Ethics in Congregational Life Program
The Ethics in Congregational Life Program will develop and/or make available to congregational leaders education, training, and other resources and services. The goals of this program are to support leaders in creating safer space within their congregations, encouraging right relations among persons who are part of the congregation, and encouraging just relations between the congregation and the larger community of which it is a part. The conflict management component of this program will provide additional support and resources to our districts in their support of congregations and find an appropriate role for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in direct service, developing resources and delivery systems as needed.
During the year ending in June 2008 the Offices of Congregational Ethics and Safety rolled out the new interactive online resource (see Related Content box) to educate congregational leaders on developing a safe congregation policy with a focus on the safety of children and how to prepare for the possibility of a sexual offender in the congregational community. The 2½-hour, free course of study is based on Balancing Acts—Keeping Children Safe in Congregations, a resource written for the UUA and available as an online resource since 2005. It is fair to say that the feedback from those taking the new UUA online course has been overwhelmingly positive. As of December 31, 2007, 336 people had taken the course. Of those who took the post test, the average grade was 86%, indicating that the self-paced course is well-organized and communicating the essential points of creating safe congregations policies.
A resource available to every congregation is the UUA's Safety/Abuse Clearinghouse Packet. This packet includes the pamphlet "Honoring the Children: What We Can Do To Prevent Child Abuse"; a healing service for survivors and congregations by Rev. Lindi Ramsden; sample safety policies and congregational guidelines; sample contracts for religious education volunteers; information on reporting procedures and state laws governing mandatory reporters; and resource list of organizations and prevention education materials. To receive this packet on behalf of your congregation please contact the email address at the bottom of this page.
More Safety Resources
- Process for handling Complaints of Professional Misconduct
- Consider creating a Covenant of Right Relations
- Dealing with disruptive behaviors
- When hiring or recruiting volunteers and staff, don't forget Responsible Staffing practices!
- Restorative Justice: A response and ministry to victims/survivors of clergy sexual misconduct—only we can make justice, only we can transform our faith.
- Beyond the UUA—connections to other organizations regarding safety and ethics in the congregational setting.
District Offices
District staff are available to consult with congregational leaders, ministers, religious educators about issues of sexual misconduct and boundary violations. Many districts have Safe Congregations Teams to help Unitarian Univeralist congregations build safer communities by addressing issues of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Some teams conduct workshops for district meetings and annual religious education conferences. Contact your district office for further information.Unitarian Universalist Principles & Sexual Ethics Closing Words
One of the Leader Resources in Creating Safe Congregations restates our Principles in terms of sexual ethics, and appears in every age level of Sexuality and Our Faith, the companion volume to Our Whole Lives.
The inherent worth and dignity of
every person
Every person's sexuality is sacred and is worthy of respect,
and therefore, is not to be violated.
Justice, equity and compassion in
human relationships
We treat others as we would want to be treated;
therefore, sexual exploitation is wrong.
Acceptance of one another and
encouragement to spiritual growth
Accepting each other as we are means not
taking advantage of what we have or don't have*physically, psychologically and
spiritually.
A free and responsible search for
truth and meaning
In our relationship to others, our freedom of sexuality is
important as is the responsibility for it.
The right to conscience and the
use of the democratic process within our congregations
As a community and as
an institution, we have the responsibility to create a secure and safe
environment.
The goal of a world community with
peace, liberty and justice for all
We have the opportunity to create the
kind of environment that lends itself to peace, liberty and justice in human
sexuality, and we can become a model for the rest of society.
Respect for the interdependent web
of all existence of which we are a part
When we respect each person's sexual
integrity we honor the wholeness of life and we respect the web of all
existence.
For more information contact congservices @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 4, 2008.
