The CARE Team is the Sexual Ethics team for the Peninsula-Delaware Conference.  It is a group of clergy and laity in our Conference who have been entrusted with the roles of: 

Care

Advocacy

 Response

 Empowerment

for persons and congregations involved in cases of alleged sexual misconduct.

The CARE Team is a resource to help persons and congregations move toward:

              Understanding                               Reconciliation                      Wholeness

 What is the hope of the CARE Team?  The Team will take appropriate steps for

              Prevention                                      Intervention                          Restoration

with the hope that persons and congregations will achieve an optimum sense of well-being.

Possible Points of Entry

There are two possible ways to initiate the process in cases of alleged sexual misconduct.

              :  Contact the District Superintendent

              :  Contact the CARE Team

In either case, once contact is made, there is an opportunity to explain the circumstances of the alleged misconduct.  In addition, the intervention process is explained.  This is a time of listening and sharing Information.

              :  District Superintendents and CARE Team members are trained to listen and help the

                 person reporting the alleged misconduct to decide what her/his next step will be.

              :  The CARE Team may be asked to assist in making a formal complaint, which must be

                 in writing.

              :  When a formal complaint is written, it is filed with the appropriate District

                 Superintendent, who then notifies The Bishop.

              :  If a formal (written) complaint is not filed, there can be no further judicial action.

What the CARE Team is NOT – The CARE Team is not a replacement for the intervention process that investigates complaints of alleged sexual misconduct.  That process is directed by The Bishop, in compliance with The Book of Discipline.  Rather, the CARE Team is a resource to provide appropriate care to persons and congregations engaged in that process.

In addition to being a Response Team, Safe Sanctuary Training for the Conference is also offered through the CARE Team by our members.  We recognize that both clergy and laity frequently change in our churches, so there is an ongoing need for training.  Safe Sanctuary training which encompasses background checks for staff/volunteers is vitally important as a method to prevent sexual violations.

“Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God.”

Rev. Alice Johnson Ervin, Chair of CARE TeamOn-Line Resources