The Leadership Council of Ohio Mennonite Conference adopted the Prevention and Abuse Accountability Resource in June 2025.

This updated policy is used by all Mennonite Church USA affiliated conferences to not only address pastoral misconduct but to provide pastors, congregations and members with resources to encourage positive and healthy relationships.  This resource works in conjunction with A Shared Understanding of Ministerial Leadership which is the current polity manual for MC USA. A Shared Understanding provides a theological background for ministry, qualifications for ministry, calling, covenants and credentials in ministry, and ethics in ministry. A Shared Understanding provides “…a common understanding of how we do things in the church…” “The intent of the content is not to be a rule book, nor is there any assumption that every possible ministry question is addressed in [the] pages. It is, however, [the writers’] effort to build lasting relationships of respect and integrity between congregations and conferences, and their credentialed leaders.”

As the introduction to A Shared Understanding indicates, there are gaps in the content that require further input – especially in abuse prevention and response. This is where the Prevention and Accountability resource comes in. Prevention and Accountability seeks to provide content that assists congregations and conferences as they navigate the complex realities if abuse occurs in the church.

The glossary in this resource provides definition for all ethical violations listed in the “When Covenant Relationships are Broken” section, page 68 – 70, in A Shared Understanding of Ministerial Leadership.

This resource is organized in two sections. The first section addresses abuse prevention. The second section addresses accountability, including structures and processes for responding to abuse allegations. There is a glossary of definitions at the end of the resource. Forms that support the accountability process and additional resources are available online.

Prevention and Accountability Resource:   English   Spanish

Resource Poster: Reporting Pastoral Misconduct Flyer

For more information visit: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/resource-portal/resource/prevention-accountability/