address existing barriers to a harassment-free denomination. 

A Vision of God’s Hospitable Community 

Sexual harassment destroys community. This alienating, sinful behavior causes brokenness in relationships—the opposite of God’s intention for us. From the first biblical stories of human community in the garden to the letters of Paul to the first Christian communities, we learn that all of us, both female and male, are created in the image of God, and thus have been made equal in Christ. We are called to be stewards of God’s community of hospitality where there is not only an absence of harassment, but also the presence of welcome, respect, and equality. 

         Therefore, the General Conference calls for intensified efforts worldwide to eradicate sexual harassment in the denomination and its institutions including these strategies: 

1. Episcopal leaders implement plans to address and eradicate sexual harassment in each episcopal area including regular, updated training of clergy, early intervention with problem clergy, and regular training of lay men and women, especially in smaller membership churches;.

2. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, in collaboration with appropriate agencies (including the General Board of Discipleship’s Discipleship Ministries’ Safe Sanctuaries ministry), continue to develop and distribute resources to reduce the risk of abuse in local churches and increase United Methodists’ understanding and action on sexual harassment in church and society;.

3. The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, in collaboration with appropriate agencies, develop and distribute resources on sexual harassment specific to those in licensed and ordained ministry and to lay leaders, students, faculty, and administrators of United Methodist-related educational institutions;.

4. Annual conferences throughout the connection will encourage their local and national governments to collect accurate data on the incidence and nature of sexual harassment in their workplaces, and encourage their national governments to adopt laws, policies, and procedures for eradicating sexual harassment;.

5. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women continue to monitor and assess the Church’s progress in eradicating sexual harassment and will seek ways to report its findings to the Church on the specific areas to be strengthened within the life of the Church including policy development, prevention, education, and training;.

6. The General Board of Church and Society and the General Board of Global Ministries advocate for laws that prohibit sexual harassment in US workplaces, and continue to provide resources to the denomination on international initiatives to eradicate harassment and other forms of violence against women;.

7. The Office of Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships work cooperatively with the World Council of Churches “Decade to Overcome Violence” (2001-2010); and.

8. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women continue to conduct assessments of The United Methodist Church’s progress to eradicate this behavior from the Church worldwide. 

For more information and resources, see The Book of Resolutions, 2012, “Sexual Misconduct Within Ministerial Relationships” (#2044) and the original text of this resolution in The Book of Resolutions, 2004, p. 155. 

ADOPTED 1992
REVISED AND ADOPTED 2000, 2008, 2016
RESOLUTION #2045, 2008, 2012 BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION #37, 2004 BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION #31, 2000 BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS
See Social Principles, ¶ 161J

Submitted: 07/28/2023
Petitioner: Dawn Wiggins Hare, General Secretary of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women

Additional Resources:

Petition #20594-IC-R9999-G

“We affirm that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons.... We reject all sexual expressions that damage the humanity God has given us as birthright” (Social Principles, ¶ 161F, H).

For nearly two decades, the global people called United Methodist have strengthened our understanding and practice of sexual ethics. We have adopted policies and procedures to guide behavior and address brokenness. We have trained, educated, and surveyed lay and clergy leaders of our denomination, conferences, and our congregations. We have spent significant resources in addressing the brokenness from sexual misconduct, from healing individuals and congregations to holding the Church accountable through legal proceedings.

As a resource to the Church, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women takes very seriously its role to alert our leaders, conferences, and congregations of developments in our societies that call us to intensified concern and action. One such concern today is the expansion of the use of pornography, and its appearance in church programs, through the use of church computers and technology, or on church property.

Definition of Pornography

While definitions may vary, the 2016 Book of Resolutions offers the following:

“Pornography is sexually explicit material intended primarily for the purpose of sexual arousal that often portrays violence, abuse, coercion, domination, humiliation, or degradation. In addition, any sexually explicit material that depicts children is pornographic.” (2016 Book of Resolutions, “Pornography and Sexual Violence,” p. 126.)

The global expansion of wireless Internet and telecommunications provides limitless availability to pornography. Schools, businesses, and governments are struggling with the use of pornography by employees or students with the organization’s equipment.

