Policy for Dealing with Cases of Ministerial Misconduct
Policy Section 1270
In the Conservative Mennonite Conference, ordained and licensed ministers are called to the task of edifying the saints through ministries of preaching, teaching, and counseling; to give leadership in the ordinances; and to equip the saints for service. Because of the influential and consequential nature of these ministries, the integrity of those holding the office of minister is a concern not only of the local congregation, but also of the Conference.
Ethical misconduct of a minister calls for serious response. Each case needs to be examined and discerned, with response determined by the nature and seriousness of the misconduct. While restoration within the church is always the goal, restoration may not always include a return to a leadership assignment or ministerial credentials.
Cases of misconduct relevant to this document include intentional deception and dishonesty; acts of physical, verbal, or emotional abuse, whether within the minister's own family, the church, or elsewhere; acts of sexual misconduct and other expressions of deliberate or habitual immorality. Ministerial problems such as incompetency, interpersonal conflicts, power struggles, and doctrinal deviation generally are not in the scope of this document, except as they relate to the case of misconduct under investigation.
Victims and people informed of ministerial misconduct may communicate with any member of the Executive Board or the general secretary concerning the case. The Executive Board shall respond to situations of ethical misconduct either as a committee or by appointing an Intervention Team. The Intervention Team may consist of members of the Executive Board, or of others, or both. In situations which involve female victims of abuse, the inclusion of women on the Intervention Team should be a regular provision.
The Intervention Team reports to the CMC office for the Executive Board and may report directly to the moderator, especially when requested by the minister under investigation, the moderator, or any member of the intervention team. Further reporting on a given case by the Executive Board to the CMC minister's business meeting is at the discretion of the Executive Board.
It is the duty of the Intervention Team to pursue fact-finding, to assess ministerial misconduct situations, and to report its findings and recommendations for resolution to the Executive Board. This means that the Intervention Team is requested to conduct interviews and request information in the settings of its work as needed for the discharge of its assignments. The Intervention Team is not given the task of taking disciplinary action, but may recommend such action to the Executive Board.
Sensitivity should be exercised in regard to the instructions in Matthew 18:15-18, especially in cases of personal offense. In cases of victimization, care shall be taken to protect the vulnerability of the victim. In the arrangement of communications and confrontations, the purposes stated in the passage shall be kept in mind: (1) "That (Gr. hina). . . every word may be established" and (2) to gain the brother.
The Executive Board and the Intervention Team shall bear in mind the importance of ...
- Taking seriously reports of ministerial misconduct
- Fair process afforded to all parties involved
- Punctuality in working toward resolution of a problem while avoiding hasty premature conclusions
- Adequate exploration and information, including the explanations of those involved
- Written statements in receiving complaints and stating conclusions, rather than relying on oral communication only
- Informing those involved that a complaint was received or is being investigated
- Exercising care and seeking advice in regard to legal ramifications of the case
- Maintaining confidentiality, but avoiding a promise to do so, and recognizing the need to break confidentiality when an individual is physically threatened
- Regarding anonymous reports, such as unidentified letters or phone calls, as unworthy of investigation unless other factors contribute toward possible validity of the report
- Maintaining a file with a written record of the proceedings, including the initial complaint, the response of the accused, the proceedings, and the documents collected in the course of the process.
Release of a story or information to the Brotherhood Beacon and other media should be guided by the Executive Board. Generally, the case should be left with the local congregation and the CMC ministerium in its semiannual business meeting. If the case becomes subject to more widely circulated erroneous rumor, an informational report prepared by or authorized by the Executive Board may be helpful and appropriate. The media should not assume the responsibility of correction, discipline, or reconciliation apart from the work and authorization of the Executive Board.
Ministerial credentials are lodged with CMC and can be granted or revoked by the ministers' business meetings held semi-annually. Consideration of a revocation of credentials shall be referred to the Executive Board and can be presented to the ministers' business meeting by the Executive Board. The Executive Board is authorized to ask a minister to refrain temporarily from ministerial activities if the nature of a charge or of guilt makes such requirement feasible in the judgment of the Executive Board.
References
Clark, Donald C. Jr., "Sexual Abuse in the Church: The Law Steps In,) Christian Century, April 14, 1993.
"Ethics in Ministry Relations 1996," (Elgin, Illinois: Church of the Brethren, 1996)
"Guidelines for Discipline Regarding Ministerial Credentials," (The Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church 1993)
Hughes, R. Kent, and John H. Armstrong, "Why Adulterous Pastors Should Not Be Restored," Christianity Today, April 3, 1995, pp. 33-36.
"Responding to alleged Sexual Violations," Reba Place Church, Counseling Review Committee, Draft of January 16, 1995.
"The American Bar Association National Institute on the Liability of Charitable, Religious and Nonprofit Institutions" and "The Liability Of Churches and Denominational Agencies For the Sexual Misconduct of Clergy," Church Law & Tax Report, Vol. VII, No. 2, March/April 1993, published by Christian Ministry Resources, P. O. Box 1098, Matthews, NC 28106.
Adopted in the CMC Business Meeting of August 13, 1999.