Safe Church Commitment
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is committed to fostering safe church environments free from harm and harassment, where vulnerable individuals, especially children and vulnerable adults, are protected. Creating safe churches involves preventing and responding to harm through policies, training, police record checks, transparency, clear reporting procedures for misconduct and pathways to justice, redress and healing when harm occurs.
It is the policy of The Presbyterian Church in Canada that all persons, and in particular all children, youth and vulnerable adults, who participate in the denomination’s programs, ministries and/or use the denomination’s facilities, will be cared for with Christian compassion and will be safe.
It is also the policy of The Presbyterian Church in Canada that sexual abuse, sexual harassment and harassment of any kind by church leaders, staff or volunteers will not be tolerated. All complaints will be taken seriously and handled in accordance with the denomination’s policy. To review the Safe Church Webinar Video Recordings, please click here.
How to make a complaint
The people responsible for receiving complaints depend on 1) the context in which the concern arises and 2) the role of the person who the complaint is about. If the subject of your complaint is not covered by the options below, or if it is not appropriate or possible to contact the designated people for any reason, contact one of the national office staff members listed below for assistance. If it is not appropriate or possible to contact the designated people for any reason, contact one of the national office staff members listed below for assistance.
If the complaint is about a minister in the PCC, contact the clerk or moderator of the Presbytery they belong to.
If the complaint is about one of PWS&D’s international partners or projects, visit their website to learn about options for reporting misconduct.
If the complaint is about someone other than a minister in a PCC congregation, contact the clerk or moderator of the congregation’s session.
If the complaint is about a situation at a PCC camp, college or non-congregational ministry, contact the secretary or convener of the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences between the three safety policies?
While all three policies exist to support the denomination’s commitment to foster safe church environments free from harm and harassment, there are some important distinctions.
Leading With Care is primarily intended to prevent harm that may arise due to accidents, emergencies or misconduct. Leading With Care procedures focus on risk assessment and mitigation so that ministries can reduce or eliminate opportunities for children and vulnerable adults to be harmed.
The Policy and Procedures for Addressing Harassment in the Church and the Policy for Dealing with Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment lay out processes for responding to allegations of harassment. The processes are similar although some aspects differ based on the type of harassment that is being investigated.
Can a third party make a complaint on behalf of someone else?
A third party may initiate a complaint under the two harassment policies. However, investigations may yield limited evidence if the person who experienced the alleged harassment is unwilling to be interviewed or to provide a complaint. The committee proceeds with interviewing the person against whom the complaint is made.
In some cases, a hesitant complainant may request assistance from a supportive third party to contact the appropriate body responsible for investigating complaints or national office staff to ask questions or seek advice about the denomination’s harassment policies. This may allow the complainant to feel sufficiently comfortable to proceed with making their complaint. No person should be pressured into making a complaint. A complainant under the Policy for Dealing with Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment is not liable to censure for a refusal to testify to their complaint in a church court.
What can I do to prevent harassment?
Preventing harassment is a responsibility for everyone who participates in the worship life and activities of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. Setting clear expectations about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour is one way that leaders can foster safer environments within the church. This can be done by:
- Informing people who are part of your congregation or ministry that the church’s policy is that harassment will not be tolerated and will be addressed.
- Ensuring church bodies and other leaders in the congregation review the denomination’s safety policies regularly, and annually in the case of the Policy and Procedures for Addressing Harassment in the Church.
Sermons and Christian education activities will naturally present opportunities to discuss Christ’s example for how people are meant to care for one another and protect the vulnerable. When leaders notice disrespectful or harmful behaviour taking place, it is best to intervene early to reduce the likelihood of the behaviour escalating.
What is a Leading with Care Committee responsible for?
