Police Educate Clergy on Domestic Violence

When Carmen Elliot was assaulted by her preacher husband, she says, her pastor and family told her to pray harder, endure, make things work out.

So, when Elliott finally left him, she struggled with the guilt of not following through on her marriage vows, not being there for better or for worse.

Eleven ministers heard her story this week during the Westminster Police Department’s first domestic violence training seminar for clergy.

The novel six-hour seminar is part of an effort by the Police Department to aggressively combat domestic violence.

Since spiritual leaders can have such a strong impact on a community, officers said, it’s imperative that they understand why women stay in violent relationships and how they can intervene before it’s too late.

“I think we are realizing that this is not only a problem outside of the church, but it is also within the church,” said Pastor Paul Kensey of the Westminster Bible Chapel. “I really think that churches need a more adequate understanding of domestic violence.”

The ministers heard from Elliott and other abuse victims, a child welfare official and the prosecutor in charge of the Orange County district attorney’s family violence unit.

Often, the ministers said, they deal with women such as Elliot who have been advised to tolerate abuse. In some communities, domestic violence is overlooked, they said.

“People have come to me and said those things to me and it almost makes me cry,” said Pastor Bob Emerson of the Westminster Christian Assembly.

Traditionally, clergy have been hesitant to intervene, believing that what occurs in the home is a private matter, they said.

But Elliot said it would take the efforts of the entire community, including religious leaders, school officials, neighbors, family and the police to battle domestic violence.

“I watched adults in my neighborhood turn away while my mother was getting beat up by my father with a two-by-four,” said Elliot, tears welling up in her eyes. “Do you know how devastating that is to a child?”

Westminster Police Chief James Cook said he hopes the seminar will have a ripple effect.

“With 11 ministers there, and if they each speak to their congregants, they can have tremendous impact,” Cook said. “These ministers are the link to the community. Just with this group we can probably affect 2,000 to 3,000 people.”

The clergy seminars are part of the department’s expanded domestic violence program that began seven months ago with a $200,000 federal grant.

Those efforts include increased training for police officers in handling domestic disputes. Like many departments around the nation, Westminster police are coordinating their approach with prosecutors, social workers and battered women’s advocates.

The ministers who attended Wednesday’s seminar said the gathering gave them practical advice in dealing with difficult family situations.

“Our people are confronted with these problems and many times the clergy don’t know what to do,” said Pastor Charles Leckie of Bethany Bible Fellowship. “The training is absolutely essential because we didn’t learn this in the seminary.”