Project Safe Church

Tyler’s[1] hands trembled as he navigated to the ProjectSafeChurch.org website. He’d been told he could file a report there about what happened to his younger sister, Meg. She’d been molested by a ministry leader named Tom Franklin in the mission field several years before. Meg had finally given Tyler permission to speak up, and he’d vowed to do something, anything, to stop Franklin from molesting others.

Maybe this website will help, he thought.

About a day later Tyler received an email from a volunteer, Ann, offering to walk him through creating an official statement based on his report. From there Ann contacted others because, in fact, she had encountered Franklin in her own life and had wondered about some of his behaviors with young girls. Within two weeks Ann had two additional victim statements. A quick web search revealed that Franklin moved around often, always taking positions in schools with young girls, and even ran his own start-up ministry for young people. In addition, this man was engaged to a woman with two girls in the age range of his victims.

In cooperation with church leaders, appropriate measures were taken to protect the vulnerable from Tom Franklin.

This story is true, with details changed to protect the individuals involved.

What Is It?

Project Safe Church is a sexual abuse prevention and response ministry. It offers a training, a book, and a website for reporting sexual abuse by lay and conference leaders within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Our goal is ambitious but simple—to eradicate sexual abuse from our ranks, making our beloved community a safe refuge from the corruption of the world. We care about abuse in and out of Adventism, but we believe that we should “begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17) or, in common language, sweep our own side of the street.

How It Started

Back around 2015 licensed counselor Jennifer Schwirzer had heard one too many stories from Adventist survivors of sexual abuse by pastors, teachers, and ministry directors. Having experienced sexual harassment and assault from a ministry leader as a young Adventist, she had not only a story to tell, but advice to give as to how to handle these devastating events.

Jennifer’s thought processes took her outside the box: Why not offer a reporting website? That way victims could report safely and confidentially. And why not train coaches to support and assist victims? This way scattered sheep would not be left to wander alone. And why not develop a full training to equip church members in what can be a bewildering, difficult process?

Step by step, inch by inch, and struggle by struggle, Project Safe Church (PSC) came to be. Under the auspices of mental health coaching and education ministry, Abide Network PSC has helped scores of survivors find a way forward. It has created a program that helps implement the existing policy of the North American Division (E-87) in reporting, investigating, and adjudicating claims of sexual harassment, abuse, or assault by church workers or officers. A number of church institutions have adopted some form of the Project Safe Church framework, including some unions and conferences.

Why It Matters

Church should be a safe place; but it can’t be a safe place while it is “safe” for unsafe people. The sad fact is that “savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). We wish all who sought positions of spiritual leadership were good shepherds, but some are drawn to power and pulpit for all the wrong reasons, one being access to victims and the disarming “halo effect” of carrying religious responsibilities.

The world understands that no organization can prevent all abuse, and they will not hold against us the abuse that occurs despite our best efforts to prevent it. What they will condemn us for—rightly—is aiding and abetting abuse through poor prevention and response. The great apostle Paul said, “You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’ ” (Rom. 2:23, 24). Our Sabbathkeeping means nothing if we fail to keep the law of love in protecting the least of these.

How It Works

Project Safe Church offers in-person and online trainings. Simply fill out the contact form at ProjectSafeChurch.org to query. We also have an ebook available on that same website. Finally, if you have experienced sexual abuse by an Adventist lay or conference leader, or if you know someone who has, you can report it.[2]

Reports are kept confidential,read only by a small circle of trained staff. If we feel the report is actionable, we will send a volunteer to work with you to produce an official statement, which you will sign. In most cases we will encourage you to share the report, along with any other supporting evidence, with the proper church and state authorities. In some cases we will share the reports directly. We work in a case-by-case fashion. Of course, prayers ascend often through this rather delicate process.

This is a subject fraught with difficulty, intense emotions, and strong opinions. We know this! To help reduce misunderstanding and encourage trust, we offer the following frequently asked questions, many of which are taken from the Project Safe Church book.

Lies

What about false allegations?

They exist! In fact, smack-dab in the book of origins, Genesis, we find the original false accusation. Potiphar’s wife trapped and then framed Joseph. Her lust toward him was exceeded only by her vindictiveness when he refused her advances.

