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Safeguarding God’s children (and ours)

(Originally published in the February 2012 Newsletter)

Last fall, many of us were horrified by news stories from Penn State University about Jerry Sandusky, a former football coach accused of sexually abusing adolescent boys. As awful as those allegations were, the realization that university officials, including the legendary head coach Joe Paterno, had apparently failed to take adequate action to protect children was also deeply unsettling. These headlines revived memories of other infamous abuse scandals,
in churches, schools and homes, and raised many questions: Why do so many turn a blind eye to situations like these? What could be done differently? And, in a church like ours, where hundreds of children and teens are part of the community, how can we best prevent such things from happening?

In the case of St. Columba’s, we follow the Diocese of Washington’s standards for children’s and youth ministries, as well as additional guidelines specific to our parish (all of which may be read at Columba.org). For example, new Sunday School teachers and youth leaders must be members of the parish—active and “in good standing”—for at least six months before they start working with children and youth. Also, all the office and classroom doors in our building have windows in them—not for reasons of architectural design but to minimize the chance that something inappropriate could happen behind closed doors.

All staff, vestry members and volunteers who work with children and youth on an ongoing basis (Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, vergers, SCAP leaders, etc.) are also required to take a sexual abuse awareness and training session called Safeguarding God’s Children. This three-hour class is offered several times a year at different locations in the diocese (including once annually at St. Columba’s). The Safeguarding curriculum is designed to equip people to recognize warning signs of abuse, to know what to do in the case of witnessing or hearing about abuse and to take steps to avoid situations in which abuse or even the appearance of impropriety could take place.

The Safeguarding class is not an easy experience. The presentation includes video interviews with survivors of sexual abuse in church settings and with convicted sex offenders. But as hard as it is to admit, abusers are often trusted members of communities—coaches, teachers, even priests and church volunteers. Director of Children’s Ministries Pattie Ames says that although hearing these stories is difficult, most Sunday School teachers later tell her they are glad they did. “It’s shocking, but it’s very helpful for them, both in their ministry here and as parents,” she says. “You can’t just put your head in the sand. You need to be aware.”

Former youth ministries director Emily Gowdy Canady, who served as a Safeguarding trainer when she lived in Washington, agrees with Pattie. “[Sexual abuse] is far more common than any of us would like to think,” she says. She encourages parents to seek resources to help guide them in talking with their children about sexual abuse using age-appropriate language. (Darkness to Light, or D2L.org, is one website she recommends.)

Rector Janet Vincent learned first-hand about the importance of preventing and confronting child abuse. Her previous parish struggled with revelations about abuses committed by a former rector. Recalling how some in the community felt the abuse should not be exposed, she says, “We live in denial. We will protect an abuser in order not to make public an uncomfortable truth.” But for Janet, the most important lesson she learned from the ordeal was that protecting children and youth must be the priority. “One of our core missions is the nurture of children and teens,” she says. “My responsibility as rector of St. Columba’s is that they are allowed to flourish in as safe an environment as is possible.”

Janet and Pattie both make it clear that any parishioner with concerns about child sexual abuse—whether something they may have witnessed, something they were told or any other questions—are encouraged to come to either of them, youth ministries director Jason Cox or any other member of the staff or clergy. “Like that homeland security phrase, ‘if you see something, say something,’” says Janet. “We will take it seriously, and we will follow through.”

The Safeguarding classes are not limited to official volunteers, but are open to parents or others who want to know more about the issue; visit edow.org/prevention for the dates and locations of upcoming sessions. The bottom line is that in order for St. Columba’s to be the kind of community we all want it to be, we all have to do our part to look out for each other, especially for our youngest members. As Emily puts it, “This is all rooted in our baptismal covenant. We make promises to children and young people that we will protect them.”

To read the diocesan standards for youth and children’s ministries, as well as St. Columba’s own guidelines, visit “Safeguarding Our Children” under “About St. C’s” at Columba.org.

Elizabeth Terry