We are grateful to Hillary Watson for posting this piece on her own blog, Gathering the Stones, on May 9th, and for crossposting it now on OSU. It is a helpful contribution to the continuing conversation around what accountability ought to look like for Mennonite church leaders when it comes to addressing situations of sexual violence in our congregations and communities. – Hilary J. Scarsella “We talk a lot about accountability, but it’s the conference’s job to figure out what that means. We want to ask you, pastors, how do you expect us to hold you accountable?” Last Thursday, Michael Danner, Executive Conference Minister of Illinois Mennonite Conference, asked us this question. Sitting with a dozen Chicagoland credentialed leaders, we discussed the mechanisms we appreciated and the mechanisms we needed to handle concerns about financial management and sexual abuse, among other issues. As the conversation closed, I raised a tentative hand and said: “Michael, whatever else comes of this accountability conversation, please don’t let a Lindale happen in Illinois Conference. Please, feel empowered to step into any congregation dealing with allegations of sexual abuse. Please, feel empowered to be proactive.” I don’t mean to call out or condemn Lindale. They are […]
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