Vineyard Columbus Misconduct Reports
Vineyard Columbus and our leadership teams take any report of misconduct very seriously. We have a specific protocol for dealing with complaints, accusations, or any reports of abuse or harassment. This step-by-step process allows us to investigate any report in a way that is caring, compassionate, fair, non-biased, and respectful of the rights of everyone involved.
If you would like to report a separate or related concern, you can do so at vineyardcolumbus.org/report. You are also welcome to contact Executive Pastor, Daniel Nathan, with questions or concerns.
Summary | Report of Misconduct, Summer 2022
Intake Description
Vineyard Columbus is responding to a reported incident brought to our attention in June 2022 involving an adult volunteer and a pastoral staff member. The incident involved a disputed accusation of verbal harassment in a private setting. The incident was not formally reported initially and was disclosed during a general pastoral conversation after which our pastoral staff member wrote and submitted a ‘memo of concern’ to VC’s Senior Pastors and its Executive Pastor. Our staff responded immediately and began following our internal processes, which led us to hire an independent third-party to conduct a review. Both parties involved were aware of this and welcomed the process. It’s important to clarify, no physical harassment was ever mentioned, implied, or discovered.
Process Overview:
- Vineyard Columbus began addressing the incident as soon as we were made aware (June 2022).
- Upon being notified, Vineyard Columbus immediately initiated our reporting protocol.
- Vineyard Columbus took corrective action with the pastor involved, as appropriate.
- Vineyard Columbus provided pastoral care as appropriate.
- Vineyard Columbus is utilizing a third-party to ensure we properly respond to this complaint in a manner that protects and respects all involved, pursues truth and justice, and provides a credible process that is consistent with ministry integrity.
- Vineyard Columbus created an Advisory Group to review the draft report, the third party’s recommendations, determine any further corrective action for the staff member, and give counsel about responding with care and compassion toward the reporting victim as best as we are able. The advisory group is diverse across age, gender, and ethnicity and includes both staff leaders and non-staff leaders. It is trauma informed, and includes an individual with significant social work/counseling experience.
Third-Party Investigation: Purpose & Scope
Our intention in employing a third-party is to ensure we properly respond to this situation in a manner that protects and respects all involved, pursues truth and justice, and provides a credible process that is consistent with Christian integrity.
VC contracted with the third party to review a disputed verbal harassment allegation by an adult volunteer against a pastoral staff member. In addition to investigating the incident itself, VC also asked that they review the quality of the church’s response once the allegation was made, the specific approach and response with the reporting victim, suggesting recommendations for policy and training improvements to proactively develop a safer and more responsive church culture.
Our Guiding Principles
WE BELIEVE WHEN SOMEONE REPORTS | Our first principle is that our first instinct should be to believe when someone reports. We immediately respond by elevating the situation as appropriate, taking the report seriously, and being intentional to offer care and compassion to the reporting individual. The report finds that these values and processes were followed when a pastoral staff member first learned of the situation.
CARE & COMPASSION | As followers of Jesus, we are committed to responding with care and compassion in any sort of reporting situation. Care and compassion mean that we ensure individuals have voice and agency in these processes, that they are invited into conversations about appropriate remedy, and that we remain in a humble posture of welcome and connection. Care and compassion mean we treat one another with dignity and respect, and we treat others how we’d want to be treated.
TRANSPARENCY | We are committed to clear, honest, and immediate communication in appropriate spaces. We immediately communicate to our leadership teams; we involve outside parties if necessary; and we share what we can as openly as we are able to while also respecting the confidentiality of individuals while making space for due diligence.
DUE DILIGENCE | We are committed to a thorough and unbiased investigation of allegations. Due diligence should be trauma-informed, follow best practices, involve outside support, and when necessary, should be communicated transparently, all while operating with care and compassion to all. A process of due diligence will not always yield clarity, in which case we follow a principle of proportionality when discerning our response.
PROPORTIONALITY | Consequences to reported allegations should be proportional. In the case of a single accusation of verbal harassment, along with an absence of a history or pattern of harassment, and in accordance with an absence of confirming evidence following an independent investigation, our proportional response involves significant corrective action and developmental objectives but does not amount to dismissal or disqualification from ministry.
Third-Party Report & Findings
The third-party submitted a draft final report to us in December 2022. The report was unable to confirm the allegations and offered an inconclusive finding regarding the accusation of verbal harassment.
Even so, while the VC Pastor consistently disputed the specific allegation, the pastor fully took responsibility and ownership for several significant contributing factors: lack of professionalism including not following church policy when traveling, not immediately self-reporting nor removing themselves from a situation where he was inadvertently alone with another individual while traveling, and consuming alcohol.
