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    Ministries: How to Prevent and Respond to Alleged Sexual Abuse of Minors

    Today I’m happy to host guest blogger Suzanne Keffer Wipplinger, a student in Biblical Counseling at Dallas Theological Seminary: When considering what guidelines to follow if a minor who has attended a church or para-church ministry reports sexual abuse, it is important for churches and ministries to remember that their first priority is to focus on protecting minors before potential abuse occurs and continue to protect the abused minor, should abuse happen. The focus of church and para-church organizations must be on protecting the minor reporting the abuse before shielding the alleged abuser or the organization itself. Since sexual abuse is a crime, the person who receives the initial report should…