Report of the Ad Interim Committee on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault

The Ad Interim Committee Report on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault that has been prepared for the 49th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America is now available.

The 47th General Assembly created a seven-man Study Committee on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault in 2019.  This Committee was tasked to accomplish the following:

1. The Committee shall prepare an annotated bibliography of resources the Committee endorses on topics related to child abuse and sexual assault, domestic abuse and sexual assault, and domestic oppression. The annotated bibliography should also include pastoral resources for the care of victims of these sins, as well as ministry and counsel for those overtaken by these sins.

2. The Committee shall report regarding best practices and guidelines that could be helpful for elders, Sessions, Presbyteries, and agencies for protecting against these sins and for responding to them. However, no practice, policy, or guideline will be proposed for adoption or approval. It is simply information, which shall not be binding or obligatory in any sense.

3. The Committee may recommend to the 48th GA any statement(s) it believes would be prudent and warranted for the Assembly to adopt.

At the 48th General Assembly, the Committee’s work was extended for one additional year, and their report is now complete.

The 49th General Assembly will meet in Birmingham, Alabama on June 21-24, 2022.