Illinois and Indiana Resources

WINGS Note: The author expressly requested that this information only be shared verbally or in printed form and not electronically. However, WINGS believes that attitude of secrecy is inappropriate and not the best way to protect children from CSA.

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From: Peggy Jansen [Email redacted]
Date:  May 1, 2023 at 11:26:05 AM CDT
To: Peggy Jansen [Email redacted],
       Leah Klepzig [Email redacted]

Dear Friends,

In general, this is a letter Matt [Jensen] has sent to us to send to the friends in our fields.

You will find three attachments included in this letter.

The first document is self-explanatory.  The second document is somewhat of an appendix to the first, detailing contact information within Illinois and Indiana, rather than Washington State.  The third contains more Child Sexual Assault information.

Due to the inappropriate behavior of some people in some other states, our attention has been brought again to the subject of child abuse within our fellowship.  I feel like it would be beneficial to write to you about this subject.

Some people have wondered what the workers in Illinois and Indiana are doing to make ourselves more aware of this subject.  All of the workers in the Eastern States and Provinces are required to take the MinistrySafe Awareness Training every two years.  This has been done for over ten years.  Most of the active Illinois/Indiana workers took the training again this past February, and as of April 25, all the active workers in Illinois/Indiana have completed the training. 

In addition to MinistrySafe training, some workers attended a sensitivity meeting approximately ten to twelve years ago.  Appropriate, interpersonal boundaries were discussed.  The gleanings were shared with all the staffs in the Eastern States and Provinces.  Some of the workers have also attended multi-hour workshops to better understand our responsibilities as reporters of abuse and neglect.

Child abuse of any nature is a crime.  Clergy are mandated reporters in the state of Illinois.  Everyone is a mandated reporter in Indiana.  It is against the law to not report, if there is a reasonable cause to suspect.  Reporting can seem daunting, but the goal is that victims would get help as soon as possible.  The other goal is that the behavior of the perpetrator would be stopped, and that they would also get professional help.

We encourage you to read and understand the attached documents.  We encourage you to take the MinistrySafe Awareness Training.  We encourage parents to take the MinistrySafe Parent Training.  We encourage you to understand your role in reporting abuse.  I believe awareness will foster a safer environment for all, and will minimize the risk of this happening.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to any of us on the Illinois and Indiana staff.

Please honor my request that you not forward this email, nor the attachments electronically.  Please do not share this message on social media platforms.  If you wish to verbally share what is written here, feel free.  If you wish to print the attached documents and share them that way, feel free.

And the workers in both Indiana and Illinois will be sharing these documents with those in their fields.

Peggy Jansen
[Address redacted]
Wilmette,IL 60091
[Phone redacted]