Faith Committee

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Goal: FVTFs should assign a committee to engage the faith communities in their jurisdiction. The committee should engage members of all faiths represented in their community.

Objectives:

  1. FVTFs should provide training to local faith community on the dynamics of domestic violence, including how batterers use faith as a tool of victimization. GCFV has developed a Safe Sacred Space training guide for FVTFs to train their faith communities. The training guide includes tips on conducting a successful training, as well as a training outline with a suggested script. 
  2. After the training, the committee should work with the faith communities to develop a protocol for how a faith community should respond to a victim of domestic violence, and how they can hold batterers accountable. Protocol could include the following but is not limited to:
  • How clergy should respond to a victim of DV (provide resources for local DV agency within the protocol).
  • Information informing clergy that couples counseling for a victim of DV could cause more harm to the victim.
  • Encourage clergy to present sermons, messages, and informative documents about DV.
  1. FVTF members should consistently evaluate the effect and impact the protocols have on family violence victims.
  2. Invite members of the faith community to become members of the FVTF, and serve on FVTF committees. 

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