Thread by @futuristguy

THREAD: How to Do Systemic Review of Abuse/Violence-Related Issues at a Seminary.

I worked at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway Seminary) from 1996-2007 in multiple departments, so I had a great opportunity to see much of the technical system as a whole. 1/

I've been research writing spiritual abuse, malignant ministers, & toxic organizations since 2007. So, since publication of @HoustonChron's series on "Abuse of Faith" this past week, I've reflected on how to combine these two lengthy experiences into something constructive. 2/

This thread is *rough draft* attempt to create some relevant checklists. I did this in a few hours, without any outside input. But I thought it could still be as valuable to see how those w/ knowledge of organizational systems + seminaries could compile initial lists quickly. 3/

1. GOAL: A TRAUMA-AWARE COMMUNITY

This means considering many groups w/in the seminary who have particular roles to play and requirements to meet: Trustees, administration, faculty, staff, students, volunteers, visiting contributors (ministers, teachers, preachers), guests. 4/

A "trauma-aware community" receives information on 3 perennial topic areas, and the seminary provides periodic refreshers/retrainings to keep awareness current.

1. Form of abuse/violence.
2. Survivor ministry dynamics.
3. Systemic abuse identification and transformation. 5/

1-1. FORMS OF ABUSE/VIOLENCE. All forms are relevant; many grooming & perpetrator dynamics are similar.

* Sexual harassment
* Sexual assault
* Child sexual abuse
* Child abuse/negligence
* Domestic violence
* Other forms of violence
* Spiritual abuse, authoritarian leadership 6/

1-2. SURVIVOR MINISTRY DYNAMICS

* Abuse & trauma
* Survivor + family support & recovery
* Trauma-informed therapy
* Post-traumatic growth/resilience
* Worldwide issues & statistics of abuse, violence, genocide
* Survivor statistics implications for churches, plants, missions 7/

1-3. SYSTEMIC ABUSE IDENTIFICATION & TRANSFORMATION

* Systems, systemic abuse/oppression
* Healthy vs toxic organizational strategies & structures
* Evaluating & revising church/ministry systems
* child safety practices/abuse prevention
* Advocacy for victims & the vulnerable 8/

2. ACTION: REVIEW NON-DISCRETIONARY PRACTICES ON ABUSE/VIOLENCE

Trustees & lead administrators need a comprehensive compilation & review of policies/practices *required* of seminary institution by law, by regulatory agencies, & by voluntary associations (e.g., accreditation). 9/

2. SOURCES OF REQUIRED PRACTICES

* Legal: local, state, federal laws.
* Regulatory agency requirements: IRS, state attorney general or other corporation/business board.
* Associational requirements: ATS, regional accreditation, specialization or certification requirements. 10/

2. SOURCES OF REQUIRED PRACTICES (continued)

* Immigration, visa, & other international laws for non-citizen seminary community members.
* Int'l laws re: commission of crimes by non-citizens (e.g., if seminary-related person commits crime while there representing seminary). 11/

2. SELF-STUDY QUESTIONS

* Do ALL current seminary policies & documents accurately reflect ALL sources of policies that are binding on the institution?
* What gaps in required practice documentation need to be updated in constitution, by-laws, resolutions, manuals, etc.? 12/

3. ACTION: (RE)CONSIDER DISCRETIONARY PRACTICES

Trustees & lead administrators need to examine policies & practices related to abuse, violence, disqualified leaders, toxic ministry systems, etc., that are not required as in Item #2, but are crucial to protection/prevention. 13/

3. CONSIDERATION PROCESSES

Some evaluations require bringing in departmental administrators to assist in compiling current policies, & to help assess whether policy each is: (1) adequate as is, (2) could be improved, or (3) represents a gap to fill. 14/

3. DEPARTMENTS

This represents collaborations w/ outsiders mostly, where seminary can refuse official connection if the individual/institution is not safe.

* Church plant candidates, church plant site endorsement/support
* Institutional advancement - refusal of donations. 15/

3. DEPARTMENTS (continued)

* Theological Field Education, and Doctor of Ministry, approvals: ministry site, ministry supervisor, spiritual director, project.
* Continuing education - how best to equip churches & ministries to get up to standards of safety and sustainability. 16/

3. DEPARTMENTS (concluded)

* Counseling, ministry, spiritual formation/direction: evaluate qualitative degree of conformity to trauma-informed counseling/ministry practices, & evaluate ministry practices for loopholes where toxic people can hijack discipling process. 17/

4. ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSPARENCY & ACCESSIBLE DOCUMENTATION

The seminary needs transparent process to adopt, periodically review, revise, & post institutional regulations, policies, evaluations, certifications, reports, etc. - and make them accessible to relevant groups. 18/

4. CLEAR, COMPREHENSIVE POLICIES

Do you have these?

* Campus safety
* Whistle-blowing
* How to report accusations of abuse/misconduct at any seminary-related function/site
* Safety where minors present
* Donation acceptance/refusal
* Title IX; other applicable regulations. 19/

4. KEY DOCUMENTS

Are all appropriate pieces in these?

* Seminary website
* Course catalog
* Employee handbook
* HR policies
* Faculty manual
* Accreditation self-studies and reports
* Incorporation & business license documents, updated & filed w/ the incorporating state. 20/

END-1. So those are my lists, based on 11 years at GGBTS 20 years in churches/ministries tainted by spiritual abuse, & more. Yes, this is dry, technical detail. But it represents IRL ways that people w/ ulterior motives have hijacked systems for their own power & prestige. 21/

END-2. Background: I worked at GGBTS from 1996-2007 in event planning, writing/editing, administrative systems, & special projects for Continuing Ed., Institutional Advancement, Office of the President, Theological Field Education, Doctor of Ministry, & Dean's Office. 22/

END-3. I was the first person to be sole editor of the entire course catalog, edited first Faculty Manual plus created index, & wrote procedure manuals. I've edited master’s theses, Doctor of Ministry project reports, Ph.D. dissertation, & books on theology & other subjects. 23/

END-4. I verified that every Trustee-approved change from the beginning of the seminary was incorporated into its constitution & by-laws, to ensure accuracy. Also compiled policies, practices, & questions related to 5 transition scenarios before President Crews retired. 25/

END-5. From mid-1990s through mid-2000s, I served on 8 church plant teams, & was church plant designer for my Theological Field Education. I was a church planter candidate assessor (specializing in communication skills evaluation) in the early 2000s / Level 2 Ridley training. 26/

END-6. I'm NOT looking for work--I must finish writing 3 training manuals before 2021! I simply figured this was 1 unique contribution I could make to discussions of how to evaluate an organization for systemic abuse & implement changes. Thanks for reading, hope it's helpful. 27/

Edits already noticed. :-)

Sorry I misnumbered the tweets. #25-26-27 should be numbered as #24-25-26.