Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial

‘We must prevent’ abuse: AZ Baptists hold Sexual Abuse Awareness Night

  • November 23, 2022
  • Arizona's Portraits
  • Arizona, Church Life, Conferences, Latest News
Scott Valentine, a counselor with New Life Counseling, a ministry of Arizona Baptist Children’s Services & Family Ministries, speaks at the Sexual Abuse Awareness Night.
(Photo courtesy of Arizona’s Portraits)

‘We must prevent’ abuse: AZ Baptists hold Sexual Abuse Awareness Night

The Arizona Southern Baptist Mission Network recently held a Sexual Abuse Awareness Night for church leaders, prior to the start of network’s annual meeting at Avondale Baptist Church.

A Sexual Abuse Response Team has been working steadily in 2022 to develop plans and resources to help churches prevent sexual abuse and respond appropriately should it happen.

“This is a special night talking about a difficult, but important, topic,” said David Johnson, ASBN executive director, said during the Nov. 10 event.

“We must get this right. There is too much at stake,” he noted. “Our future responses will bring glory to God.”

‘Be engaged’

Scott Valentine, a counselor with New Life Counseling, a ministry of Arizona Baptist Children’s Services & Family Ministries, said speaking to a real-life human being is the first step to healing for the abused.

“It starts with a caring Christian listening and not judging,” Valentine said. “They need to talk. Your response should be to listen, be engaged — it makes all the difference in world.”

Speakers agreed it was sad and unfortunate to have to address this topic.

“We live in a broken world, but there is hope and healing on the other side for the victim,” Valentine said. “The good news is you don’t have to fix them or their problem, just listen to them.”

Usually terrified to share what’s happened to them, victims need to be heard and believed and to be assured what happened to them was not their fault.

“It’s part of the grooming of the victim,” said Chad Murrell, a member of the Sexual Abuse Response Team, Zona Camp director and lead pastor of First Southern Baptist Church Scottsdale.

Predators often tell their victims, “I wouldn’t have done that to you if you had not been where you were or doing what you were doing,” Murrell said. In other words, it’s the victim’s fault.

For too many years, the church has assumed there isn’t a problem, Murrell said, and that must stop.

He recommended churches use MinistrySafe, a program created to equip churches to protect vulnerable children and adults from the risk of sexual abuse by providing awareness training, screening processes, background checks, policies and procedures and oversight systems.

Providing protocol

Caring for victims is crucial.

Equally crucial are prevention and reporting the abuse when it’s disclosed to authorities. But what does that look like in the life of a church? How does one recognize a predator? Who does one call?

“[MinistrySafe] provides a training protocol for your church,” Murrell said. “Volunteers and staff train to recognize abuse, grooming practices the predator uses, behaviors of victims and offenders, what to say to a victim, and how to report abuse.”

Perpetrators see churches as target-rich environments for access to children.

“If a church has these policies in place and follows through with them, a perpetrator will move on to the next church,” said Dan Sneed, Sexual Abuse Response Team member and member of North Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix. “We don’t want to pass the problem on, but we don’t want to be a place of victimization.”

Rachel Mitchell, Maricopa County attorney, was the keynote speaker. Her career includes prosecuting sexual assault and physical abuse cases spanning more than 20 years.

“A church’s mishandling of cases like this causes a wound deeper than pretty much anything else I’ve ever seen,” she said. “It cuts to the core; it cuts to your spirit. Victims experience guilt, anger, grief, despair, doubt, fear of death and believe that God is unfair. It’s an injury we must prevent.”


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Deborah Leuthold and originally published by Arizona’s Portraits.

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Seminaries partner to equip leaders, care for Ukrainians in crisis
    Seminaries partner to equip leaders, care for Ukrainians in crisis
    March 23, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Longtime NOBTS registrar Paul Gregoire dies
    Longtime NOBTS registrar Paul Gregoire dies
    March 23, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Endangered youth: When parents fail their children
    Endangered youth: When parents fail their children
    March 23, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Seminaries partner to equip leaders, care for Ukrainians in crisis

Could theological education be part of the solution for trauma? Leadership at Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary thinks so.  Sirens cut

Longtime NOBTS registrar Paul Gregoire dies

Paul Gregoire, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary registrar for 29 years, passed away March 21 after a brief battle with cancer. “Paul Gregoire was a

boy leaning on black wall

Endangered youth: When parents fail their children

Researchers today consider bad parenting one of the most important public health issues facing our society. Uninvolved, abusive, irresponsible, absent or immature parents are endangering

Former SWBTS professor of missions Samuel Shahid dies at 87

Samuel Shahid, professor of missions in the Islamic Studies program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1998–2013, died March 2. He was 87 years old.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel