Reporting on #ChurchToo
Over the years, Canadian Mennonite has reported on sexual misconduct within the Mennonite context. As a member of the church press, we have tried to carry out our ongoing commitment to report on such stories with journalistic integrity, respect and sensitivity. Yet, sometimes the reports have stirred up pain and objections among readers. Occasionally, readers…
#ChurchToo conference addresses sexual misconduct
In the midst of the #MeToo movement, in which those in positions of power are being called to account for sexual abuse, a conference hosted by four Manitoba Mennonite organizations acknowledged that it happens in the church, too. From May 31 to June 1, about 100 church leaders and lay people gathered at Canadian Mennonite…
‘This is about us’
How do churches prevent sexual harassment and abuse in their midst? How do they respond when abuse happens? How do they shift the culture in their ranks so that victims feel safer to share their stories? These questions were all addressed during a recent seminar on the practical and spiritual dimensions of #ChurchToo—a spinoff movement…
‘This is a holy and good thing’
What does “turn the other cheek” mean when you’re abused by your pastor? What does “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” mean when you’re dealing with gendered power imbalances within your group of friends? What does “made in the image of God” mean when you’re an LGBTQ member of a church experiencing…
#ChurchToo conference tackles painful subject
Many troubling issues and questions arise when a Christian leader engages in professional sexual misconduct. At the #ChurchToo conference at Columbia Bible College over two days in late May 2018, pastors, church leaders, abuse survivors and other interested individuals came together to learn how to deal with sin and forgiveness while confronting offenders and promoting…
