The Holland Classis Sexual Harassment Care Team is a group of dedicated and trained volunteers who offer their time, compassion and wisdom to come alongside persons who have experienced some form of sexual harassment or who are being accused of harassing someone within the context of one of the Holland RCA churches. The services of the Care Team are available to all persons who consider themselves to be victims of sexual harassment that may have occurred within the context of the church, to persons accused of harassment within the bounds of the church, or to individuals who need more information. Team members are open to conferring with persons who have questions about sexual harassment. The team limits its services to persons within the context of the Reformed Church in America in the Holland MI area.
Each Holland Classis congregation is asked to appoint a volunteer to serve as the liaison contact between the church and Classis Care team. The local church office will likely be able to supply the name of its liaison. The liaison’s name/number may be listed in church publications. The services of the Care Team may also be accessed by contacting the Holland Classis office 394-0550 or send a message here.
The team leader for Sexual Harassment Care Team is Kristen Gray, an elder at Hope Church RCA. Other members of the team come from Calvary Reformed Church, Rose Park Reformed Church, First Reformed Church, Maplewood Reformed Church, and LifeQuest Ministries. The Care team leader may be contacted directly here.
When a person requests the services of the Care Team, Kristen will assist in matching the person requesting services with a member of the Care Team. Confidentiality is an important value which the Care Team holds. Identities of the service users will not be revealed outside of any official processes and never without the full knowledge and permission of the person.
We recognize that harassment incidents can leave one confused, embarrassed, and hurt. The team is not a legal service and will not represent victims or defendants in any judicial proceedings, whether in the church or in civil courts. The team is not a psychological service and will not provide psychotherapy or counseling. The work of the team is pastoral in nature; providing empathy, encouragement, and information to assist the person and to ensure that the person is not facing this difficult pathway alone.