Mission Statement
Project Safe Church NW exists to provide a safe, confidential and methodical platform for individuals to report incidents of abuse by leaders of any church, school, or other entity within the Seventh-day Adventist church in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
Purpose
To initiate awareness and action regarding incidents of abuse, and following our policies and biblical principles of responding to victims and abusers.
To provide a confidential online structure for reporting abuse within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Project Safe Church NW exists to train leaders in recognizing and responding to abuse, provide a safe method for survivors to identify abusers, and empower survivors with the opportunity to take action if an abuser is identified.
In summary, to:
- warn the innocent,
- support wounded victims toward healing,
- provide education and awareness,
- investigate credibility of reported abuse to avoid false accusations,
- collaborate with trusted leaders to take action when warranted,
- and work tirelessly to bring abusers to accountability.
History
We gratefully acknowledge that most clergy, church school teachers, administrators, coaches, and other leaders in our faith community are morally sound individuals — but unfortunately, some are not safe. Using power to their advantage, these individuals prey on both adults and children within the church, often hiding behind a charming guise of devout religiosity.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has sexual ethics policies in place which must be implemented to support survivors, warn the innocent, and protect future victims from abuse.
Project Safe Church NW educates church leaders and members about signs of abuse, and how to handle cases of abuse with biblical redemption and legal responsibility.