New policy established Oct. 15, 2020 – voted on and approved by the Cornerstone board of elders.

Note:  This policy addresses cases of suspected dishonesty, misconduct or fraud by a Cornerstone leader or church member. For general complaints and concerns—such as personal grievances, issues of theology, a church decision or practice, or a leader’s character—see the Complaint Resolution Policy. For claims of sexual abuse or harassment, see the “Love Listens” Policy.

This policy addresses cases of suspected misconduct, dishonesty or fraud by elders, leaders, employees, or members of Cornerstone Community Church and gives guidance on the appropriate response. 

Two commitments are foundational to the Whistleblower policy:

First, Cornerstone is committed to maintaining honesty and integrity in all of its dealings, both within the church and externally. As a church we are committed to remain above reproach, and we expect our leaders and members to have the same commitment.

Second, Cornerstone is committed to deterring, detecting, and correcting all instances of dishonesty or misconduct. We purpose to protect innocent parties and take disciplinary action against offenders. Disciplinary measures could include exposure and reproof before the church, referral to law enforcement officials, recovery of assets, and dismissal, among other measures.

Scope

This policy applies to all manner of dishonesty, misconduct or fraud involving leaders or members of the church. This would include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Actions in violation of church policy
• Theft or misappropriation of church property or assets
• Intentional misstatements or other irregularities in church records
• Incorrect financial reporting
• Misuse of church resources
• Violation of any federal, state, or local law, rule or regulation
• Immoral or unbiblical activities

Cornerstone explicitly prohibits these and any other dishonest, fraudulent or illegal behavior by its elders, church staff, volunteer staff, and others bearing responsibility for ministry or administrative functions in the church.

Procedure

1. Reporting a concern.  Every Cornerstone member has the responsibility of reporting suspected misconduct, dishonesty, or fraud within the church. Concerns should be set forth in writing, specifying details of names, times, places, and actions. The written report should be directed to one of the Cornerstone pastors, who will normally share it with the other pastors.

2. Investigating the concern.  The pastors will develop a plan for investigating the complaint, typically including an interview with the accused, along with appropriate witnesses and any relevant evidence. The investigative team will make reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality of the complainant.

3. Report to complainant.  The investigative team will inform the complainant of the plan and time frame for investigating the complaint.

4. Disciplinary action.  At the conclusion of the investigation, the Cornerstone pastors will determine what corrective or disciplinary action is appropriate.

Safeguards

The following safeguards are designed to protect any individual who reports a violation:

No retaliation.  Any member of the church who in good faith reports a violation shall be protected from harassment or retaliation of any kind. A leader, employee, or member who retaliates will be subject to disciplinary action. This safeguard is meant to encourage a victim or witness to raise concerns within the church before seeking resolution outside the church.

Confidentiality.  Violations or suspected violations may be reported either in confidence or anonymously. Reports of violations, including the complainant’s identity, will be kept confidential to the extent consistent with the need for an adequate investigation. Documentation related to a reported violation and its investigation will be maintained in confidential files, with access allowed only on a need-to-know basis or as required by law.

Anonymous allegations.  As a rule, complainants are expected to put their names to allegations to allow for adequate investigation. Concerns submitted anonymously will be investigated if warranted by the seriousness of the issue raised, its credibility, and the likelihood of confirming the allegation through other sources or witnesses.

Nothing in this document should be construed as an attempt by Cornerstone Community Church or its leaders to engage in the practice of law. The information contained in this document is for general guidance on matters of interest only. As such, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional legal or other competent advisers.

New policy established Oct. 15, 2020 – voted on and approved by the Cornerstone board of elders.

Note:  This policy addresses general complaints and concerns a Cornerstone member might have. For cases of suspected dishonesty, misconduct or fraud by a Cornerstone leader or church member, see the Whistleblower Policy. For claims of sexual abuse or harassment, see the “Love Listens” Policy.

