During the weeks leading up to Annual Conference, we are sharing a series of articles focusing on the legislative items that will be brought to the annual conference session on June 5-7, 2026, in Bismarck, N.D. Clergy and lay members should attend one of the pre-conference webinars to be held on May 26, 27, 28, or 31 to learn more about the legislation.

This legislation emerges from a deep love for the Church and a belief that repair, restoration, and redemption remain possible within the Body of Christ and a desire to strengthen cultures of sacred trust, accountability, care, and healing across the life of the Church. Sacred trust is about preventing misconduct and modeling the responsibility of leaders and communities to protect the dignity, safety, agency, and belovedness of every person. 

The work proposed by this legislation is meant to support the mission of the Church by helping create communities where people are safer to serve, lead, worship, and belong, and helping the Church more fully reflect the beloved community God calls it to be. 

Church harm and trauma are often not isolated experiences but are compounded when systems fail to respond with wisdom, transparency, advocacy, and care. Because of this systemic reality, healing, accountability, and restoration must also be approached systemically. 

The creation of this Task Force allows space for thoughtful conversation, discernment, collaborative learning, and faithful reflection around sacred trust, trauma-informed leadership, clergy and laity wellness, restorative ministry practices, and healthy systems of support. Its purpose is not punitive, but formative and restorative — helping cultivate ministry environments grounded in accountability, grace, transparency, and care. 

Success in this work will not be measured solely by the absence of conflict, but by the presence of trust, dignity, safety, healing, and faithful covenantal relationships within the Church.

1.5 Sacred Trust and Trauma-Informed Leadership Task Force 

Title: Sacred Trust and Trauma-Informed Leadership Task Force 

Information submitted by: Rev. Kori Lehrkamp 

Action: Establishment of a Sacred Trust and Trauma-Informed Leadership Task Force to explore practices, systems, leadership formation, and resources that strengthen trust, accountability, supervision, clergy wellness, restorative care, and healthy ministry environments across the Dakotas Conference. They shall engage in listening, learning, consultation, and discernment related to sacred trust, church harm, trauma-informed leadership, restorative practices, and systems of support within the life of the conference. The Task Force shall be appointed within 90 days of the Annual Conference and shall bring recommendations, resources, and/or proposed actions to the 2027 Dakotas Annual Conference. The Task Force, in collaboration with the Resident Bishop and appropriate conference bodies, shall seek to support the timely integration of identified learnings, needs, and recommendations, including leadership formation, sacred trust training, and trauma-informed ministry practices. 

Financial impact: Minimal initial financial impact is anticipated. Resources could include: administrative and staff coordination support, meeting facilitation support, virtual meeting platforms or modest travel reimbursement if needed, access to consultants, trainers, or trauma-informed practitioners as appropriate, potential future investment in sacred trust and leadership formation resources. Any anticipated costs are expected to remain modest and manageable within existing conference leadership development, clergy wellness, or training budgets. This legislation represents proactive stewardship and faithful investment in the health, sustainability, and witness of the Church. 

Note: The Task Force shall function in a consultative and advisory capacity only and shall not exercise supervisory, judicial, investigative, or disciplinary authority reserved to other bodies under the Constitution and Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church.  

Rationale: This legislation emerges from a deep love for the Church and a belief that repair, restoration, and redemption remain possible within the Body of Christ. The Dakotas Annual Conference seeks to strengthen cultures of sacred trust, accountability, care, and healing across the life of the Church. Sacred trust is not limited to misconduct prevention alone but reflects the covenantal responsibility all leaders and communities share in protecting the dignity, safety, agency, and belovedness of every person. 

Church harm and trauma are often not isolated experiences but are compounded when systems fail to respond with wisdom, transparency, advocacy, and care. Research conducted through Rev. Kori Lehrkamp’s doctoral work and in consultation with COSROW revealed consistent themes of institutional betrayal, inadequate support structures, poor supervisory response, and fear of retaliation when concerns were raised. 

This legislation recognizes that if harm can become systemic, then healing, accountability, and restoration must also be approached systemically. 

