CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION: Equipping ministry leaders Featuring: Love & Norris & MinistrySafe SEXUAL ABUSE SEMINARIES AND CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE RISK EQUIPPING MINISTRY LEADERS By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS continue to make headlines, and subsequent media coverage indicates that ministry leaders tend to be unprepared for child sexual abuse issues. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness is not unusual. arlier articles in this series introduced topics that church leaders Christ-based seminaries provide one logical avenue — academic must understand and apply, if children are to be effectively institutions committed to equipping future ministry leaders to protected from this known risk. (To access them all, download navigate environmental challenges, while pursuing a biblical Ethe Stop Sexual Abuse eBook at http://churchexecutive.com/ebooks#risk- mission. Without doubt, the issue of child sexual abuse is one of management.) This writing is intended to guide ministry leaders to these challenges. Seminaries have begun to address this issue by current resources providing a more thorough coverage of the critical offering or requiring relevant training and coursework. concepts introduced earlier in the series. Some seminaries have focused on curriculum and training As Christ-followers, attorneys and child sexual abuse experts, we created regarding awareness and prevention; others have focused on MinistrySafe to raise awareness and provide effective resources to prevent counseling, emotional care and support. Some have focused sexual abuse in ministry contexts. We believe it’s imperative that ministry on both. leaders better understand sexual abuse in order to prevent it, properly This article attempts to highlight the efforts of various respond to it, and provide appropriate care for abuse survivors. seminaries committed to equipping students and alumni with How can future ministry leaders and current staff members be timely, effective training and resources aimed at sexual abuse equipped to meet this need? prevention and healing. 2 CHURCH EXECUTIVE churchexecutive.com SEMINARY COURSEWORK In addition, every faculty and staff member is required to As early as 2004, we began teaching in seminaries around the complete Sexual Abuse Awareness Training. Leading the way, country. Many of these teaching opportunities were one or more class SBTS President Dr. Albert Mohler was the first to sessions within a course (i.e., Church Administration, Youth Ministry, complete training. Children’s Ministry, Church Development). With this time limitation, Furthermore, Southern pursued additional training to only a basic introduction of the risk was possible, convincing seminary equip students to minister to abuse survivors, offering both students (and faculty) that child sexual abuse is real, relevant in Christ- extracurricular and curricular training. In 2018, Southern dedicated based environments, and not merely a ‘Catholic problem’. Students its Counsel the Word conference to child sexual abuse prevention and needed more. care for abuse survivors. The conference equipped and discussed healing strategies. In the Equip program, guest speaker Ellen Dykas AWARENESS AND PREVENTION provided guidance in strategies for provision of care for abuse survivors. Additionally, a dedicated DALLAS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY: course addressing crisis and trauma FIRST IN CLASS counseling was added to Southern’s ® In 2015, Dallas Theological Seminary requirements for an M.A. in (DTS) was the first to recognize the need Biblical Counseling. for a comprehensive course specifically targeting child sexual abuse risk. SEMINARIES: A GROWING RESPONSE After various class sessions and trainings, Dean (now president) Mark Yarbrough Seminary Solutions — With campuses in five states, a and President (now Chancellor) Dr. Mark MinistrySafe Institute Global Campus and three extensions, Bailey recognized a need to effectively Reformed Theological Seminary equip students and faculty with sexual To provide a more comprehensive evaluation requires that all faculty, staff and abuse awareness and training. DTS leaders of sexual abuse risk, MinistrySafe and Dallas students complete Sexual Abuse believed that every student — regardless Theological Seminary collaborated to create the Awareness Training upon hire or before of degree plan — should have a basic first 3-hour graduate-level course — “Preventing graduation. understanding of sexual abuse risk, Sexual Abuse in the Church” — offered every As the first to complete training, RTS regardless of subsequent ministry position Spring semester since 2017. The course includes Chancellor and CEO Dr. Ligon Duncan (whether missions, counseling, children’s more than 16 hours of pre-recorded