Churches may access a new resource produced by a Southern Baptist partnership to provide guidance on preventing sexual abuse and providing care for survivors of such abuse.

The Sexual Abuse Advisory Group and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission have unveiled “The Introductory Guide to Caring Well: A Resource to Help Churches Care Well for Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Implement Policies and Procedures to Prevent Abuse.” It is available at https://caringwell.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Introductory-Guide-to-Caring-Well.pdf.

The new guide is the latest in a series of resources produced by the Sexual Abuse Advisory Group and the ERLC as part of a multi-faceted effort in the Southern Baptist Convention to address the failure of some churches to protect and care for hundreds of sex abuse victims and to prevent perpetrators in many cases from continuing their abuses.

The guide provides information on preparing church leadership for disclosure by a sexual abuse victim, screening and training volunteers and staff members, implementing policies to protect the vulnerable in the church and establishing a Caring Well team.

“The Sexual Abuse Advisory Group encourages every church to do all it can to prevent abuse,” ERLC Executive Vice President Phillip Bethancourt said. “This resource is one step toward pointing our churches to be safe from abuse.”