Abuse responders lose nothing by admitting the realities of exaggeration, misinterpretation, and outright lying regarding sexual abuse. Some, because of past trauma, misunderstand words and actions. Others thrive on drama and colorful stories. Still others have a vendetta with the spiritual leader and resort to a ruination campaign. Abnormal psychology can lead to psychotic hallucinations. Personality disorders can lead to sociopathic lying. When it comes to human nature, anything is possible!

Adding to the danger of these things is the current cultural moment in which victimhood has become a badge of honor. Some under the influence of various social media activists may exaggerate or fabricate to appear as victims. These extremes create backlash prejudice, which harms real victims.

False accusations are in themselves a form of abuse and have a similar effect to sexual abuse.[3] Sexual abuse involves the exploitation of a person’s sexuality without their consent. A false allegation puts a person’s sexuality out in public without their consent. False accusations cause trauma just as real as abuse trauma and can lead to loss of employment and destruction of reputation.

Let the Police Handle It?

Shouldn’t we just turn everything over to the police and let them handle it?

While all crimes must be reported, the church addresses more than the laws of the land will address. It is helpful to understand three categories of violations—criminal, civil, and moral.

Criminal violations fall under criminal statutes. Criminal cases typically demand tangible evidence in addition to personal testimonies. The evidentiary standard for criminal conviction is high, as the evidence must be “beyond reasonable doubt” with 90 percent or more certainty. Rape, sexual assault, certain kinds of harassment, and any sexual contact with a minor (under 16 to 18 years old, varying by state) all constitute criminal offenses. The statutes of limitations vary by state, ranging 10-21 years for most felony crimes. A helpful list of state statutes can be found at the RAINN.org website.

Church should be a safe place; but it can’t be a safe place while it is ‘safe’ for unsafe people.

Civil violations fall under civil laws. Even if an offender is not convicted criminally, victims may sue the offender for damages. This lower evidentiary standard for civil suits is “more likely true than not true” or “50 percent plus a feather.” Offenses such as clergy sexual misconduct with physically consenting adults fall into this category. A congregant may realize that the “affair” she had with her pastor actually constituted power abuse on his part, and may pursue a civil suit to recover the damages.

Moral violations concern the church. These standards exceed criminal and civil violations. For a pastor or spiritual leader, any sexual contact with a nonspouse constitutes a moral violation and should be addressed by the church, even if no state law was broken or lawsuit filed. God would not have us leave the moral governance of the church in the hands of state authorities. We ask not just “Did the spiritual leader break the law?” but “Did the spiritual leader break God’s law?”

Gossip

Isn’t it gossip to report abuse?

Paul said, “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message” (2 Tim. 4:14, ESV). Character referencing and gossip are not the same thing. We have a duty to warn! We should inform those in a position to protect others and to hold offenders accountable.

Sweeping sexual misconduct and abuse under the rug, sending the offender away to a new field without appropriate accountability measures, is always wrong. It puts the church as an institution and, more important, the vulnerable of the flock in danger. We should be conscientious about spreading stories but, at the same time, careful to tell the truth when it would keep God’s children safe.

Has the Church Failed?

Why has the church failed to address this issue?

It hasn’t! While there is always room for improvement, much has been done. Here are a few of the resources available:

• The Adventist Learning Community has a helpful six-unit course called Sexual Abuse—Reclaiming Hope.[4]

• The Women’s Ministries Department of the General Conference runs a broad-based abuse prevention and response ministry called EndItNow that offers not only written resources but also videos and a yearly conference.[5]

• The North American Division Youth and Young Adult Ministries offers an impressive array of resources for abuse responders.[6]

• In North America the Adventist Church requires anyone who works with children, whether volunteer or employee, to undergo a background check.[7]

The Legal Question

Is it illegal for a pastor to have an “affair”?

Because of the power imbalance in a clergy/congregant relationship, “affair” is not an adequate word. At the very least, the clergy member takes advantage of the congregant; at the most, they abuse the congregant.

