IMA World Health on behalf of the WeWillSpeakOut.US campaign and Sojourners have just released a report detailing the attitudes of Protestant pastors in the United States on the issue of sexual and domestic violence (press release is below). The results are compelling and in some instances, troubling.
The telephone survey of 1,000 protestant pastors conducted by LifeWay Research found that an overwhelming majority of the faith leaders surveyed (75%) underestimate the level of sexual and domestic violence experienced within their congregations. Despite its prevalence in society, two out of three (66%) pastors speak one time a year or less about the issue, and when they do speak out, the poll suggests they may be providing support that does more harm than good.
The good news is that 80 percent of pastors said they would take appropriate action to reduce sexual and domestic violence if they had the training and resources to do so—revealing a great opportunity to turn this uncertain and unprepared group into powerful advocates for prevention, intervention and healing.
Access the report here.