Safe Reporting
The GLR is committed to protecting the Church as a place of worship, healing, and safety by upholding biblical standards of holiness and integrity. This safe reporting page provides a confidential way to report harmful behavior and maintain trust within the Church community.
The Church is a place of worship, healing, and safety, reflecting its identity as the Bride of Christ. Sadly, harmful behavior can sometimes break the trust that should exist within church communities. The Great Lakes Region (GLR) is committed to promoting safety in the Church, the Church's integrity, upholding biblical holiness, and providing a safe, confidential way to report misconduct.
A confidential space to uphold holiness, protect integrity, and restore safety in the Church.
Safe Reporting Introduction
Why Safe Reporting Matters
The church is the Bride of Christ. It is a place of worship, a place where people can come to find hope, healing, and wholeness. It is a sanctuary where people are meant to be safe from harm. Unfortunately, in our fallen world, there are circumstances where the trust and safety that is meant to exist in churches is broken due to harmful behaviors. The GLR is committed to protecting the integrity of the church, as well as upholding the biblical standard of holiness within the church. The GLR is also committed to providing a channel of safe reporting for people who have seen or experienced harmful behaviors in the church.
As Christ Followers...
We have a biblical mandate to follow the process of confronting harmful behavior in a biblical manner. In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus lays out for us the normal path towards reconciliation.
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. "
In light of Jesus’ words in this passage, we encourage the following steps whenever possible:
01
Go directly to the person with a reconciling spirit. The goal here is to speak the truth and work towards reconciliation, not to shame.
02
If the other person refuses to listen or acknowledge their sin, ask a mature Christian brother or sister to join you in having a second conversation with the individual.
03
If they continue to refuse to listen or acknowledge their sin, go to the board or the Advisory Team of the church. (If the church is in Developing Church status, reach out to your Regional Board of Administration liaison).
04
If the problem persists, seek the Region’s input.
We understand there are situations where following this process could cause unnecessary harm, feeling unsafe, revictimized, or fearful. If this is the situation you find yourself in, the Great Lakes Region (GLR) provides a safe way for you to report your concerns. This means your report will be confidential, you will be protected from retaliation, there will be a fair inquiry into your report, and necessary steps will be taken following the inquiry.
Looking to implement a safe reporting policy within your own church?
As a note...
Anyone reporting must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for the information disclosed. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and are proven to be malicious or knowingly false will be viewed as a serious offense and could result in actions taken by the Chief Towel Carrier and/or the Chief Engagement Officer.
We are committed to protecting a person who reports in good faith from any retaliation or harassment. We will do our best to protect the confidentiality of the person who has reported.
Please note that we are mandated reporters
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Who Can Be Reported to the GLR:
The GLR is committed to upholding the integrity of the leadership within the region.
This venue is a place to report church leadership, including ordained ministers, licensed ministers, ministers who are leading a GLR church, and GLR ministerial students who serve in the Great Lakes Region.
If your report is regarding a congregant or a lay leader in your church, we ask you to go directly to the leadership of your church to make your report.
Who can make a report to the GLR?
Anyone who, in good faith, has reasonable grounds for disclosing information about harmful behaviors that occurred within or by Wesleyan church leaders.
What Can Be Reported to the GLR:
Abuse (Emotional, Physical, Sexual, Spiritual)
*infliction of psychological, physical, sexual, and or spiritual harm on a person. Using or misusing a person, improper treatment of a person, or cruel or violent treatment
Fraudulent/ Illegal behaviors
*acting dishonestly or deceitfully with the intent to gain an unfair advantage, financial gain, or positional gain. Ie. Misrepresenting oneself, creating false documents, and misleading someone intentionally
*Any action that violates the law, breaking a criminal or civil law.
Moral failures
*failing to act in accordance with Biblical standards of morality, and/or the Discipline of the Wesleyan Church
Harassment
*aggressive pressure, threats, unwanted physical contact, unwanted sexual advances or sexual language, verbal abuse, racial or gender slurs, discriminatory remarks
Bullying/Intimidation
*Behavior that leads to physical or psychological harm, is repeated, intentional, and there is often a power imbalance. Can include gossiping, text messages, threats, hand gestures, and name-calling.
Cover Ups
*An intentional effort to conceal a fact, wrongdoing, error, or activity in order to protect oneself or the organization.
Retaliation
*The act of hurting someone or doing something intentionally to a person in response to something that was said or done. Taking revenge on someone.
Note: We adhere to the Whistleblower Protection Act, which protects reporters who are reporting in good faith from retaliation
The Process
1
Call the Chief Towel Carrier (Chris Conrad 616.827.9450) or the Chief Engagement Officer (Elise Zuber ezuber@theglr.org) or fill out the form on the website, providing as much information as possible. Please note: if the report is regarding Chris Conrad or Elise Zuber, please utilize the form, as the form will then go directly to the Safe Reporting Team and will exclude Chris Conrad and Elise Zuber, who will only be informed that a report was made.
2
The report will go to the Safe Reporting Team. The team consists of: The GLR’s Chief Engagement Officer (Elise Zuber), an RBA member, and up to 3 regional leaders who have made a commitment to confidentiality. An email will be sent to you acknowledging the receipt of your report.
3
If not contacted originally, the Chief Towel Carrier (Chris Conrad) will be informed that a report was made and be kept abreast during the entire process including what the team has found in their review.
4
Depending on initial findings, an inquiry may be generated. Please note: there may be circumstances where we need more information from you, should you be willing to provide it. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis and is dependent on the nature of the report and the clarity of the information provided.
5
In most cases, the reporter will receive the review and inquiry results. At the very least, a representative of the Safe Reporting Team will contact the reporter to share the findings and potential next steps.
6
Whenever possible, follow-up care for the reporter will be offered if needed.
7
The next steps for the person reported about, if any, will be recommended by the Safe Reporting Team and discerned by the Chief Towel Carrier and the Executive Team of the Regional Board of Administration.
WhistleBlower Protection Act:
*A law that protects employees from being punished or fired for reporting illegal, unsafe, or unethical behavior in the workplace.
It ensures that workers can speak up about wrongdoing without fear of retaliation from their employer.*
Book Resources