The Leading with Care Committee is responsible for making sure that all groups in the congregation (or non-congregational ministry) know about the policy and follow implementation steps with integrity and consistency. These steps include:
- Assisting with writing position descriptions for each ministry position
- Evaluating risks associated with ministries, programs and activities
- Proposing ways to manage risks appropriately
- Reviewing the physical safety of facilities
- Participating in the recruitment of news teachers/leaders
- Providing training and ongoing supervision to teachers/leaders
- Reporting to Session
- Managing records (i.e. permission forms and Police Record Checks)
Some of these tasks are completed on an annual basis while others are handled as needed throughout the course of the year.
How does a congregation or ministry start a Leading with Care Committee?
The Session appoints a Leading with Care Committee to guide the implementation of the policy. Start by reviewing Leading with Care to familiarize yourself with the rationale for the policy and the responsibilities that the committee will need to attend to. The Leading with Care Committee may be the Session, part of the Session, or a group of respected individuals in the congregation who are named by the Session. The size of the committee will depend on the needs of the ministry.
In the case of non-congregational ministries, the board is responsible for the tasks that would be assigned to Session in a congregational setting.
How does the committee determine who is required to have a police records check? How does the committee obtain a police records check?
Implementing Leading with Care involves assessing the risk level of all programs offered in a ministry context (i.e. congregation, college, camp, etc.). Section 3.5 of the policy outlines criteria for determining whether a program or activity is high-risk.
A ministry is classified as high-risk if the teacher or leader may be alone with those who are being served, if there is a low degree of supervision or visibility, if the teacher or leader has access to participants‘ personal property, or if the position description includes touching those who are being served.
Any person responsible for leading a high-risk program must obtain the appropriate record check. For example, since ministers are responsible for one-on-one counselling and pastoral visits, all active clergy must obtain a record check at the time of a new call or change of position and/or every five years. Elders who routinely visit people one-on-one should also obtain a record check.
The process for obtaining a record check and the kinds of checks that are available vary by jurisdiction and may be called a vulnerable sector screening or similar term. Contact your local police department to enquire about the screening options available and application process.
Can complaints be made anonymously?
Concerns may be raised anonymously, but the church is unable to investigate anonymous complaints. For a complaint against a person to be addressed, the complaint must ultimately be submitted and signed.
Is there a statute of limitations on when someone can make a complaint?
No. The church will handle all complaints it receives to the best of its ability whenever the complaint is made. National office staff are available to provide assistance in determining where a complaint should be directed.
What can someone who is making a complaint expect to experience during the investigation?
The investigating committee will ensure that complainants receive guidance about navigating the procedures of the church’s courts. If the complainant wishes, the committee will also designate a qualified person to provide pastoral care to the complainant throughout the investigation.
Investigations typically include the following steps:
- The person making the complaint is interviewed. A complaint is prepared and signed by the complainant.
- The person complained against is interviewed and has an opportunity to respond to the specific allegations in the complaint.
- The person making the complaint is interviewed again and is presented with the response from the person complained against.
- If there are witnesses, they are interviewed separately.
- The committee also collects and reviews all relevant documents.
The committee will inform all parties of the decisions made by the church body about the complaint and any corrective action that will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
What are the first steps that need to be taken once a complaint is received?
Church bodies that receive and investigate complaints are encouraged to contact national office staff early in the process to receive answers to any initial questions and arrange for training for the investigating committee. National office staff are available to provide advice throughout the investigation.
One of the first steps is to assess whether the complaint has been directed to the correct court or board. If not, help connect the complainant with the appropriate body. For example, if the complaint concerns the conduct of a minister and is initially brought to the Session, the Clerk of Session should assist the complainant in contacting the clerk or moderator of the presbytery that the minister is accountable to. The complainant should also be informed of their right to seek assistance of, and to take their complaint to, the appropriate Provincial Human Rights Commission or police department.
Once the complaint is received by the appropriate court or board, the committee named to address complaints of harassment will meet to begin its work. In cases where there is not already a standing committee responsible for investigating complaints, a committee will need to be appointed.