Vineyard Columbus has four stages of engagement in this situation: development, discipline, dismissal, or disqualification. Upon review of the report’s findings and its recommendations, our advisory group has concluded that the report does not disqualify the staff member involved from pastoral ministry at Vineyard Columbus. Upon the completion of an intensive review, the third party makes no such recommendation in their report. Our staff member remains on a long-term corrective action plan that is significant and consequential.
Response to the Report’s Recommendations
The third-party report evaluated our organizational climate, structures, and policies and acknowledged many areas that VC was aligned with their best practices. They also made recommendations to VC for improvement that we have begun working on. Our advisory group recommended that a leadership team be appointed to immediately address and respond to the recommendations received.
The leadership team assigned to respond to the recommendations reports to our Coordinating Team, which is the leadership body of the church, along with our Church Council. This team has conducted a line-by-line review of and response to the recommendations. (The majority of recommendations have to do with adding to existing written policy, developing training, and refining processes.)
Beyond the recommendations, VC performed a broader review of culture, organization, and decision-making structure of the particular staff and ministry team to ensure that our teams are set up in balanced, healthy ways, and adjusted where necessary.
Vineyard Columbus’ Pastoral Response Summary
Faith Institutions have had significant well-documented and very public moral failings in recent years, especially due to protecting high profile Christian leaders. These are not only 'failures', they are actual sins committed against vulnerable individuals... and they are sins that have damaging impact on far too many. This has also done damage to the reputation of Christ and to church credibility. Tragically, this has also derailed many earnest Christ-followers who are rightly and deeply grieved by overt hypocrisy and abuse.
Because of this reality, Vineyard Columbus has gone to great lengths in recent years to build systems and processes to protect and respond to potential victims. In this current matter, it was due to the discernment by one of our pastors who heard indications of a potential concern who ultimately alerted leadership and initiated our investigative processes. After reviewing the matter, we jointly invited the volunteer and pastor to engage with us in a third-party process to investigate the report and evaluate if the incident was possibly larger than first reported.
In summary, after 8 months of review, dozens of interviews by experts who review and assess misconduct in Christian organizations - the report's findings were inconclusive and did not extend beyond the single incident of a disputed complaint of verbal harassment. It’s important to clarify, no physical harassment was ever mentioned, implied, nor discovered.
An inconclusive report leaves us in a difficult tension between two important principles: First, we believe reporting victims and choose to respond as if the report is accurate. Second, we value robust processes and due diligence. In this case of an accusation that is verbal in nature, and without prior history, the inability of an independent third party to confirm misconduct has informed our response(s) and how we are navigating these tensions.
At the same time, while the VC Pastor consistently disputed the specific allegation, the pastor fully took responsibility and ownership for several significant contributing factors: lack of professionalism including not following church policy when traveling, not immediately self-reporting nor removing themselves from a situation where he was inadvertently alone with another individual while traveling, and consuming alcohol.
Vineyard Columbus has four stages of engagement in this situation: development, discipline, dismissal, or disqualification. Upon review of the report’s findings and its recommendations, our advisory group has concluded that the report does not disqualify the staff member involved from pastoral ministry at Vineyard Columbus. Upon the completion of an intensive review, the third party makes no such recommendation in their report. Our staff member does remain on a long-term corrective action plan that is significant and consequential.
Initial Post & Process Updates | Report of Misconduct, Summer 2022
June 2022
Some of the many things we value at Vineyard Columbus are transparency and honesty. For that reason, we want to share an important update with you. (Further updates will be added below; please scroll to the bottom for the most recent post.)
We take any report of misconduct very seriously and we have a specific protocol for dealing with situations of complaint or accusation. This step-by-step process allows us to investigate any report in a way that is fair, non-biased and that respects the rights of everyone involved.
We are currently using this protocol in response to an incident brought to our attention by an adult volunteer involving a member of the pastoral staff. We have hired an independent third-party to conduct an inquiry. Both parties involved are aware of this and welcome it.
Our intention in employing a third-party is to ensure we properly respond to this situation in a manner that protects and respects all involved, pursues truth and justice, and provides a credible process that is consistent with ministry integrity.
Out of respect for the ongoing inquiry and for the individuals involved, we are not sharing more information at this time. Please bring questions or concerns directly to our Executive Pastor, Daniel Nathan.
We will share more details as necessary and appropriate. As always, if you would like to report a separate or related concern, you can do so at vineyardcolumbus.org/report.