content, lead by example, saying, “As shepherds ministry or administration). provided through Canvas in seven modules, we must be up to speed on this issue as By Fall 2015, DTS required every including: we guard the flock. We must be faithful student to complete Sexual Abuse • Understanding Sexual Abuse Risk in to this part of our calling.” Awareness Training. Ministry Contexts In Spring 2017, DTS offered a • Creating an Effective Safety System In 2018, Rockbridge Seminary comprehensive 3-hour credit course • Skillful Screening Processes and Training™ began offering Sexual Abuse Awareness limited to sexual abuse prevention and • Abuse Reporting Requirements Training to all staff, faculty, board of risk arising in ministry contexts. Offered • Allegations — Preparation and Response Plans trustee members, advisory council each Spring since 2017, the course includes • Legislation Related to Sexual Abuse / Changes members and students. Rockbridge more than 16 hours of pre-recorded in the Law alumni provide financial support for lecture content from sexual abuse experts, • A Model of Care for Abuse Survivors these child protection initiatives. including preventative protocols, effective screening practices, child protection policy The training content forming the basis of this Bob Jones University (BJU) and provisions and an appropriate model of course is now available through MinistrySafe Bob Jones Seminary were the first care for abuse survivors. Institute, or MSI [ministrysafeinstitute.com]. academic institutions to require DTS is an example of a seminary MSI materials may be integrated into academic campus-wide Sexual Abuse Awareness embracing the challenge of confronting environments as a standalone course or used Training. Beginning in Fall 2014, BJU child sexual abuse risk and appropriate within an existing course. has required all students, faculty and response; others have risen to the From a technical standpoint, MSI provides a staff to attend live, on-campus Awareness challenge, as well. Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI)-Compliant Training provided by myself (Greg Love, Tool easily delivered through LTI-Compliant founder and Director of MinistrySafe). SOUTHERN SEMINARY: RAISING Platforms (i.e., Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, and THE BAR so on). Midwestern Baptist Theological While DTS was the first to create a In addition, MSI is available to current ministry Seminary requires all faculty and dedicated course, Southern Baptist staff members through the MinistrySafe staff to complete Sexual Abuse Theological Seminary (SBTS), the control panel (for MinistrySafe members) or Awareness Training, as well as all largest seminary in the United States, independently at MinistrySafeInstitute.com. incoming students. quickly followed suit with initiatives of its own. Gateway Seminary and New Recognizing the need to provide training and instruction Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary require all students and confronting sexual abuse risk, SBTS leaders created a requirement faculty to complete Sexual Abuse Awareness Training. that every Southern student — regardless of degree plan — must complete Sexual Abuse Awareness Training. Southern sought to Dallas Baptist University requires all graduate-level students instill the value of abuse prevention in its students early, beginning to complete MinistrySafe Institute, comprehensive online at new student orientation. coursework, prior to graduation. See sidebar above, left churchexecutive.com CHURCH EXECUTIVE 3 Thought leaders Liberty School of Divinity requires completion of MinistrySafe Institute coursework by students pursuing specific degree plans. In March 2020, Denver Seminary hosted and promoted Sexual Abuse Awareness Training for its students, faculty and local churches, speak focused on child sexual abuse prevention. Unfortunately, a worldwide pandemic intervened, postponing the event. Each of the academic institutions referenced above use MinistrySafe training resources. out PREVENTION, HEALING AND CARING Awareness of the prevalence and impact of child sexual abuse is a starting point, because awareness facilitates prevention — the first step The challenges in Christian ministry are many; few are more in reducing the toll of those experiencing the devastating impact of important than properly addressing child sexual abuse risk. At sexual abuse. Reformed Theological Seminary, we’ve made it a priority to equip For millions, however, the horse is out of the barn; it’s too late to future ministry leaders with the Bible and theology, as well as prevent the experience. Conservative studies indicate that 1 in 5 practical pastoral preparation, in order to reach and disciple a broken Americans has endured sexual victimization as a child. This reality world. To that end, we are committed to creating