Contact emails at St Clement's for people who can help you with your report
Leah Ensing, People's Warden
David Smith, Rector's Warden
Helen Dunn, Priest
Peggy Trendell-Jensen, Deacon
Phone: 604-988-4418
Crisis support
http://www.crisiscentre.bc.ca/get-support/
Phone: 9-8-8
We strive to take responsibility for abuse within the church and want to have a transparent, easy to follow, supportive process for anyone who needs it. If you have feedback on how we can make this page better, please contact the Reverend Helen Dunn.
I'm ready to report
It is noble to report abuse, whether for your own personal wellbeing or to safeguard others by making a complaint. Just as airlines tell you to put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others, it is important to prioritize your own safety and capacities. People have worked and continue to work to make the church safer, but in some times and places, and with certain church leaders, it may not be safe for you to share your story. Whether you report or not is your choice, and you are always free to change your mind later.
It often takes substantial time and reflection to identify, understand, and process abuse. Caution: especially in the case of older people, sometimes the longer people wait to report, the less chance there is for other witnesses or victims to be available to testify, or remember details as credible witnesses. This is important to keep in mind. At the same time, please know that whenever you choose to report, there is no shame in taking the time you need to be ready and equipped to take action.
What is abuse?
Abuse can take many forms. Most institutions focus on clergy sexual abuse, which is when someone in a ministerial role engages in sexual contact or sexualized behaviour with a congregant. Abuse by clergy is always an abuse of power, but lay people can also have power in the church and abuse it. Other forms of abuse can include blackmail, coercion, destruction of property, emotional manipulation, grooming, intimidation, intimate partner violence, isolation from family and friends, physical violence, financial exploitation, spiritual manipulation, threats, and verbal abuse. Abuse can happen at any age, eroding a person's self-respect, self-confidence and certainty. Abuse can happen to children, teenagers, young adults, adults, and seniors. Finally, because abusers often engage in DARVO, it is important to remember that setting boundaries to protect yourself and others, calling out bad behaviour, and reporting misconduct are not forms of abuse.
Making a report
If you are considering making a report, having one or more trusted supporters is essential. The ideal supporter is someone who you can trust to be devoted to your welfare with no conflicts of interest. A good supporter will not share details of your story without your explicit permission, and they will support your decisions regardless of whether you engage the church or leave it entirely. If you are not sure who can support you, we recommend starting with a trusted friend or professional from a different church or from a non-church background. Unfortunately, having ties to the same church community as a perpetrator can create conflicts of interest for even the most well-intentioned.
Diary or journal
Another good practice is to start a diary or journal. When you have a meeting, phone call, or significant conversation about your experiences, write down the date, location, and people present in a secure notebook or an app on your phone. Notes on content are also helpful, but even just basic logistical details can be an important reference. If you have the capacity to do so, you may want to also write something when you process or remember something significant about your experiences. A good therapist can also help you identify, understand, and process your experiences.
Support person
Regardless of whether a formal reporting process has started, it is recommended that when you discuss misconduct with church leaders (archdeacons, bishops, canon pastors) or their agents (consultants, investigators, lawyers, mediators) that you do so with a trusted supporter present. If a meeting or phone call is proposed, ask if your supporter can attend and take notes. If they are not available, ask if you can record the meeting. If your requests are refused, do not agree to a conversation. If there are people at a meeting you are not expecting, walk out. If you receive an unsolicited phone call about your case, hang up. It’s basic courtesy to plan meetings in advance with all participants informed, and any attempt to surprise you or isolate you from your supporters is a major warning sign.
Privacy
Your privacy and protection from reprisals is vital. Before you tell any part of your story to a church leader or their agents, ask them about confidentiality. Some questions you may want to ask: “Will any information I provide be shared with other people? If so, who are these other people, and what promises of confidentiality have they made? Will you take notes during or after our meeting, and can I review them before anyone else sees them? Will you request and receive my explicit permission before sharing anything with the perpetrator? Will an investigation result in a report, and will I receive a copy of the report?” If possible, ask for all of these assurances in writing. If you or your supporters' questions about your privacy are not answered to your satisfaction, remember that you have the option to cancel the meeting.
Things to watch for when you report
A church leader who demands that a survivor keep their actions, decisions, or words secret is abusing their power. Indeed, secrecy and enforced silence are two of the most common ways to protect abusers from facing accountability. Do not sign contracts, covenants, or any written documents without having plenty of time to review them with your supporters and ideally a lawyer. Non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements should be examined with particular caution; you are always free to show such agreements to a lawyer, even if you are told not to. Legal advice can become expensive, but sometimes even just a brief consultation can be invaluable. Ultimately, what you sign is entirely your decision. If you are in any way uncomfortable or feel like you are being pressured to sign something, consider walking away.
Independent investigators
Be aware that “independent” investigators and third parties are often not impartial. Church leaders, as with any organization, are at risk of distorting investigations to protect themselves, sometimes unintentionally. If a consultant, investigator, or mediator has already been hired, ask for a copy of their contract. If the church is considering hiring an agent or firm, ask if you and your supporters can have input into who is hired and under what conditions. Finally, if a third-party investigator is involved, ask if they will write a report, and if you will receive a copy of it. Ask for this assurance in writing, and if it is not forthcoming, consider walking away.
Your input
Giving survivors real input into misconduct investigations and processes is a best practice. Ask for everything you can. What makes or breaks church policies is the character of the leaders tasked with implementing them. How a church leader responds to your requests is an excellent predictor of whether they will seek true justice or just self-protection.
The process for making a complaint
If you are experiencing abuse or have experienced abuse in the past and wish to report, you may choose to proceed by an informal complaint process or a formal complaint process, both of which can include professional mediation. Please see the pdf attached to this page, titled "what happens when you report" for a step by step guide of the informal and formal reporting processes in the Diocese of New Westminster.
Note: All complaints related to persons under the age of sixteen which give rise to reasonable grounds to believe that the child is in need of protection will be treated as child abuse and reported to the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
For further information on safeguarding in the Diocese of New Westminster, please visit the Diocesan page on Screening in Faith.