Conference Care Team
Your Church and Issues of Sexual Misconduct
Making your church a safe place for all God's children

Are you a victim of sexual harassment by someone in the church and don't know where to turn for help?
Do you know of an instance of sexual misconduct in the church and wonder what to do about it?

CARE TEAM
of the
Yellowstone Annual Conference

WHAT CAN YOUR CONFERENCE CARE TEAM DO FOR YOU?
Calls to Care Team members can be for support or for information for congregations or individuals. All calls are treated as confidential, subject to the applicable state mandatory reporting requirements. Both complainants and persons accused may ask for Care Team help.

The care team seeks to:
  • Practice effective listening
  • Emphasize and facilitate the healing of the victims of sexual misconduct and to work toward reconciliation and recovery for all persons who were affected by it
  • Provide trained individuals to support all aggrieved parties
  • Make information about the Care Team available throughout the Yellowstone Annual Conference


    • Most importantly of all...WE CARE
    Sexual misconduct within the life of the church interferes with its moral mission
    Behaviors of sexual misconduct will not be tolerated within any of the ministries of the Yellowstone Annual Conference.

    We recognize that while we all are in need of God's redemptive grace we must remain committed to providing just and merciful responses to instances of sexual misconduct in the church, whether understood to be exploitation, harassment or abuse.

    We acknowledge to ourselves and to God the need for restoration of what is broken and lost when any member of the body of Christ is sexually violated by another. We recognize our commission as members of Christ's body to be healing agents of justice for victims of sexual misconduct, as well as for perpetrators, families, congregations and others affected by such violation.


    DEFINITIONS
    Sexual Misconduct includes all expressions of sexual and gender harassment, exploitation and abuse as well as sexual abuse within the relationships of our covenant communities.
    Sexual Harassment must be understood as an exploitation of a power relationship rather than as an exclusively sexual issue.
    Gender harassment is behavior that is harassing in nature against a woman because she is a woman, and against a man because he is a man

    Sexual abuse within the ministerial relationship occurs whenever anyone claiming to be a servant of Jesus Christ attempts to use his/her position of authority or power over another person to engage in sexual contact or sexualized behavior instead of carrying out God's sacred trust. In as much as United Methodists affirm that all who are baptized are ministers of Jesus Christ, by "ministerial" we mean all persons who serve within our congregations. By this definition, therefore, lay and clergy are held equally accountable, whether the parties involved are pastor and congregant, teacher and student, staff member and co-worker, volunteer and volunteer or simply congregant and congregant.

    If you are finding this information, you may be seeking help with issues of sexual impropriety, either inside or outside of the church. You may be feeling troubled, worried, confused, angry, hurt and violated by what has happened.

    We want to help. We promise to listen and be a safe place for you.


    Our main purpose is not to report but to support. However, we can help you with the process of making a complaint and working through what has happened and options for what happens next. Any of the persons listed below are there for you. If you do not know any of these names, call one that seems right to you. That person will help as needed, including referring you to someone with whom you might relate more comfortably. We also are here to answer all the questions we can. If you are in need, we hope you will make the call. Many things in life become a little better when someone stands beside you.

    We want to be that person for you.

    Your Care Team members...

    LAY WOMEN
    Gail Brockbank, Helena MT
    Team Co-Leader
    Home: (406)442-2388
    Mary Ann Hampton, Fort Benton MT
    Home: (406)622-3797
    Jude Monson, Missoula MT
    Home: (406)251-4233
    LAY MEN
    Cliff Stephens, Paradise MT
    Home: (406)826-3119
    CLERGY WOMEN
    Jan Witman, Billings MT
    Home: (406)534-1393
    Business: (406)656-0050
    CLERGY MEN
    Dave Greep, East Helena MT
    Team Co-Leader
    Home: (406)227-7309
    Business: (406)227-5346
    Ron Kapalka, Billings MT
    Home: (406)245-1897
    Dan Krebill, Bozeman MT
    Presbyterian Church
    Home: (406)586-1183
    Business: (406)586-9194
    Bob Phelps, Whitefish MT
    Home: (406)863-2884
    Each Yellowstone Conference Team member pledges to treat your concerns as confidential and to stand with you as you work them through.