Nancy Kauffmann warns that churches must consistently follow their abuse-prevention policies to ensure real safety, accountability and trust for all.
Nancy Kauffmann is the senior consultant of Church Safety for Mennonite Church USA’s Church Vitality office. She provides specialized expertise for Safe Church, MC USA’s abuse awareness, prevention and response ministry. Kauffmann was a founding board and past president of the former Dove’s Nest organization. She has served in ministry leadership roles at congregational, conference and denominational levels for 40 years. Kauffmann holds a Doctor of Ministry degree in pastoral counseling and medical ethics from Claremont (California) School of Theology, and a Master of Divinity degree from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana. She is a member of College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana, where she served on the pastoral team from 1981-2000.
I do not know of any congregation that does not want to be a safe congregation free from abuse. In fact, there are many congregations who have worked hard on developing church safety policies. Policies express a commitment to providing a safe environment where people of all ages can encounter and experience the love of God as God intended. These policies include best practices for being proactive in the prevention of abuse of children, youth and vulnerable adults. They also include guidelines on how to respond to allegations of abuse, if and when they arise.
Safe-church policies reflect how deeply we value every person made in God’s image. They can foster an environment where people can worship, learn, serve and grow without fear of abuse — whether physical, emotional, sexual or spiritual.
Moreover, such policies guard not only potential victims, but also staff and volunteers. They provide clarity on roles and boundaries and promote transparency.
When these policies are lived out intentionally through clear accountability structures, training and open conversations about abuse and power dynamics, the congregation becomes a safer and more trustworthy space.
But here comes a cautionary warning. No matter how well a policy is written or how strong our proactive efforts, a failure to follow policy guidelines when there is suspected or known abuse can be deeply harmful and have a long-lasting impact. Failing to follow through has the potential to cause serious additional harm to the person who has been abused, including harm to their relationship with God. It can wound the soul. Not following the policy does not help the person accused of abuse either. And, of course, it does harm to their families as well.
Also, a congregation that does not follow the policy may risk legal action or loss of insurance coverage due to cause.
Another fallout is that other church members may lose a sense of trust, safety and belonging in what should be a sacred space. It can retraumatize people who have experienced abuse in the past. Members have been known to leave a congregation because of the mishandling or ignoring of an abuse situation within the faith community.
As we commit to safe-church ministry, it is important to remember that policies alone are not enough. What matters is that we live them by building an environment of transparency, accountability, integrity and care. This requires courage, humility and a willingness to act — even when it is uncomfortable or costly.
By doing so, we honor the invitation of Jesus to welcome and protect the least among us, to be a community where people can grow in faith without fear, and to be a witness of God’s love rooted in compassion and justice.
If we fail, we risk more than broken policies — we risk broken lives, broken trust and broken witness.
Resources
- Prevention & Accountability | Mennonite Church USA
- Safe Protection Policy Guidelines | Mennonite Church USA
- Safe Church offers consultations to any congregation wishing to update their policy and develop a Safe Church policy for the first time. Contact safechurch@mennoniteusa.org