Responding to Abuse on the Mission Field

This 2-hour course equips missionaries, mission leaders, and sending churches to recognize and respond to abuse and exploitation within mission-field contexts with clarity, care, and accountability. Drawing on GRACE's work in international investigations, trauma-informed practice, and power-aware safeguarding principles, we will examine why mission settings can intensify vulnerability—through isolation, cultural and language barriers, dependency on visas or funding, spiritual authority dynamics, and limited access to trusted reporting pathways. Participants will learn practical steps for prevention and response. The goal is to strengthen safety for missionaries and their families as well as for the communities they serve, by prioritizing truth-telling, dignity, and responsible action in complex cross-cultural environments.