The creation of this Task Force allows space for thoughtful conversation, discernment, collaborative learning, and faithful reflection around sacred trust, trauma-informed leadership, clergy and laity wellness, restorative ministry practices, and healthy systems of support. Its purpose is not punitive, but formative and restorative — helping cultivate ministry environments grounded in accountability, grace, transparency, and care. 

This work supports the mission of the Church by helping create communities where people are safer to serve, lead, worship, and belong, and helping the Church more fully reflect the beloved community God calls it to be. 

The expected result of this action is the strengthening and restoration of sacred trust across the Dakotas Conference through intentional reflection, collaborative discernment, leadership formation, and healthier systems of care and accountability. 

Potential outcomes include: 

• Greater awareness and understanding of sacred trust within leadership systems  
• Increased emphasis on trauma-informed and restorative ministry practices  
• Enhanced support systems for clergy and laity  
• Improved leadership training and formation opportunities  
• Healthier cultures of accountability, transparency, and care  
• Stronger trust within conference relationships and structures  
• Recommendations for future policies, practices, or leadership resources  

Success in this work will not be measured solely by the absence of conflict, but by the presence of trust, dignity, safety, healing, and faithful covenantal relationships within the Church. 

Legislation: 

WHEREAS, the Church is called to embody the love, justice, mercy, and healing of Jesus Christ and to “watch over one another in love” through covenantal accountability and sacred community; and 

WHEREAS, sacred trust is a shared covenantal responsibility rooted in dignity, integrity, mutual care, and the faithful stewardship of power within the Body of Christ; and 

WHEREAS, experiences of church harm and trauma—including emotional, spiritual, relational, and institutional harm—have impacted clergy and laity across the Church, often resulting in broken trust, isolation, vocational wounds, and barriers to discipleship and ministry; and 

WHEREAS, research conducted through a clergy doctoral project and in consultation with COSROW revealed recurring themes of institutional betrayal, inadequate support systems, misuse of authority, lack of trauma-informed leadership practices, and the need for healthier cultures of accountability and care; and 

WHEREAS, the Dakotas Annual Conference desires to strengthen systems that promote trust, restorative practices, clergy and laity wellness, transparency, healthy leadership, and faithful stewardship of relationships within the Church; therefore, 

BE IT RESOLVED that the Dakotas Annual Conference establish a Sacred Trust and Trauma-Informed Leadership Task Force to explore practices, systems, leadership formation, and resources that strengthen trust, accountability, supervision, clergy wellness, restorative care, and healthy ministry environments across the Dakotas Conference. 

The Task Force shall engage in listening, learning, consultation, and discernment related to sacred trust, church harm, trauma-informed leadership, restorative practices, and systems of support within the life of the conference. 

The Task Force will consult with conference leadership, the Cabinet, Board of Ordained Ministry, district leadership, Safe Sanctuaries leaders, clergy and laity, mental health professionals, and others as appropriate. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Bishop, in consultation with the Cabinet and appropriate conference leadership, shall appoint the Task Force within 90 days of Annual Conference approval. Membership should reflect diversity across the conference and may include:

• Clergy representatives
• Lay leaders
• Persons with lived experience of church harm and trauma
• Mental health professionals
• Safe Sanctuaries leaders
• District leadership
• Board of Ordained Ministry representatives
• Individuals experienced in restorative practices, leadership development, or clergy care.

The Task Force shall organize its own work, meeting schedule, and internal leadership structure. The Task Force, in collaboration with conference boards, agencies, commissions, and denominational or seminary partners as appropriate, could include but is not limited to COSROW, GBHEM, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and other leadership development or care-based organizations. The Task Force shall meet regularly over the course of the quadrennium and provide updates as appropriate.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force shall bring recommendations, resources, and/or proposed actions to the 2027 Dakotas Annual Conference. Further, the Task Force will work collaboratively with the Resident Bishop and appropriate conference bodies if identified learnings or needs can move toward immediate integration or response, including leadership formation, sacred trust training, or trauma-informed ministry practices. 

This legislation can be found on pages 22-23 of the Conference Workbook.