From the Inside Flap
As ministers of God, clergy are expected to be trustworthy. So when a priest, minister, or other spiritual leader betrays the trust of even one member of his or her congregation, everyone in the congregation is seriously affected. A practical response to such abuse, this booklet suggests ways congregations can work through the resulting conflict and confusion to emerge as a stronger, renewed community. Designed for wide distribution in parish and counseling situations, it outlines the typical steps to recovery: crisis meetings, truth telling, feelings work, education, spiritual reflection, and answering the questions ?Where do we go from here?? and ?What else do you need to be able to heal?? The Congregational Response to Clergy Betrayals of Trust also clears up confusion by defining the sometimes hard-to-understand forms of abuse that congregations may face: sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and abuse of power in ways that are not necessarily sexual (emotional abuse, misuse or theft of funds, and substance abuse). It also discusses the underlying cultural and institutional factors that contribute to a climate in which power can be abused. A crisis can become a great opportunity. If people work hard to respectfully listen to one another, to avoid laying blame, to stay the course, and to work through the pain together, a much stronger congregation can emerge. The Congregational Response to Clergy Betrayals of Trust helps facilitate that growth. Contents are ?Introduction,? ?What Are We Talking About?? ?What Are the Origins of Power in the Clerical Role?? ?The Professional Helper,? ?The Uniqueness of the Clerical Role,? ?How Do the Various Types of Abuse Affect Congregations?? ?Other Factors That Influence How Well a Congregation Will Recover,? ?What Is the Experience of Those Directly Harmed?? ?Why Is Disclosure So Important?? ?What Can We Expect?? ?The Crisis Meeting,? ?The Follow-Up Period,? ?Forgive and Forget,? ?Underlying Causes,? and ?Conclusion.?