This policy rests on a key commitment:  Cornerstone is committed to providing an environment in which people can speak freely. The elders/pastors strive to be good listeners, not defensive, judgmental, or dismissive in response to a member sharing his or her view. Also, this policy offers different options for communicating a complaint or concern. The hope is that if a member is uncomfortable with one channel of communication, a different channel may prove more workable. Throughout the process, confidentiality and care for people remain the priority.

Scope

This policy applies to diverse complaints and concerns focusing on Cornerstone or one or more of its leaders. These concerns could include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Concern about a teaching or point of theology
• Disagreement with a church decision or practice
• Concern about a leader’s character or behavior
• A personal grievance of any kind

Options

Cornerstone offers three options for communicating a complaint or concern.

1. Talk directly to the pastor or leader.  This is the preferred option, in keeping with Matthew 18:15. Realistically, however, some members may feel intimidated approaching a pastor with a criticism or complaint—hence the following additional options.  
2. Talk to another pastor.  In the case where a member has a complaint against a pastor but is uncomfortable communicating directly to that pastor, the member can contact another pastor in the church to communicate the complaint.
3. Talk to a designated Advocate. Cornerstone will maintain a team of Advocates who are available to hear complaints and concerns. The Advocates must be approachable, empathetic and discreet men and women available to listen to concerns members may have regarding the church or one of its pastors. A member uncomfortable approaching a pastor with a complaint or concern can arrange to meet with one of the Advocates. (Note:  The Advocates also serve as the contact point for complaints of sexual impropriety or harassment—see the “Love Listens” Policy.)

Meeting with an Advocate

The Advocate will assure the member that his or her concerns will remain confidential, with these exceptions:

• As mandated by law
• To prevent a clear and immediate danger to any person
• In the context of a civil, criminal or disciplinary action arising from the meeting with the Listener where the Listener is a defendant
• For the purpose of supervision or consultation

The goal of meeting with an Advocate is to help resolve the member’s concerns. Following this meeting the member can choose one of four options:

1. No further action. The member may meet with the Advocate for the purpose of prayer and counsel and thereby settle the concern. If the member sees no need for further action, then confidentiality is promised. However, the Advocate may think that the member should pursue additional steps. In this case, the Advocate can ask the member to meet with a mutually agreed-upon third person for further discussion of the concern. If the member declines or if, after meeting with the third party, chooses not to take additional steps, then confidentiality will remain in force, with the exceptions listed above.
2. Talk with the pastor or leader in question. After meeting with the Advocate, the member may choose to meet directly with the pastor to pursue resolution or reconciliation. The Advocate would offer to be present at such a meeting, and the meeting location would be the member’s choice. The expectation is that the pastor would respond with empathy and humility at such a meeting. If the meeting fails to resolve the concern, then the matter would be brought before a mutually agreed upon third party or before the elders of the church.
3. Talk with another pastor. After meeting with the Advocate, the member may choose to talk with another pastor in the church to seek help in resolving the concern. The Advocate would offer to be present  at such a meeting.
4. Extend permission to use information in confidence. After meeting with the Advocate, the member may choose to allow the Advocate to share the member’s concerns with the leader in question or with another leader in the church, without revealing the member’s identity.

New policy established January 15, 2020 – voted on and approved by the Cornerstone board of elders.

This policy, referred to as the “Love Listens” policy, addresses possible sexual abuse or harassment claims at Cornerstone Community Church. In American churches, many women have been sexually abused by men in positions of power. Cornerstone believes it is important to establish this policy to address two priorities: 

(1) Listening carefully and respectfully to women making a claim against a man in leadership.

(2) Moving forward decisively alongside these women.

The “Love Listens” policy applies particularly to accusations against an elder/pastor at Cornerstone, but the same process can be applied to sexual harassment or abuse accusations against other church members where the alleged incident occurs at a church function.