The National Center for Sexual Exploitation published these troubling indicators in 2017 in the United States:

• 93% of boys and 62% of girls see pornography during adolescence;
• 64% of 13-24 year olds actively seek out pornography each week or more often;
• 88% of the scenes from 50 of the most popular pornographic videos contained physical violence, and 49% contained verbal aggression;
• 46 separate studies studies report that exposure to pornography increases risk of committing sexual offenses and enabling rape myths;
• Girls aged 14-19 who view pornography are at a higher risk of becoming victim to sexual harassment and assault;
• Viewing pornography creates negative body images for women and more critical attitudes in men of their sexual partner;
• Women viewing pornography are more likely to be susceptible to believing rape myths;
• Marital rape is more likely when a partner has been viewing pornography;
• Probability of divorce doubles when a partner has viewed pornography.
• (National Center on Sexual Exploitation, “Pornography and Public Health: Research Summary,” http://endsexualexploitation.org/wp-content/uploads/NCOSE_Pornography-PublicHealth_ResearchSummary_8-2_17_FINAL-with-logo.pdf, August 2, 2017). The use of pornography continues to increase as it becomes more accessible (via the Internet, for example), and allows more immediate, realistic, and anonymous sexual contact and gratification (through chat rooms, real-time videos). Research shows it is not an “innocent activity.” It is harmful and is generally addictive. Persons who are addicted to pornography are physiologically altered, as is their perspective, relationships with parishioners and family, and their perceptions of girls and women. Persons who are addicted to pornography must be held accountable for the impact of their behavior, yet they also need prayer, care, and therapy. Those laity and clergy in ministerial roles within our churches, conferences, and agencies are just as susceptible to pornography addiction as anyone else.

In the Harmfulness of Pornography, Robert Brannon shares the following, now confirmed in social science research:

• a majority of people in the US believe that some “pornography” (such as eroticized rape scenes) influences some men toward real-life sexual aggression;
• young male viewers of pornography become more likely to believe “all women want to be raped”; and
• women are portrayed as stereotypical bodies and sex objects.
   

Pornography in the Church

A disturbing trend in the Church is the use of pornography by clergy and lay employees and volunteers, even using computers and other equipment owned by or housed within churches and church-related organizations. We are aware of reports of adults sharing pornographic materials with children and youth during church activities, camps, or programs. But beyond being saddened, shocked, and dismayed by these reports, how do we raise awareness among congregational, conference, agency, school or cabinet leaders, and what do we do to identify, stop, prevent, and then heal from recurrence in our communities of faith?

The United Methodist Church declares that the use of pornography in church programs, on church premises or with church property by persons in ministerial roles (lay and clergy) is a form of sexual misconduct, a chargeable offense for laity and clergy in The United Methodist Church.

The General Conference recommends and urges the following actions:

1. that cabinets and boards of ordained ministry include these issues and ministry concerns in sexual ethics training for candidates, appointed pastors, local pastors, and retired pastors;
2. that bishops, cabinets, and chancellors should lead in updating the sexual ethics policies and procedures of conferences and congregations to include use of pornography as a form of sexual misconduct;
3. that laity in positions of leadership in conferences, congregations, agencies, and schools should receive updated training on issues of sexual ethics, including current trends and ways to help persons addicted to pornography;
4. that congregational, annual conference, and agency leaders should receive training on the issues of pornography, especially Internet pornography, and should enact strict oversight of church-owned computers and technology, including periodic technology audits.
5. that seminaries and boards of ordained ministries should provide training to help clergy and lay professionals-in-training avoid addictive or harmful behaviors and to minister effectively with persons addicted to pornography by including issues of sexual misconduct, including pornography, in ethics and ministries courses and training for all students; and

Resources: The Social Principles, ¶ 161F, H, and Q; United Methodist website on sexual ethics, www.umsexualethics.org; Resolution on “Pornography and Sexual Violence,” 2016 Book of Resolutions, and Resolutions on “Pornography” and “Sexual Misconduct Within Ministerial Relationships,” 2008 Book of Resolutions.

See Social Principles, ¶ 161F and 161Q.     

Submitted: 7/31/2019
Petitioner: Dawn Wiggins Hare, General Secretary of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women

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