Safe Haven

The church should be a safe place where people can worship, learn, work, love, and receive care in a manner that is free from sexual misconduct.

All forms of sexual misbehavior by clergy and lay leaders with church members are unacceptable within the life of the church. The church should be a safe place where people can worship, learn, work, love, and receive care in a manner that is free from sexual misconduct.

Early in the life of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, this church expressed clearly its intention to take whatever measures it could to help prevent sexual abuse and misconduct within the ELCA. In other words, the church is Called to be a Safe Place.

"Safe Haven: A Resource Guide for Congregations" is now Available!  
The Safe Haven Resource for Congregations is a guide to the process of creating or reviewing your congregation's Safe Haven guidelines and procedures.  All congregations in the Rocky Mountain Synod are asked to have Safe Haven guidelines in place by synod assembly 2012, or to have at least begun the process. The new resource is a response to the Safe Haven resolution passed at the 2010 assembly.  

 Many thanks to the dedicated team who worked on creating this informative, faith-based guide.