Some state laws recognize this. Texas’ penal code, for instance, says that sex between clergy and congregant is nonconsensual “if the actor is a clergyman who causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other person’s emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergyman’s professional character as spiritual advisor.”[8] Sex with congregants is also a crime in Arkansas, and is criminalized in 11 more states and the District of Columbia if it occurs within a pastoral counseling relationship.[9]

With a Subordinate

What if a spiritual leader has physically consensual sex with a subordinate?

A good way to summarize this situation is to say that sexual intimacy with a subordinate in a ministry context is always abuse of the office and often abuse of the individual. What this means is that, without exception, the pastor who has sex with a nonspouse has violated their high calling and the trust invested in them. In addition, the power advantage possessed often means that this clergy abused, at least in the sense of power abuse, the congregant.

This is “often” considered abuse because in rare circumstances the power possessed by a congregant equals or exceeds the pastor’s power. If a 35-year-old wealthy congregant who contributes substantially to the church sets their sights on seducing a newbie 25-year-old first-time pastor, they create some muddy waters. We must deal in principles and work carefully, case by case. Assumptions are unhelpful and even harmful when dealing with some of the most complex of situations.

Power imbalances can be very hard to prove. The point is that we must address them in order to discern levels of consent.

The Final Straw for Fellowship

Are there cases in which an offender should never return to church?

Notice this counsel: “It is impossible for E to be fellowshipped by the church of God. He has placed himself where he cannot be helped by the church, where he can have no communion with, nor voice in, the church.”[10] The White Estate believes, based on informal reports, that this referred to a case of incestuous sexual abuse.

Yes, there are some cases in which permanent exclusion is warranted. Extreme cases of abuse, especially those against children and those incapable of defending themselves, can warrant such consequences. And in these days of online church, truly repentant offenders have many options for worshipping God virtually with a congregation.

Rebuilding Trust

Can trust between a fallen leader and his congregation be rebuilt?

That depends upon many factors. Interestingly, after David’s sin and repentance, he told his story publicly.

“Thus in a sacred song to be sung in the public assemblies of his people . . . the king of Israel recounted his sin, his repentance, and his hope of pardon through the mercy of God. Instead of endeavoring to conceal his guilt he desired that others might be instructed by the sad history of his fall.”[11]

David’s circumstances differ from sexual abuse by clergy in that David was a king and stood under no other authority—so he could not be “fired,” so to speak. But in trust-building, the cases are similar. David had broken trust with his people, and to rebuild, he regularly confessed his wrongdoing and God’s mercy. The rebuilding of trust requires ongoing humility and evidence of change.

What of Forgiveness?

What should I do if, in handling an abuse case, people want to rush the victim to forgiveness?

“That so-called benevolence which would set aside justice is not benevolence but weakness.”[12] Urging the victim to forgive before proper investigation and handling of abuse almost always amounts to “sweeping it under the rug.” Support the victim and confront those trying to shut them down.

Biblical forgiveness is distinct from trust and reconciliation. Forgiveness involves releasing an offender from personal resentment. Trust and reconciliation require a two-sided process of rebuilding a relationship.

Restoration

Will survivors of church-connected sexual abuse ever feel better?

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that certain things will ensure that that happens. God designed the nervous system and emotions to heal; our job is to make sure nothing impedes that process. “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise” (Jer. 17:14). The main impediments to healing are, ironically enough, the things we tend to self-medicate with—substances, food, habits, and other escapes. Through Jesus we can turn from these temporary escapes into His healing arms.

[1] Names and details have been changed to protect the identities of those involved.

[2] We base our approach to handling reports off the North American Division Working Policy E-87.

[3] https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/timelines-are-a-critical-tool-in-cases-of-false-allegations-of-abuse-and-parental-alienation

[4] www.adventistlearningcommunity.com/courses/sexual-abuse-reclaiming-hope

[5] www.enditnow.org

[6] https://adventistyouthministries.org/safety-resources/abuse-prevention

[7] Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, 21st ed. (Silver Spring, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 2025), p. 98.

[8] https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.22.htm

[9] Pamela Cooper-White, The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church’s Response (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012).

[10] Ellen G. White, Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce (Silver Spring, Md.: Ellen G. White Estate, 1989), p. 249.

[11] Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890, 1908),p. 725.

[12] Ibid., p.522.