‘Sacred spaces’: Restoring safety and trust in faith communities

This plenary address explores the critical challenges faced by faith communities when engaging with younger generations, in light of declining institutional trust, prevalent sexual abuse, and the Church’s response to these issues. Drawing on over two decades of experience serving among sexually expl...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Baker, Andrea Toledo (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Missiology
Year: 2025, Volume: 53, Issue: 1, Pages: 44-60
IxTheo Classification:AH Religious education
NBN Ecclesiology
RF Christian education; catechetics
Further subjects:B institutional trust
B Sexual Abuse
B Church Leadership
B Youth engagement
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This plenary address explores the critical challenges faced by faith communities when engaging with younger generations, in light of declining institutional trust, prevalent sexual abuse, and the Church’s response to these issues. Drawing on over two decades of experience serving among sexually exploited persons in Bolivia through Project Suma, the address highlights the disconnection between the Church and the vulnerable. Emphasizing the need for humility, integrity, and authenticity in Christian leadership, the address advocates for a return to Kingdom values as a means of restoring safety, trust, and relevance within faith communities. By examining the barriers to church engagement and proposing actionable steps, the address seeks to inspire a vision where youth are actively involved in and contribute to the thriving of the Church.
ISSN:2051-3623
Contains:Enthalten in: Missiology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/00918296241309314