Ministry After a
Betrayal of Trust
Seminars led by The Rev.
Deborah J. Pope-Lance
| One day seminar
for clergy serving in ministries after a previous religious leader's
betrayal of trust. Seminar participants will learn about the pervasive
systemic issues, personal and communal trauma and unique pastoral
challenges created by betrayals of trust in churches, synagogues and
related organizations. The essential tasks of after betrayal ministries
will be outlined and strategies for fulfilling these tasks practiced by
participants. CEU's provided. |
|
Cost $125 includes lunch
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
What every clergyperson needs to
know to serve and survive well
********
- Monday, October 18, 1999 in Washington
D.C.
at the offices of the Alban Institute, 7315 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite
1250-West, Bethesda, MD 20814
- Friday, October 22, 1999 in Newton, MA
on the campus of Andover Newton Theological School, 212 Herrick Road, Newton
Centre, MA
- Monday, November 8, 1999 in Dallas, TX
at the offices of the Pastoral Counseling and Education Center, 4525 Lemon
Avenue, Suite 200, Dallas, TX
********
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Seminars led by
The
Rev. Deborah J. Pope-Lance
An Ordained Minister and Licensed
Marriage and Family Therapist with 22 years experience in parish and community ministries. A
consultant and contributor to Creating Safe Congregations: Toward
an Ethic of Right Relations, Rev. Pope-Lance has been
researching, writing, teaching, consulting and coaching in the field of
clergy and congregational ethics since 1985. After Betrayal
Seminars are informed by the support and coaching of clergy in
Presbyterian, Unitarian Universalist, Baptist, Reform Judaism,
Episcopalian, United Church of Christ, United Methodist traditions. |
To Register or for More Information On
Individual coaching or Ongoing Interfaith Support and Education Groups.
call: 978-443-4393
e-mail: RevDPL@aol.com
or write: 125 Stock Farm Road Sudbury MA 01776
Q & A
Q: What is Ministry After
A Betrayal of Trust?
A: Any clergy serving where a previous religious leader engaged in
unethical conduct, in sexual misconduct by sexual exploitation, in sexual abuse
or harassment, in abuse of power or authority, in a breach of confidentiality
and/or violated boundaries of pastoral role or responsibility is in an
"After Betrayal Ministry."
Q: What are the unique challenges
facing clergy in After Betrayal Ministries?
A: Clergy in After Betrayal Ministries experience a variety of unique
challenges ---- unwarranted distrust or suspicion; being misheard or silenced;
inexplicable emotional reactions; manipulation, coercion, sabotage,
"triangulation"; undue reverence or dependence. Common organizational
patterns include irresolvable conflicts, ambivalent decision making, secret
keeping, distraction, denial and disorder, over functioning, controlling
leadership, closed, ineffective communications, and passive membership. After
Betrayal Ministries can be difficult and stressful. Clergy report stress
exacerbated health conditions, vocational crisis, and personal/family upset.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that clergy in After Betrayal Ministries have an
increased risk of engaging in unethical conduct or of having a ministry
terminate early or unhappily.
Q: What are the essential tasks
for clergy in After Betrayal Ministries?
A: Healing a church, synagogue or organization after a previous religious
leader's betrayal of trust requires the exercise of patience over the long haul
and integrity in every encounter. Focus on these four tasks:
- Provide solid basic ministry ---
Do the job with grace and humility, and without need to be revered or loved.
Be professional, competent, clear and conservatively cautious.
- Cause no further harm ---
Exercise good etiquette and good ethics.
Know one's personal limits. Respect the boundaries and limits of role.
Understand one's own family of origin issues.
- Contribute to healing ---
Heal the office of ministry. Rebuild trust and appropriate expectations. Be
everyone's minister and no one's opposition.
Collaborate with lay leaders' plans. Refer counseling to others.
- Survive well personally and professionally
---
Take nothing personally and everything professionally.
Find and use support. Take care of yourself and your family.
Q: What resources do clergy in
After Betrayal Ministries need in order to do their best work?
A: Clergy in After Betrayal Ministries need to know that they are taking
on uniquely challenging and difficult work and that additional support and
resources are available to them, in particular, opportunities for individual
support and coaching, regular attention to stress management and wellness, and
education in ministerial ethics, conflict resolution, family of origin and
organizational systems theory, and interpersonal abuse and violence. The
effectiveness of After Betrayal ministries is significantly influenced by the
availability of complete and authoritative information on the previous religious
leader's unethical conduct and by the clarity of expectations and ethical
standards expressed by local, regional and continental religious bodies.
Q: What personal and professional
qualities does an After Betrayal Minister need?
A: Clergy serving in After Betrayal Ministries need to be stable and
mature, experienced and competent. Charisma isunnecessary and sometimes a
handicap. Clergy need to be aware and respectful of boundary issues in their
professional and interpersonal interactions. Visible differences, i.e. in
gender, age, or affect, from a previous religious leader who engaged inunethical
conduct can be an advantage. Increased personal and professional risk to clergy
in After Betrayal Ministries suggests the need for good support networks outside
the church or synagogue, especially from family and colleagues, and the
importance of not being distracted or overly taxed by other significant demands,
i.e. a family member with chronic illness. Since these ministries can end early
or unhappily, clergy must be prepared for the career risk of short or interim
tenures.
Q: What are some introductory
written resources on Ministry After Betrayals of Trust?
A: Focused specifically on After Betrayal issues is Restoring The Soul
Of A Church edited by Nancy Myer Hopkins and Mark Laaser (The Liturgical
Press, Collegeville, MN, 1995). An article, "The Inherent Ethical Risks of
Ministry" also by Deborah Pope-Lance (Edge of the Wave, Collegium
Occasional Papers, No. 3, 1993) articulates some of the ethical hazards of the
profession. For these and other resources, contact me, Deborah Pope-Lance, at
978-443-4393 or RevDPL@aol.com or
125Stock Farm Road, Sudbury, MA 01776. Ask about one day seminars for clergy in
Ministries After A Betrayal of Trust.
Disclaimer: This
seminar is not affiliated with AdvocateWeb in any way.
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