The World Student Christian Federation in Europe

1091 Budapest, Kálvin tér 8. Hungary

Tel: +36.1.219.5166 Fax: +36.1.219.5167
regionaloffice@wscf-europe.org www.wscf-europe.org

Call for Articles

Stop Being Silent!

- Identifying, Overcoming and Preventing Clergy Sexual Misconduct with Women
(A World Student Christian Federation handbook publication)

Violence across the globe echoes

out of the news,
but do we hear the violence next door or
within our own communities?

“The sounds of women's silence run deep. Let us

attune our ears to the sounds of women's silence,
to attend and listen to what is not said, what has
never been said, what is only now beginning to be
said. Let this silence cry aloud in our ears, let it
resound and reverberate inside our heads, let it
deafen our whole being with its colossal roar.”
Nicola Slee

This handbook aims to raise awareness, break taboos, and prevent clergy sexual misconduct with
vulnerable adult women.

It builds on the gender work done by World Student Christian Federation WSCF --a global federation of
over one hundred affiliated student Christian national movements which span six regions: Africa, Asia-
Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and North America. WSCF, a radical, hope-
giving voice of current and future generations – independent enough from religious institutions – is
unique in its capacity to be the leader for change.

The Issue
Clergy sexual misconduct with adult women is an extremely sensitive issue, that happens in many
church communities but is discussed and rightly dealt with in very few. Recent research indicates that
more than 95% of victims of clergy sexual exploitation are women who are unable to see themselves
as victims and are often trapped in confusion, guilt, shame and self-blame. Clinical research from the
Faith Institute indicate that women victims remain in silence and suffer severe consequences from
depression to suicide.

According to Dr. Randel Everett, the Executive Director and CEO of the Baptist General Convention of
Texas, “The religious community should be a place where people, especially those in crisis, find
comfort and support. When a religious leader abuses the power or trust vested in them through
sexual misconduct, it results in multiple sufferers. First the victim herself, then her whole family
system, and eventually the congregation and the community.” This is a form of multi-layered violence
and injustice that needs to be stopped; however, very few churches, organisations or religious
institutions are willing or able to start breaking the taboos.

Aim
How can we prevent the cycle of abuse that permeates our society? Raising awareness about the
signs, causes, and methods to overcome this form of violence is essential; silence merely perpetuates
the cycle. The stories and articles compiled in this handbook are intended to show how groups of
people, religious and secular, women and men, young and old are forging ahead and creating new
ideas to combat clergy sexual violence against women. It aims to represent the extraordinary efforts
that create the vast energy for change and present lessons and good practices that can be used as a
knowledge tool worldwide. It will comprise of expert opinions and research findings; real stories of
survivors and advocates, theological reflections from theologians, prevention strategies, discussion
guides for parishioners and further useful resources.

Dissemination
The handbook will be strategically launched during the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation
IEPC in Jamaica in May 2011 - where church leaders are gathering from around the globe to harvest
findings from Decade to Overcome Violence project 2000-2010 by World Council of Churches.
Thereafter handbooks will be distributed to WSCF networks and partners around Europe, Asia Pacific,
North America, Latin America and Middle East; to local churches and congregations; seminaries and
theological school and their libraries; chaplaincies; in addition to hard copies, and an on-line
publication.

Guidelines for Articles

Expert authors and esteemed theologians are encouraged to write with clarity and conciseness on
complicated issues so their articles are simple to understand but not simplistic. This will allow the
texts to be more assessable to the parishioner in the church and the general public. Issues surrounding
the culture of silence, human dignity, racism, freedom of religion, security, migration, discrimination
and exclusion may be explored and usefully translated into theological and ethical terms.
Contributions of art work, poetry, short stories, liturgies, interviews, reflections and reports from
Student Christian Movements are most welcome.
Articles may:
provide accurate information on what is clergy sexual abuse of women;
tell survivors' stories;
give examples of good practices that are already in place for prevention healing and
reconciliation;
give concrete examples and ideas for advocacy and campaigning work and for how to start
unveiling the issue in local communities, organisations, grassroots;
provide theological, biblical and ecclesiological argumentation and call for change;
promote legislation to make CSM illegal in the same way that relationships with patients and
clients are illegal for other “helping professionals” including doctors, lawyers and mental
health practitioners.

Word counts:
Expert articles - up to 5000 words including further readings and references
Survivor Stories –up to 1000 words (may include art work, poetry, short stories, liturgies,
interviews, reflections and reports)
Resource materials – up to 1500 words (examples of good practice, advocacy material,
discussion guides, exercises)
Bible studies – up to 2500 words

Please email the coordinator of your interest at bookproject@wscf-europe.org

The deadline for contributions is 10st March 2011.

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality...

Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Martin Luther King, Jr.