An Important Message to All Local Church Leadership

The mission of the Church of the Nazarene that drives everything we do is to make Christlike disciples in the nations. We recognize that in order to fulfill this mission, the discipling ministries of our local churches must take place in safe and nurturing environments that strive to protect all of God’s family from harm, especially those who are most vulnerable.

We understand that no dynamic community of faith seriously engaged in this mission can ever be fully insulated against the scourge of sexual misconduct with minors. Despite the inescapable reality of evil, we recognize that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

Creating this safe environment requires awareness, diligence, and monitoring on a consistent and systematic basis. With an even greater commitment to the mission, we must develop sound policies and preventative practices which, when earnestly and vigilantly enforced, offer the best protection possible to the most vulnerable among us.

To that end, we strongly urge all local churches to adopt and implement the policies and procedures presented here and in the additional resources available through Nazarene Safe.

The mission of the Church of the Nazarene drives everything we do.

The Zero Tolerance Policy

The Church of the Nazarene has adopted a zero tolerance policy for sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior with minors. All workers, leaders, and pastoral staff are to be above reproach in their conduct and to act in the best interest of others. This requires not only that they themselves refrain from engaging in any abusive or suspicious behavior involving minors; they will also be required to report without delay to the proper authorities anyone seen engaging in such behavior.

– The Board of General Superintendents, Church of the Nazarene