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| author | Valerie Denise Pyles |
| title | Theological Responses To Sex Offenders: How The Faith-Based Community Can Assist in The Reduction of Sex Offender Recidivism |
| abstract |
Many faith based communities are being faced with the controversial issue of allowing the recovering/registered sex offender access to congregational
membership at the risk of jeopardizing the welfare of the rest of the Body of Christ. As a result, this project was designed in response to the integration
of sex offenders within the faith based community. However, realizing that there are two sides, the victim and the offender, I have discovered it even more
advantageous to focus on the development of policies and procedures that would allow recovering/registered sex offenders access to faith based communities
while simultaneously safeguarding the entire congregation through "careful grace". Thus, this particular context of the inclusion of recovering/registered
sex offenders within the faith based community resulted in the development of a manual made available to the leaders of First Baptist Church of South Orange.
With this purpose in mind, I endeavored to implement training and, some day, to launch a new phase of ministry that will address the congregation's hospitality
towards this population. The manual recommends a type of collaborative and innovative approach to doing ministry while protecting the faith based community's
children, youth and vulnerable adults - simultaneously allowing those who had or were alleged to have committed a sexual offense to its services, activities,
and facilities with limited access. The project specifically utilized the First Baptist Church of South Orange as its case study in partnership with other
faith based communities, professionals and experts in the field that would also leave room for repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation in the face of
justice over mercy.
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| school | The Theological School, Drew University |
| degree | D.Min. (2019) |
| advisors | William Presnell
Donna Ciangio |
| full text | VDPyles.pdf |
| |
