Report of the Ad Interim Committee on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault
Editorial Team, May 23, 2022.
Many of us have been greatly anticipating the release of the DASA Ad Interim Committee report. With the recent news of the widespread abuse and neglect in the SBC we are painfully reminded yet again of how important and needed the work of our committee is for the health and holiness of our churches. We are thankful for the sacrificial work of this committee and hopeful that God will use it to bring Gospel healing and Gospel justice where they are needed and that it may guide us to being a safer place for the vulnerable. Please be in prayer with us that the 49th General Assembly of the PCA would receive and act upon this report with wisdom and humility.
The Ad Interim Committee Report on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault that has been prepared for the 49th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America is now available.
The 47th General Assembly created a seven-man Study Committee on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault in 2019. This Committee was tasked to accomplish the following:
1. The Committee shall prepare an annotated bibliography of resources the Committee endorses on topics related to child abuse and sexual assault, domestic abuse and sexual assault, and domestic oppression. The annotated bibliography should also include pastoral resources for the care of victims of these sins, as well as ministry and counsel for those overtaken by these sins.
2. The Committee shall report regarding best practices and guidelines that could be helpful for elders, Sessions, Presbyteries, and agencies for protecting against these sins and for responding to them. However, no practice, policy, or guideline will be proposed for adoption or approval. It is simply information, which shall not be binding or obligatory in any sense.
3. The Committee may recommend to the 48th GA any statement(s) it believes would be prudent and warranted for the Assembly to adopt.
At the 48th General Assembly, the Committee’s work was extended for one additional year, and their report is now complete.
The 49th General Assembly will meet in Birmingham, Alabama on June 21-24, 2022.
