A Blessing for Survivors
When old wounds are stirred by public harm
Blessed are you whose body remembers what the world would rather reduce and redact to headlines and files; whose nervous system activates at names resurfacing, at sealed doors pried open too late, at power once again exposed, and yet left undealt with.
Blessed are you when the release of records also releases the ache, the fury, and the grief you did not choose for yourself; when what is called “headline news” for others, becomes a reopening of closed wounds for you.
Rest in this truth: God does not ask you to be brave today. God does not ask you to be poised, or grateful, or strong. The Holy One, instead, is shelter— the One who knows how memories live in our bodies, as the God who keeps count of tears that never made it into the record.
Blessed are you if and as anger rises— for anger is often grief refusing to disappear quietly. It is faith expressed as justice is denied.
Blessed are you if exhaustion settles in your bones, for even Christ withdrew for rest when the crowd pressed in too close.
Blessed are you if you cannot look, cannot listen, cannot carry one more weight, for your survival has already been a holy labor.
Blessed is your refusal to give up on your healing, to give up on the thriving of others, to give up on the hope that our world does not have to be like this.
May the God who sees what was hidden, who names what was denied, and who holds together broken dreams, broken trust, and wounds both seen and unseen, wrap you now in a mercy that does not rush your healing.
May the truth that emerges do its work in the world without demanding your re-wounding. And when the noise grows loud, may you hear instead the quieter voice of God speaking your name, not as a case, not as a victim, but as beloved.
Amen.
As United Methodists, we stand with survivors of sexual abuse, harassment and assault as our Social Principles speak clearly: “we condemn sexual harassment, abuse, and assault… We advocate the development and implementation of comprehensive policies and practices in relation to cases of suspected sexual abuse and assault, especially when such cases involve minor children or others incapable of giving their consent. Even unsubstantiated reports of assault or abuse must be investigated immediately” (¶ 162M).
We at the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW) lament not only the harm done to victims and survivors, but the additional harm caused by silence, complicity, and re-traumatization. We call upon church leaders everywhere to use their public witness both to condemn sexual harassment, abuse, and assault and to make tangible efforts toward stopping sexual harm, dismantling inequitable systems that render women and girls especially vulnerable, and cultivating practices that prioritize every person’s safety and well-being.
To survivors of sexual harm, we acknowledge the pain, grief, and trauma that may be triggered by reports of sexual abuse and its coverup. What happened to you was wrong. What happened to others is wrong. And failure to prevent further harm to more people is wrong. It makes sense to be hurt and angry, and still, the ache of old wounds does not undo the strength and resilience you have built over time. Healing is not linear. Please be tender with yourselves and trust yourselves. Your life is a witness to the fact that you know how to survive.
To all with open hearts, pay attention. If you’re not outraged, consider the gaps in your own knowledge and experience. The most common things survivors want when they make a complaint are to 1) stop the harm and 2) ensure it does not happen to anyone else. These are not radical asks but appeal to the most basic human need for safety, and we are all implicated. Each of us has a part to play in building communities where preventing abuse and enabling each person to be safe and well are clear, unshakable priorities.
As the Church, we are called to show up with compassion for those who are hurting and to work together for reparative justice. But too often, survivors suffer alone because they do not know whether it is safe to share their truth, whether they will be believed, if there will be accountability, and whether they will experience genuine care, even from people who serve in pastoral roles. As followers of Jesus who work to bring about the Beloved Community, every untold story is an indictment of the Church’s complicity in harm, whether by covering up abuses of power, or remaining silent in a world in need of moral clarity.
In 2024, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church issued an apology to victims and survivors of sexual misconduct. That statement included a very important acknowledgement: “An apology is worthless without a commitment to the challenging work which must follow.” And so, the UMC pledged to do the following:
- Apologize in every annual conference across the connection.
- Educate Church leaders regarding sacred trust in ministerial relationships and power imbalance within those relationships.
- Provide healing resources to all affected in accordance with ¶ [363]. Complaint Procedures.
- Develop a trauma-informed response to complaints of sexual misconduct.
We know important work is being done to live out these commitments, and we celebrate those leaders and annual conferences who have taken intentional steps to learn trauma-informed practices and to ensure that all who are serving in ministry engage in regular boundaries and ethics training.
At the same time, we know that the apology was not read in every annual conference, as directed by the General Conference. We know that learning and implementing trauma-informed responses to complaints has not been a priority in all conferences, as directed by the General Conference. And we know that these failures have contributed to more harm as we regularly receive calls from people whose complaints have been treated as inconveniences rather than occasions for seeking real accountability by making things right as far as possible, as required by The Book of Discipline.
For the Church and her leaders to have any credibility in living out the gospel, this must change. We must change. We cannot continue in the way of the dominant culture to ignore, cover up, dismiss, and simply “hope” things get better without putting in the diligent and intentional work to which Christ calls us. We must be better advocates and sources of support for those who experience harm.
We must turn our stated commitments into real practices.
To clergy, congregational leaders, and all who offer spiritual care, don’t be silent. Talk about the realities of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse. Acknowledge how the Epstein files, heavily redacted as they are, expose ongoing patterns of protecting powerful men rather than protecting those they exploit and violate. This isn’t “political.” This is real life. When you name harm, it makes clear that this is something that people can talk about, that this is something that matters to you and within your community. It doesn’t have to be a whole sermon, though that may be powerful. You can pray for victims and survivors. Offer a blessing like the one included here. Speaking up, even in the most basic ways, signals to people that there is space for their experience and that care and support are possible and available. Then, be ready: familiarize yourself with local therapists and support and advocacy organizations, who may be able to offer more specialized attention and resources, as you prepare yourself to be a supportive presence.
When people disclose experiences of harm, it can be difficult to know what to do and say. Take a breath, remind yourself of your capacity to care, and trust that it’s not about finding the right words. What matters most is to be present, to give space for pain to breathe so that someone does not have to carry it alone. Don’t judge, just support. Let your questions be more about what a person needs than what happened, allowing room for people to share as they’re comfortable without feeling like they’re under investigation. Be a friend. Be a pastor. Be the person someone trusted enough to share something incredibly tender and serious.
To annual conference leaders in the UMC, if you haven’t read the apology to victims and survivors of sexual misconduct, do it this year. If you have read it, report on the work your conference has done since the first reading. If you have nothing to report or need help advancing the work, reach out to GCSRW for support.
To bishops and cabinet members, please remember, first and foremost, that you are elders, called to provide pastoral care and counsel. Procedures for responding to reports and complaints are not boxes to be checked but frameworks for ensuring intentionality. If you do not know what it means for a response to be trauma-informed, or if you have not developed relevant skills and practices, make it a priority. Start a response team or revive a dormant one. Make sure that everyone serving under appointment is regularly trained on boundaries and ethics and create mechanisms for accountability. GCSRW is here to support you in all of this work. Also, remember that the people under your care are looking for your leadership. We know that survivors are lamenting the silence of so many of our Church leaders on the urgent, ongoing problem of sexual harm. Please speak and lead with victims and survivors in mind.
Let’s strive together to do no harm and to foster the healing and accountability that are needed to keep transforming the world until each of us is free from harassment, exploitation, and abuse.