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Chapter 2 - Clergy Sexual Misconduct Overview: A Model for Prevention, Education, Treatment, and Oversight
Rob Baker and John Thoburn
Chapter 1 discussed the widespread prevalence of clergy sexual misconduct in the Protestant Church today and the varied reasons that contribute to the problem at all levels of the clergy and Church system. The dynamic interplay of several factors determines the potential risk for clergy sexual misconduct. These include
1.Assessment and evaluation of a seminarian’s call to ministry
2.Practical ministry education and training in recognizing signs of burnout
3.The personality factors of the pastor
4.The pastor’s foundation (or lack thereof) in spiritual formation
5.The quality of his marital relationship
6.The needs and expectations of the congregation
7.The kind of direction and support supplied by the pastor’s conference, synod, or presbytery
Clergy sexual misconduct can be sexualized affairs, casual encounters, emotional affairs, a sexual addiction, or criminal misconduct. Affairs tend to start out as emotional relationships that become sexualized, while casual sexual encounters involve little personal emotional investment on the part of the pastor (Joy, 1997). Sexual addiction is a form of self-care that revolves around a self-soothing pleasure/shame cycle. According to Laaser and Gregoire (2003), there are four aspects of sexual addiction:
1.The behavior has become unmanageable. There have been attempts to stop the behavior and the person is unable to do so.
2.The addiction creates a neurochemical tolerance. The person’s brain has adapted to the pleasure-creating chemical interaction.
3.Tolerance leads to escalation. More of the neurochemical is needed to create the same effect, prompting more of the behavior to create the desired effects.
4.The neurochemical pleasure from the behavior pattern ultimately medicates mood, either high or low, depending on the person’s perceived need or desire.
Davies (2003) goes on to assert that people who become pastors have certain dependency features that are more unique to clergy. Some clergy hope that being ordained as a minister will reduce the shame they feel in their lives. Pastors, as codependents, hope to gain approval by pleasing their parishioners. Clergy often experience significant denial about their own issues because they would suffer severe consequences if their problems were acknowledged or disclosed. Ministers can have entrenched judgmental thinking that is buttressed by their theology. Dependent pastors often have a great deal of unexpressed anger. Furthermore, clergy loathe to disclose their behavior, fearing repercussions—they assume they will be punished. Even if denominational conference leadership espouses grace and mercy, there is pressure to not be seen as treating clergy sexual misconduct lightly. Therefore, pastors are often terrified that they will be turned out of their parishes, defrocked, lose their livelihood, and be shunned by the Christian community.
Not many of the strategies to combat clergy sexual misconduct have been successful in the Church. Clergy sexual misconduct has been resistant to the traditional interventions that focus on the pastor as the problem, so the problem continues to proliferate at an alarming rate. Therefore, one of the goals of this book is to offer solutions that are practical, nontraditional, and effective. The contributing authors of this book support a systems model that targets
