Resources

United Methodist policy and procedure information related to sexual ethics and the church can be found at the following web address: www.umsexualethics.org. This site includes links to related ministries, such as Safe Sanctuaries, a program of the General Board of Discipleship and ecumenical websites. The site has been developed by the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women.

Advocate Web (link http://www.advocateweb.org) is a nonprofit organization providing information and resources to promote awareness and understanding of the issues involved in the exploitation of persons by trusted helping professionals. They provide a helpful resource for victim/survivors, their family and friends, the general public, as well as for victim advocates and professionals.

Sexual Exploitation by Clergy (http://www.advocateweb.org/hope/articles_clergy.asp) Part of “AdvocateWeb,” this site contains a number of articles related to professional exploitation by clergy and religious professionals. Why it’s not an affair is an insightful article by Rev. Patricia L. Liberty that helps to clarify and to define the key issues involved when a member of the clergy becomes intimately involved with a member of his/her congregation.

United Methodist Church and Clergy Sexual Misconduct (http://gcsrw.org/news/sexual_ethics.htm) A few resources collected by the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and from other United Methodist agencies on sexual ethics are available on this site.

Sexual Abuse in Protestant Churches — Real Audio from NPR's "Morning Edition"; April 22, 2002. The report begins "For the past few weeks, the Catholic Church has been struggling with allegations of sexual abuse. But people who study abuse by the clergy say that Protestant churches have just as big a problem. The details may be different, but often the ways the churches handle the cases have striking parallels. NPR's Barbara Bradley reports." (http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/20020422.me.15.ram)

Circuit Rider: May/June 1999 Practical Guidance for Ethical Ministry – this journal for United Methodist clergy contains multiple articles on the issue of clergy ethics with a lead article by guest editor Rebekah Miles. This issue, like other issues of the Circuit Rider is available in Adobe Acrobat® (*.pdf) format. (http://www.umph.org/pdfs/1619circuitrider.pdf)

Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence (http://www.cpsdv.org) The Center is an interreligious educational resource addressing issues of sexual and domestic violence. Their goal is to engage religious leaders in the task of ending abuse, and to prepare human services professionals to recognize and attend to the religious questions and issues that may arise in their work with women and children in crisis. Their primary emphasis is on education and prevention.

Interfaith Sexual Trauma Institute http://www.csbsju.edu/isti/ ITSI promotes the prevention of sexual abuse, exploitation, and harassment through research, education, and publication. In areas of sexuality, it offers leadership, gives voice, and facilitates healing to survivors, communities of faith, and offenders, as well as those who care for them. Hosted by Saint John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota, ITSI has served as an interfaith coalition sponsoring educational events and seeking to help faith communities craft policies related to sexual trauma. Their Web site is rich with resources and links.

Virginians Against Domestic Violence Twenty years of working to end violence against women & children http://vadv.org/mission.html Virginians Against Domestic Violence (VADV) is a coalition of individuals, agencies and organizations committed to the elimination of domestic violence. As a nonprofit membership organization, VADV provides a collective voice for concerned citizens and survivors of family violence throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Members share a vision of healthy relationships that are based on dignity and respect. Their Web site includes information for:

individuals who have experienced domestic violence
professionals who want to increase the effectiveness of their response to domestic violence
student & others researching Virginia's response to domestic violence
members to Virginians Against Domestic Violence
Virginia's residents/citizens who would like to know more about domestic violence & VADV

If you would like more information regarding family violence and/or sexual assault, contact the Virginia Family Violence & Sexual Assault Hotline, anytime, 24/7 at 800.838.8238 (v/tty)

Virginians Aligned Against Sexual Assault (a coalition of sexual assault crisis centers) Working on behalf of victims of sexual assault and fostering social change toward the elimination of sexual assault in the Commonwealth of Virginia) their Web page is http://www.vaasa.org.