To the Editor:

My heart sank and tears flowed when I read that our county Legislators voted not to protect children as they voted not to support the CARE Act at their August meeting. I cannot imagine the betrayal and heartbreak so many who have suffered so much must feel.

Much of what follows was in a letter I sent in the form of an email to the St. Lawrence County Legislators through Ogdensburg area representative, Joseph Lightfoot, prior to their vote on the CARE Act on August 14, 2023.

At the age of six I heard God’s call to teach people to love one another and have been serving God through the church all of my life. In 1991 I received my Master’s in Divinity from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I have been an ordained clergy person for 32 years and in all of that time have considered myself a mandated reporter of abuse. I currently serve in the First Presbyterian Church of Ogdensburg, NY and have always served within the state of New York.

When I was in Seminary, working on my master’s degree, I took many courses on healthy behavior and creating healthy congregations. I believe that God calls us to create safe space for all in our communities and congregations. The reality is that those who abuse, more often than not, repeat that behavior even after confession within the pastor/parishioner relationship. There are nation-wide statistics that are accessible through the world of psychotherapy and counseling, that show this over and over. Certified counselors work to help those who are perpetrators in ways that, frankly, clergy are not qualified to do and still the recidivism rate is very high. This means that when clergy are not mandated reporters there are more and more victims. There are folks in this moment today, confessing and continuing to victimize.

Within the confines of the clergy/parishioner relationship I am clear with folks that in order to stop the cycle, get the help the perpetrator truly needs, and move forward in healthy ways keeping everyone safe, I must report them. If a person is truly repentant and wants healing, they are willing for their victims to heal and they are willing to be accountable. This is all within the scope of the love and grace of God.

It is imperative that clergy be required to report known physical and sexual abuse when it is brought to our attention. It is faithfully best for all concerned, and vital to stopping the cycle so victims can begin to heal. For us to have the legal option to look the other way is an injustice to our congregants, who entrust us with their care and believe that faith-based organizations are safe spaces.

I personally counted on our legislators to do the right thing. I counted on them to hold us, all clergy, responsible for doing our jobs properly. We must change the horrific past that allowed clergy to look the other way or believe that they had the power to absolve abusers of their accountability to their victims. We have a responsibility to keep the children in our North Country communities safe. Like other community leaders, we must serve the community by stopping the cycle of abuse.

The Reverend Laurena Marie Wickham Will
Ogdensburg