Statement from the Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International Board of Directors

Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International (SDA Kinship) is an affirming and inclusive community for LGBTQIA+ current and former Seventh-day Adventists, their families, friends, and allies.

In March 2024, three members of SDA Kinship’s Board of Directors received a report of an unethical sexual encounter between a pastor and a Kinship member that occurred at the European Kinship Meeting in September 2023. The member made a report to the Hanseatic Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, where the pastor was employed at the time. When the conference leadership received the report, they followed their protocol for allegations of sexual misconduct by pastoral staff, which includes an investigation, interviews, and confidentiality. Kinship commends them for this process. The president of SDA Kinship followed the counsel of Kinship Germany and the Hanse Conference to not make public statements during their investigation. The pastor resigned shortly thereafter and is no longer involved in Kinship Germany’s activities or communication.

SDA Kinship is devastated that this incident occurred and that Kinship’s values of safety, community, and respect were not upheld. The pastor behaved unethically and reprehensibly. He has been removed from membership with SDA Kinship. In a safe community, all members share a responsibility to one another. His actions do not represent the care or ethics Kinship expects from its members and from people in positions of power, and do not align with the type of community Kinship seeks to foster.

Because SDA Kinship prioritizes the safety and trust of all members—especially youth—Kinship’s Board of Directors is committed to leading with the following actions within the next six months.

1. Complete an internal review of all policies and protocols regarding allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct at Kinship-sponsored and associated events. These policies and protocols will be updated in accordance with best practices in order to prioritize community members’ safety and dignity.
2. Provide training on safeguarding and mandated reporting to Kinship’s Board of Directors, leadership team, and regional coordinators.
3. Update and expand the Code of Conduct that covers all Kinship leaders and members in all Kinship spaces and events, whether virtual or in-person.
4. Offer workshops and ongoing education to all members on topics related to personal health and community safety, including consent, sexual abuse, and mental health.

Kinship’s Board of Directors cares about the survivor and their family and will support the local leadership of Kinship Europe, who has the most direct engagement with the people involved. SDA Kinship has a responsibility to provide education and support to LGBTQIA+ current and former Seventh-day Adventists, their families, friends, and allies. Members worldwide will be able to register for the resources mentioned above when they are available.

When we are in community, what happens to one affects all of us. Kinship encourages you to seek support from a credentialed mental health professional if learning of this incident has triggered or harmed you in any way.

Kinship’s Code of Conduct applies to all Kinship leaders and members as well as attendees at Kinship events. Report any unethical actions or behavior to info(at)sdakinship.org. All reports will be taken seriously and handled according to Kinship’s stated policy.

SDA Kinship Board of Directors
October 10, 2024