Investigating committees for complaints under the Policy and Procedures for Addressing Harassment in the Church should have up to three members.
Investigating committees for complaints under the Policy for Dealing with Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment will consist of four or more people.
The committee will determine as soon as possible if the complaint alleges behaviour that is criminal in nature. In accordance with Canadian law, all cases of suspected child abuse must be reported immediately to the local child protection agency (Children’s Aid Society or equivalent). When a complaint alleges behaviour of a criminal nature, it cannot proceed to investigate until the matter has been dealt with by the legal authorities.
Whether the complaint alleges behaviour covered by the criminal code or not, the committee proceeds to necessary communication with the parties, arranging for pastoral care providers and advisors for each party. Advisors are not considered a replacement for trained legal counsel; rather, advisors give advice on the procedures of the church courts. Advisors may be present as observers when the investigating committee interviews the complainant or witnesses.
The committee is also responsible for liaising with the congregation as necessary. For example, if the complaint is about a minister and under police investigation, the minister will be placed on a leave of absence, with pay. The committee is responsible for communicating with Session and ensuring that an interim moderator is assigned.
Once these steps have been completed and any criminal investigation has been completed, the committee may begin its investigation.
What supports are available to committees responsible for investigating complaints?
Investigating committees have several avenues through which they can access support or seek advice. National office staff are available to offer advice and refresher training about the church’s harassment policies to any investigating committees.
If a complaint is being investigated at the Session level, the committee may consult with the presbytery’s standing committee for handling harassment complaints. If a complaint is being investigated at the presbytery level, the committee may consult with the synod or other church bodies.
What types of situations need to be reported to authorities outside The Presbyterian Church in Canada?
The committee shall determine as soon as possible if the complaint alleges behaviour that is covered by the Canadian criminal code. The committee should obtain legal advice if there is any question whether the complaint concerns a criminal matter. The criminal code is amended frequently, so it is necessary to consult the current code.
Generally, a complaint involving minors or physical force almost certainly is a criminal matter. A threat that creates fear for physical safety or continuous pursuit of a person that amounts to stalking may violate the criminal code.
In accordance with Canadian law, all cases of suspected child abuse must be reported immediately to the local child protection agency (Children’s Aid Society or equivalent).
What rights do people have during the investigation process if a complaint has been made against them?
The person complained against is always presumed innocent until proven guilty. If the presbytery or session cannot conclude from the evidence on a balance of probabilities that the actions did occur as alleged, then it must decide that the complaint cannot be substantiated. Any complaint must be substantiated before discipline can occur.
Depending on the nature of the complaint, if the person complained against is a minister or church employee, they may be placed on a leave of absence with pay until the investigation has concluded. Any leave of absence given during an investigation does not imply the guilt or innocence of the person under investigation.
What can people who have been complained against expect to experience during the investigation?
The investigating committee will ensure that people who have been complained against receive guidance about navigating the procedures of the church’s courts. If the person complained against wishes, the committee will also designate a qualified person to provide them with pastoral care throughout the investigation.
Investigations typically include the following steps:
- The person making a complaint is interviewed. A complaint is prepared and signed by the complainant.
- The person complained against is interviewed and has an opportunity to respond to the specific allegations in the complaint. The written response is signed by the respondent.
- The person making a complaint is interviewed again and is presented with the response to the complaint. The committee hears the complainant’s response.
- If there are witnesses, they are interviewed separately. The committee also collects and reviews all relevant documents.
The committee will inform all parties of the decisions made by the church body about the complaint and any corrective action that will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Who can I contact if I have questions or need advice about the safety policies?
National office staff members are available to answer questions about interpreting or implementing The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s safety policies, and to otherwise support people who want to file a complaint of misconduct. Enquiries about any of the policies for preventing and responding to harm in the church will be handled with sensitivity and confidentiality.
You are encouraged to contact the person on these lists with whom you are most comfortable. As needed, staff who receive enquiries may make referrals or consult with other staff at national office.