“Why Domestic Violence in the Home Endangers Your Church: Step one: acknowledge that it happens.” ChurchLaw&Tax has excellent analysis and guidance here. Action step: Does your congregation have a plan to respond when someone comes for help from domestic violence? A few important excerpts:“As Christians, we are dedicated to the preservation of the marriage, as we should be. But when there is abuse, or even the suspicion of it, we, as the church, often refuse to recognize it for the danger it is,” [church-security expert Carl] Chinn said.
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About three-quarters of pastors (74%) estimate that less than 20 percent of people in their congregation have been a victim of domestic violence, but national research consistently finds that one in three women (33%) and one in four men (25%) in the US have experienced intimate partner violence at some point in their lives. In a more recent report, LifeWay found that nearly half (45%) of pastors surveyed said their church does not have a plan in place to respond if someone says they are a victim of domestic violence.
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At a minimum, church leaders need to work on empathizing with women who say they are in difficult relationships … rather than making “stay married” the primary message.
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According to Chinn, pastors need to understand that abusers are unlikely to stop abusing, no matter how much their spiritual lives may improve under pastoral care and counseling. Once a churchgoer reveals an abusive relationship to a pastor, the pastor should take steps to protect the abuse victim. For instance, in many US states, pastors are legally required to report abuse if they find out it is happening. Every pastor should know the reporting laws in his or her state. Pastors could also suggest that, if someone has disclosed an abusive relationship, a security team keep watch over them to protect them on church premises, Chinn said. If the pastor is concerned about compromising privacy, he or she should ask the person who disclosed the abuse for permission to share the concern with the team, or at least its leader.
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In addition to prioritizing an increased awareness and understanding of domestic abuse, church leaders should also be familiar with the church’s legal obligations and potential liabilities if an attack were to unfold on the church’s property.