A small but dedicated group of local church, conference, and union leaders and lay members recently met at the North American Division (NAD) headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, United States, for the NAD’s enditnow® Safeguarding Peace training on abuse prevention and response. Through presentations, pair and group discussions, and hands-on exercises, attendees were empowered to help make our churches safer spaces.
In his welcome G. Alexander Bryant, NAD president, reflected: “Jesus connected the gospel to helping the vulnerable, . . . looking out for those who cannot speak up for themselves—the physically, emotionally, and mentally abused.”
Bryant affirmed attendees and thanked lead organizer Erica Smith, NAD assistant Women’s Ministries director, and NAD Women’s Ministries director DeeAnn Bragaw for “singlehandedly pushing [the enditnow®] initiative forward in our church and division.”
Key Insights and Takeaways
The training was based on the Safeguarding Peace manual, created by professional advocates, church leaders, and educators. This was the third training since the NAD enditnow® team transitioned from livestreamed summits to in-person workshops in 2023.
Sessions explored facets of intimate partner violence (IPV)—“behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm.” Presenters cited religion as a barrier to seeking safety, alongside cultural, emotional, and situational factors.
Doug Tilstra, retired vice president for student life at Walla Walla University, addressed belief barriers specific to Adventists. Notably, he emphasized that Ephesians 5 promotes mutual, voluntary submission; forgiveness and accountability can coexist; and while God is promarriage, in a fallen world separation or divorce may be necessary to preserve life.
Rene Drumm, senior research professor of sociology at Andrews University, suggested that while abuse often leads to spiritual disengagement, faith can also be a source of healing. “We can strengthen our church by strengthening victim-survivors and their spirituality,” Drumm said.
Addressing child abuse, risk management specialist Angelina Wood shared that one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused, and a quarter of all children face physical abuse. Furthermore, more than 90 percent of victims know their abuser. Wood recommended believing and supporting the child, staying calm, and reporting to authorities when a child discloses abuse. “It is of utmost importance that our children have a safe haven [and know] they can express when they are hurt, scared, or abused,” she stated.
Adventism Not a Protective Factor
Firsthand accounts illustrated the stark realities of abuse. Attendees heard the story of Karen, who suffered emotional, physical, sexual, and spiritual abuse by her husband, whom she had met at an Adventist university. She later developed cancer and struggled with suicidal thoughts. Participants discussed what might have helped her, agreeing that a culture of support within the church could make a difference.
Ultimately, Karen’s story was one of hope, as God reached her during a suicidal moment, and she found the courage to leave. Today she is an advocate, declaring, “Whatever the reason [I was abused], God brought me through it. And if it’s to tell my story, that’s what I’ll do.”
Trainers also shared testimonies from a qualitative study of 40 Adventist women who had experienced domestic violence, dispelling the myth that abuse is less prominent in the church. More than 90 percent of the abusers in this study were church members, including pastors, denominational workers, and local church leaders.
This study was a follow-up to a survey of 1,431 Seventh-day Adventist Church members in the North Pacific region of the U.S., which found abuse rates in the church comparable to national statistics. Overall, 33.8 percent of members reported experiencing abuse, versus 22.1 to 37.6 percent of the national sample.
“Being an Adventist is not a protective factor against being an abuser. Being an abuser has nothing to do with [your religion or faith.] This training helps me remember we’re dealing with human beings, and we all have the potential to do the most heinous things,” licensed therapist Stanley Stevenson said.
From Theory to Practice
A significant segment highlighted assessment, response, and prevention. Attendees learned three keys to a disclosure response—believe the individual, grieve their pain, and relieve them by offering resources and support. They also learned to assess safety and connect individuals to domestic violence teams or emergency services. Attendees role-played several scenarios as advocates or victim-survivors. Trainers also unpacked different levels of prevention: primary (systemwide efforts to prevent abuse), secondary (early detection and intervention), and tertiary (mitigating long-term consequences). This session ended with an overview of resources in North America, then had attendees create localized resource lists.
For the first time in this training’s history, advocates received a job description and a signed letter from Smith that they could present to their pastors, officially recognizing their role. Smith reassured them, “Sometimes you will feel alone [as an advocate], but you aren’t. Your church, the NAD Women’s Ministries, and the [enditnow®] team have your back. We’re here for you.”
Building a Community of Advocates
By the last day, attendees had formed a community of passionate advocates. Jose Rojas, the new Texas Conference risk management director, said that as a local church pastor for 15 years, he had often felt limited handling abuse cases without a counseling background. “These workshops [show you] how to better guide people to the right resources,” he said. Rojas added, “Many people need help, even within our churches. Churches need to raise their awareness of abuse and how to prevent it.”
Roxanne Jones, a previous attendee and enditnow® coordinator with the Northeastern Conference, brought two local church members. They plan to speak to the pastors and other church leaders on enditnow® initiatives.
April Montoya-Gonzalez, Southern New England Conference child protection coordinator and trust services assistant director, came due to a growing need for support in this area. She has focused on child protection, with 10 years of experience handling nearly 50 child abuse cases. But at her conference’s last camp meeting, she noted a high demand for domestic violence resources on her table. She was later approached by a pastor needing help with a domestic violence case. She saw the need to expand to help vulnerable populations more broadly. “God has given us a responsibility to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” she said. “There’s not a person who’ll leave this training without being changed and ready to act.”
The original version of this story was posted on the North American Division news site.