By Ruth Hill, Interim AVA Activator, PacNWC
Advocacy for Victims of Abuse (AVA) is now under the ECC’s Love Mercy Do Justice (LMDJ) ministry priority, a change announced at the AVA Retreat held in Minneapolis in July prior to the I AM Women’s Conference.
The three-day AVA Retreat, organized by out-going director Rev. Meagan Gillan, exceeded expectations with over 80 men and women in attendance. At its conclusion, the newly elected executive minister of LMDJ, Rev. Paul Robinson, expressed his gratitude for AVA’s history and his strong support of AVA’s future under the leadership of its new director, Rev. Ramelia Williams.
AVA RETREAT
The July AVA Retreat unveiled the newly updated and expanded training materials. Attendees were excited to see the additions, as well as the new look of the resources. Specific care was given to make the materials suitable for both diverse presenters and diverse audiences. Rev. Gillan lead the basic AVA training the first day and a half; for the next eight hours, trainees could take the training to become potential facilitators of Mending the Soul or hear from experts in the field of pastoral care for trauma survivors, ACE, as well as participate in other AVA activities.
The PacNWC had nine people (from three states) in attendance, the most of any ECC Conference. Thanks to the strong support of PacNWC Women Ministries, most of their expenses were covered. “I am excited by the strong interest across the Covenant in the AVA Ministry and hopeful this, combined with new leadership under LMDJ, will result in more churches becoming safe sanctuaries and healing communities for those who have suffered abuse,” said Ruth Hill.
MENDING THE SOUL
Rev. Yvonne DeVaughn, Lynda Delgado and Ruth Hill were invited to create the Covenant’s training module for Mending the Soul (MTS) Facilitators. MTS is a 12-session journey of healing for survivors of abuse. “When we were preparing the training module, we pictured 10 to 12 trainees; imagine our joy when 38 people filled the room!” said Ruth Hill, PacNWC Interim AVA Activator.
The 8-hour training is part of the credentialing process to become a facilitator of the Mending the Soul Workbook. The training begins with a Biblical foundation for the ministry, why this particular resource was the chosen tool, and a careful self-examination of suitability to be a facilitator. The last half of the training focuses on how best to facilitate each chapter.
When MTS trainees were invited to put a dot by a form of abuse they had experienced, no one was prepared for its impact; each dot represented not a statistic but a person’s horrific pain.
A particular highlight of the training was a powerful exercise created by Lynda Delgado for the chapter on Surrendering to God’s Love. She challenged the trainees to identify impressions, feelings, observations distorted by Satan about our abuse that build a wall between us and God. These were written on brick patterned poster paper and pasted to the walls of the room. They were then challenged to write a truth from a list of Scriptures that contradicted those feelings on the same “brick.” Then all the bricks were laid in a row, forming a pathway to the front, representing a pathway to healing. “Watching the pathway grow left us with a holy awe of our Great Healer and Restorer,” said Hill. “It also underscored the potential of Mending the Soul to lead wounded people to healing in their relationship with God.”
Kay Strom, from Shoreline Covenant Church, reflected on the 3-day training: “When my daughter was abused by her Sunday School teacher, I had nowhere to turn for help. The church elders—one of whom was my husband—voted to forgive and forget. That still painful experience is the reason I was eager to be a part of the AVA Retreat. Thanks to the training we received, our church is a place of caring people able to help.”
NEW STRATEGIC PLAN
Both the AVA and the MTS groups reunited to hear the New Strategic Plan at the close of the AVA Retreat. Since most attendees had previously worked in the AVA ministry, there was heightened interest in learning what would be different going forward.
The AVA goals were inspiring:
- Greater presence across the Covenant
- Standardized training with updated materials and statistics
- Every Covenant pastor AVA-informed by 2022
- Frequent connection and resourcing of all AVA leaders
- Clear record keeping
Five AVA ministry opportunities were articulated:
- AVA Local Advocate
- AVA Regional Trainer
- Conference AVA Activator
- Mending the Soul Facilitator
- AVA denominational leader
It was clear that communication between the AVA Leadership at Covenant Offices and conference and local leaders was going to be a priority. The new policies will enable stronger support and guidance from AVA Leadership to both regional and local leaders, as well as enhance reporting from the ministry fields to the denominational office. There will be regular one-hour informational, continuing education video conference calls to help all team members stay up-to-date on the latest developments in AVA/MTS. Each leader will be encouraged to attend no less than two each year.
For each role, both a clear job description and role requirements and expectations were named. For Mending the Soul Facilitators, the pathway to credentialing in the Covenant was articulated. Facilitators who are currently certified through the organization Mending the Soul will be encouraged to fulfill the Covenant’s credentialing process and work in compliance with the Covenant’s AVA policies. Interested in continuing or joining the PacNWC AVA Ministry? Contact PacNWC Interim AVA Activator Ruth Hill to learn more about the New Strategic Plan and how to be involved.
MALE PARTICIPATION IN AVA
It was unique to have men participating in the July AVA Retreat training! Originally housed in the Department of Women Ministries, AVA appeared to be a ministry to female victims of abuse by trained female leaders. And with limited funding, resources were created that reflected the statistical reality that more women than men are victims of abuse. However, according to a 2010 national intimate partner and sexual violence survey, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the United States have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner[1]. And 1 in 20 boys are sexually abused[2]; the statistic could be significantly higher given the reluctance to report it.
“When we launched AVA in 2004, we were asked if there would be help for men as well as women,” says Ruth Hill, former Executive Minister of Women Ministries, now PacNWC Interim AVA Activator. “That was the goal; we knew there was a tremendous need. Now, that need is being addressed. And men are stepping up to be trained!”
After Rev. Gillan preached at a PacNWC church some time ago, the lead pastor told her a man dared to break silence and tell him he had been a victim of childhood sexual abuse. At this time, the PacNWC does not yet have enough men trained to respond in an informed way. This requires identifying and training men who feel called to the AVA ministry. “I pray that the PacNWC will one day have a number of trained men willing to minister to male victims of abuse!” said Hill.
OCTOBER – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
October is Domestic Violence Awareness
month! We want to encourage PacNWC churches to bring awareness and remembrance
of those who live in unsafe domestic spaces or have experienced some form of
abuse which damages their image bearing nature as a child of God. The AVA Advisory Team, under the Love Mercy Do
Justice ministry priority, has provided an array of tools to support that
effort. To receive the resources, please email the PacNWC AVA Activator, Ruth
Hill.
[1] Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M. (2011). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2010 summary report. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf.
[2] “Child Sexual Abuse Statistics,” National Center for Victims of Crime, 2019.
[Click Here] to visit the ECC Advocacy for Victims of Abuse Web Page