The following six observations are the foundation for the “Love Listens” policy:

First, Cornerstone acknowledges that, while our leaders strive to live godly lives, if not walking in the Spirit they can be susceptible to temptation and behave in ways that cause harm. In the realm of sexual behavior, harmful conduct would include inappropriate and unwelcome sexual comments, touching, or expressions of sexual intention. Such behavior is clearly unacceptable for anyone in church leadership.

Second, Cornerstone is committed to listen to any woman (or man, or minor) who has been exposed to any of the sexual behaviors listed above. In any such incident, we want the person affected to be able to come forward to report what happened and identify the leader or leaders at fault.

Third, Cornerstone must balance the priority of listening to women affected by such behavior with a desire to act biblically towards both the injured and accused parties. We recognize that, in a small minority of cases, a woman may make false accusations against a leader. We have concluded that all complaints must be properly listened to. Otherwise, legitimate complaints will not be properly listened to. 

Fourth, the bylaws of Cornerstone and/or our church association (Great Commission Churches) stipulate an established procedure for removing a leader for cause. No person is above the law.

Fifth, it is well documented that when a leader acts inappropriately, often it is part of a pattern. By establishing a procedure for listening to accusations of inappropriate behavior, we hope to identify any pattern as soon as possible. The Scripture calls for accusations against an elder to be confirmed by two or three witnesses (1Timothy 5:19), but the two or three need not have witnessed the same occurrence. To identify a pattern, it is important that all who have suffered harm come forward.

Sixth, women often are unwilling to come forward with an accusation unless they can report it to other women. Since accusations of abuse are usually made by women, the initial point of contact for properly addressing these accusations should be other women.

“Love Listens” Policy Details

In the policy details that follow, the term Injured Party refers to a person making a sexual harassment claim against church leadership. The term Accused refers to the church leader accused of improper behavior. The Advocates are women appointed by church leadership to receive reports or accusations of sexual harassment. The Advocates must be of esteemed character at Cornerstone and not the spouse of any current elder/pastor in the church. At any given time at least two women should be serving as Advocates.

Sexual harassment includes, by definition, any of the following:  inappropriate and unwelcome sexual comments, touching, or expressions of sexual intention.

Our procedure is as follows:

1. Upon learning of an incident of sexual harassment, any member of the church may bring the matter to the attention of the Advocates.
2. The Advocates will meet with the Injured Party and listen to the accusation thoroughly and respectfully.
3. The Advocates will bring the matter to the attention of the elders. The Advocates will have discretion concerning the order in which individual elders are informed of the accusation.         Exception:  The elders will not get involved if the Injured Party is the current spouse of the Accused; accusations of this type are to be resolved by other means.
4. The board of elders will investigate the matter, speaking to both parties and keeping detailed notes on their interviews and conclusions for legal purposes. The elders’ goals after hearing from both sides are as follows:  healing for each party; reconciliation between the two; protection of the church; and biblical correction of any offending leader, including any disciplinary measures deemed appropriate. In some cases the board may need to obtain the services of an attorney and/or speak with the church insurance provider. 
5. The board of elders may choose to ask the congregation for corroborating input—for example, by publicly stating, “An accusation has been received; please contact ____ (a member of the board of elders) if you know something.” The board should be alert for a pattern to emerge, but this does not mean that an incident must repeat itself before action is taken.
6. Upon making a decision (which may take time), the board of elders will inform the Injured Party of its decision through the Advocates.
7. Whatever comes of the accusation, let all things be done in love to both parties.

Note:  The following additional points apply where the Accused is someone in the church other than an elder-pastor:

• In the unlikely event that an accusation is made against an Advocate, any member of the church can bring the matter directly to a member of the board of elders. The board will then appoint a contact person for the Injured Party.
• If the accusation is brought by a minor, one of the Advocates should be the point of contact where possible. An Advocate may be approached by the minor or by a parent or guardian of the minor. Communication with a minor should occur through a parent or guardian where possible. The church should comply with legal requirements for reporting to civil authorities.