This page relates to the PRC's use of Guidepost to carry out a third party investigation of sexual abuse in the PRC.
UPDATE - March 31, 2024
The Ad Hoc Committee of Synod 2023 reports that it is deactivating the Guidepost hotline (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) effective April 5, 2024. The reasoning is that after this date Guidepost will be unable to investigate and report on information collected through the hotline in time to meet the deadline for the synodical report. Instead of using funds for the hotline, the committee has directed Guidepost to focus on compiling and distributing reports to consistories. The hotline may be reactivated in the future depending on the decisions of Synod 2024.
UPDATE - January 21, 2024:
Guidepost Solutions has reported to the Ad Hoc Committee that there was an excellent response rate to the survey and hotline. There were almost 1,300 survey participants, of which 26% have agreed to follow-up interviews. Through the hotline, Guidepost has received reports from 29 individuals, of which 72% have agreed to follow-up interviews. Anyone who still desires to report on sexual abuse may use the hotline (mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). This will be open throughout the duration of the investigation. Guidepost is presently busy with the interviewing process and prioritization of the cases.
UPDATE - December 10, 2023:
The Ad Hoc Committee (PRC Synod 2023) reports that Guidepost is presently evaluating the survey results and estimates that it will take two weeks to compile data and report to the committee. The committee’s mandate is to discuss with Guidepost the priority of investigations going forward. The committee expresses its sincere gratitude for all who have submitted surveys and responded via the hotline. Although the survey has ended, the hotline (mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) will be open throughout the duration of the investigation.
Original Notice - November 3, 2023
As we have previously communicated on October 8, 2023, the synodical Ad Hoc Committee has engaged Guidepost Solutions (“Guidepost”), a global leader in organizational compliance and monitoring to work with us to receive and investigate reports of all sexual abuse committed by current or former members (including officebearers) of the PRCA, uncover patterns of sexual abuse in our churches that can be identified to help PRCA consistories better understand the nature of sexual abuse, and uncover general patterns of how consistories have responded to reports of sexual abuse to assess and better understand how we identify and handle allegations of sexual misconduct including sexual abuse. Guidepost has several skilled and trauma-informed practitioners who work specifically with faith-based organizations to help in investigating sexual abuse, assessing systems and developing healthy faith communities regarding issues around sexual abuse.
For the first phase of the engagement (the second being an investigation phase), Guidepost will make available an anonymous reporting mechanism via email where allegations and reports of sexual misconduct relative to the PRCA can be made. These reports are not limited to those associated with PRCA churches. This reporting email may also be used to report allegations of sexual misconduct related to PRCA affiliated schools, events, young people’s conventions, young adult retreats and other organizations of the PRCA such as the Protestant Reformed Theological School. Any concerns or allegations of current or previous abuse relative to the PRCA can be reported to Guidepost at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Reporters who provide information to this hotline will not be identified to the PRCA without their specific permission. If a reporter chooses confidentiality by not disclosing their identity in this hotline, there may be limitations on any effective investigation by Guidepost. This hotline will be available throughout the duration of the investigation.
In addition to the above-mentioned email address, Guidepost will also be gathering feedback from both current and past congregants through an anonymous survey. This survey will ask questions relative to the existence and reporting of any abuse allegations. While the survey will be anonymous, there will be a section available where survey takers can identify themselves and request further contact with Guidepost. Any follow up discussions with Guidepost will be confidential. The survey will be open from Monday, November 13 through Friday, December 1. The link to the survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PRCA_Survey and is also available on the PRCA website. As with the survey and the hotline reports, interviews conducted as part of any investigation or logical follow-up will be done by Guidepost, and the identities of those interviewed will be confidential.
As Guidepost does its work, it will communicate general comments, questions, concerns, or requests back to the Ad Hoc Committee. The committee will provide you further updates as the efforts get underway and look forward to your participation and cooperation.
Some may be wondering: who may or should fill out the survey? Generally, any current or former member of the PRCA can and is encouraged to fill out the survey. Part of the work of Guidepost is to provide an assessment of the PRCA’s understanding and handling of sexual abuse, which is informed in part by the response of a sampling of members associated with the PRCA. Certain questions in the survey are geared generally toward understanding the culture of the PRCA concerning sexual abuse.
Specifically and especially, the survey and hotline are for anyone to report sexual abuse or the mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse. In the past several years, the Lord has brought to light the sin and evil of sexual abuse in the PRCA. This third-party investigation is to help the PRCA truly reckon with its past by providing a safe way for anyone to report sexual abuse that has taken place in the PRCAthroughout her history. Not only is this for current members of the PRCA, but we desire also to reach those who may no longer be members. Some have left the PRCA on account of being sexually abused by those whom they trusted or because of an improper response by the church to their abuse. We desire to show the compassion of Christ to you in your suffering and to address the sins perpetrated against you in a just manner. And so we strongly desire you to use this survey and Guidepost to accomplish those ends. Therefore, we urge current members of the PRCA to share this survey link with any family, friends, or acquaintances who were in the PRCA at one time. We pray that God will use this as a means to help purify and fight against this evil in our denomination.
The Ad Hoc Committee, Synod 2023