Overview:
- Vineyard Columbus began addressing the incident as soon as we were made aware (June 2022).
- Upon being notified, Vineyard Columbus immediately initiated our reporting protocol.
- Vineyard Columbus took corrective action with the pastor involved, as appropriate.
- Vineyard Columbus provided pastoral care as appropriate.
- Vineyard Columbus is utilizing a third-party to ensure we properly respond to this complaint in a manner that protects and respects all involved, pursues truth and justice, and provides a credible process that is consistent with ministry integrity.
- We were provided with a confidential draft report and are currently in further dialogue and mediation with the third party to address several modifications we requested to be made prior to their publishing the final report.
- We have established an Advisory Group that has been gathering to review the draft report, the third party’s recommendations, determine any further corrective action for the staff member, and give counsel about responding with care and compassion toward the reporting victim as best as we are able. The advisory group is diverse across age, gender, and ethnicity and includes both staff leaders and non-staff leaders. It is trauma informed, and includes an individual with significant social work/counseling experience.
If you have any questions, please contact our Executive Pastor, Daniel Nathan.
Further updates have been added below.
Update | 21 December 2022
Vineyard was informed that a draft of the third party report would be distributed to VC by Thursday 22 December. Input from those involved is due no later than 13 January, after which time the third-party organization will finalize and release the final version. We expect the report will review the original complaint, address the issues in question, and offer recommendations to Vineyard regarding actions taken.
An Advisory Group has been gathered to review the report, the recommendations, and to give counsel regarding next steps. That group is diverse across age, gender, and ethnicity and includes both staff leaders and non-staff leaders. It is trauma informed, and includes an individual with significant social work/counseling experience. The goal for this group is to help us to respond with care and compassion, appropriate transparency, and to ensure a process of due diligence. They will also help inform our responses to any recommendations made in the report.
As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact Daniel Nathan, Executive Pastor.
Update | 10 January 2023
Since the new year, members of our advisory group reviewed the confidential draft report thoroughly. That group then met twice to together discuss the report and its findings and recommendations, to ask for clarifications, and to give counsel regarding our response to the draft. The group also gave initial input to the recommendations in the report and also regarding any necessary next steps. A meeting with the third party to review the draft is scheduled for later this week, and will involve a discussion about any factual errors in the report, and remaining ambiguities or needed clarifications that need to be followed up on prior to a finalized report being issued.
Update | 31 January 2023
VC leaders met in January with the third party to discuss some concerns with the draft report, and to request several modifications before publishing the final report. VC has asked for further dialogue and mediation to fully address these concerns. We deeply regret that the third party would not immediately address these issues, as we recognize that further delays in the process are difficult for all, especially the reporting victim.
Even though we do not yet have a final report, the advisory group continues to engage with VC’s leadership and together we are reviewing and determining next steps regarding the third party's recommendations from the draft report and preparing a thorough response and explanation that will be posted here. Additionally, the advisory group is engaged with determining any further corrective action for the staff member and advising about responding with care and compassion toward the reporting victim as best as we are able.
We remain committed to care and compassion, transparency, and allowing for a process of due diligence. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Daniel Nathan, Executive Pastor.
Update | 20 May 2023
Vineyard Columbus continues to be in contact with the third-party reporting agency to conclude the overall investigative process. We have not received the final report and await final edits. This delay has been unfortunate for us and our efforts to finalize and conclude this important process.
While we don't have the final report in hand, Vineyard Columbus has been taking deliberate steps to further ensure safety for all in our campuses. We have established a working team this year to review workplace policies and trainings, and make recommendations to our senior leadership.
Conclusion | 20 December 2023
Vineyard Columbus has concluded all investigative processes with the third-party reporting agency we employed to investigate a 2022 harassment allegation against a staff member. The third-party independent investigation into the claim has concluded following dozens of interviews, along with a deep dive into the personal histories and past work experiences of those involved.
Conclusion: The investigation was unable to confirm the specific allegation, nor did it uncover any pattern of harassment or misconduct.
While the originally reported allegation was unconfirmed, there were other behaviors that crossed appropriate and healthy boundaries between staff and volunteers. That conduct was disciplined, and significant coaching, discipleship, and personal development was required for the staff member involved (and will be ongoing).
Moving forward, Vineyard Columbus has assigned a team to continue to review and develop stronger internal processes, introduce further training and development, and deepen our culture of care and responsiveness for survivors.
If you have further questions, please contact Daniel.Nathan@vineyardcolumbus.org.