Victims of John Howard Yoder or of another credentialed leader of Mennonite Church USA may apply for funds, which will be dispersed this fall.

The funds are intended to recompense, at least in some small measure, the material costs undertaken on their road to healing, says Ervin Stutzman, member of the Discernment Group on Sexual Abuse and the Church.

The money will come from a Care and Prevention Fund established by the Discernment Group.

“We invite individuals with particular concern for victims and prevention of sexual abuse to contribute to this fund,” Stutzman says.

Kansas City 2015 convention goers will have the opportunity to contribute to the Care and Prevention Fund at the offering on Wednesday, July 1, during adult worship and on Friday, July 3, during youth worship.

Those not at convention may contribute by mailing a check to Mennonite Church USA (Care and Prevention Fund in the memo line) to:
718 N. Main St.,
Newton, KS 67114-1703

The fund’s purpose is threefold, according Stutzman:
1. to recompense the material costs to victims,
2. to provide tangible care for people who have experienced sexual abuse,
3. to assist in prevention of sexual abuse.

Sara Wenger Shenk, a member of the Discernment Group and president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind., says, “Our church owes an enormous debt of gratitude to those victims of sexual abuse who persisted in bearing witness to the truth, despite considerable resistance. … Their courage to speak up about the horrible scourge of sexual violence in our communities has been a decisive wake-up call.”

The Discernment Group requests that victims submit the following, which will remain confidential:

• the victim’s full name,
• the name of the credentialed minister who committed the abuse,
• the approximate time period when the abuse occurred,
• the congregation or ministry situation in which the abuse occurred
• the nature of material costs, such as therapy, accrued in the wake of the abuse.

Requests from victims must be submitted by Aug. 31 to be considered. Click here for more details. 

The Discernment Group will also receive contributions to the fund through Aug. 31, then disperse the proceeds within the next few months.

Wenger Shenk acknowledges there is no way a fund can begin to compensate victims adequately.

“We hesitated to form a fund because it will inevitably fall far short of any amount that might seem somewhat commensurate,” she says. “Is there a way to do this that doesn’t trivialize the pain? I’m not sure there is. But we wanted to do something.”

A portion of the Care and Prevention fund, as determined by the Discernment Group, will be divided among:

•  Sister Care, a ministry of Mennonite Women USA,
• the Women in Leadership Project of Mennonite Church USA and
• Dove’s Nest, a church organization that partners with ecumenical faith communities to keep children and youth safe from abuse.

“However, we anticipate that the largest portion of the Care and Prevention Fund will be given to victims,” says Stutzman.

The Discernment Group on sexual abuse and the church, formed in August 2013, also submitted a statement addressing sexual abuse and prevention for consideration by the Delegate Assembly at KC2015.

The second offering taking at Kansas City 2015 will be for the Racial/Ethnic Leadership Education Fund (RELE) administered by Mennonite Education Agency.