Clergy Standards of Conduct

Purpose

Protect the community, uphold our secular ethics, and ensure safe, competent service by all ordained roles (Luminaries, Heralds, Directors—collectively “clergy”).

Commitments

In representing The Church of Korihor, you must commit in your personal and professional behavior to:

Honor the Oath of Reason: Clergy of The Church of Korihor do not preach on the part of God/gods.
Practice and preach safety and consent: Safeguard bodily autonomy, enthusiastic consent, and the safety of children and vulnerable people in your personal and ministerial care.
Practice and stand for Critical Thinking: Never engage in preaching of pseudoscience, coercion, or making false claims.
Non-discrimination: Never engage in bias based on race, sex, gender identity, orientation, disability, age, nationality, or immigration status.

Administrative Discipline

Violations of these standards is grounds for administrative discipline including, but not limited to:

counseling and incident reporting
probation and/or discommendation from the Clergy
Reporting to Law Enforcement
any other discipline seen fit by the First Herald in accordance with the Church By-laws and these Standards, up to and including including removal from Fellowship and banning from the Church's website membership.

Eligibility & Vetting

To be ordained to the Clergy, the applicant must be:

A U.S. Person
At least 18 years of age
Background checked within the last 5 years.
Invited by a Herald of Reason to be ordained

Certification

An Ordination Certificate will be emailed to the Applicant upon Ordination. This Certificate may expire and such expiration date, if any, will be included on the Certificate.

Be certain to read, study, and abide by these Standards:

Ministerial Boundaries

Always practice these boundaries to keep every space safe:

Never hold private 1-on-1 meetings with minors or vulnerable adults.
Do not convert persons under the age of 18 to Fellowship.
In the rare event where a conference with a minor or a vulnerable person is prudent, make every reasonable attempt to be certain that a legal guardian of the person is present in every moment. If appropriate, record the conversation (disclosing that you are recording to anyone involved) and provide it with an incident report in the Clergy Tools.
Do not provide legal, medical, or financial advice for which you are not qualified and which are not part of your mission role; make referrals to qualified professionals. Do not use The Church of Korihor's ministry to create leads for your other businesses or profession.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest, Donations & Gifts

Disclose any personal, financial, or romantic conflict that could affect judgment with an Incident Report in Clergy Tools.

Disclosure of Dating & Relationship

Transparency ensures the best standards for enthusiastic consent. If you have a relationship of a romantic or sexual nature with a clergy or volunteer of The Church of Korihor at the time when you are ordained, both parties must disclose such by submitting a Clergy Dating & Relationship Disclosure Form, found in the Clergy Tools prior to going on a date or engaging in a sexual encounter.

If you begin a romantic or sexual relationship with another person in the Clergy or who is your subordinate in a mission, also fill out the Clergy Dating & Relationship Disclosure Form.

When in doubt on any sexual or romantic relationship, fill out the form.

Zero tolerance

On the first instance of physical or sexual abuse, exploitation, or neglect of a minor or a vulnerable person in your ministerial care, you should expect discommendation.

Mandatory Reporting

If a person confides in you that they are a perpetrator or victim of physical or sexual abuse or imminent harm, always contact local law enforcement within 24 hours.

This policy applies to all ordained clergy, staff, and volunteers in the Church of Korihor, regardless of location, and covers suspected or confirmed abuse of:

Minors (under 18)
Vulnerable adults (due to disability, illness, age, or dependency)
Any individual where there is an imminent risk of serious harm

Definition of Abuse

For the purposes of this policy, abuse includes but is not limited to:

Physical injury caused by non-accidental means
Sexual contact or exploitation
Emotional or psychological harm
Neglect of basic needs (food, shelter, medical care, supervision)
Financial exploitation

Reporting Requirement

If you witness, receive a disclosure of, or reasonably suspect abuse or neglect, you must:

Ensure immediate safety of the person at risk, if possible, without placing yourself in danger.
Call 911 immediately if the person is in urgent danger or needs medical attention.
Contact law enforcement or child/adult protective services within 24 hours of becoming aware.
- If the person is under 18, Contact the local Child Protective Services (CPS) or law enforcement.
- If the person is a vulnerable adult, Contact Adult Protective Services (APS) or law enforcement.
Complete a Confidential Incident Report found in Clergy Tools within 48 hours
Notify a Herald of Reason and/or Director of The Church of Korihor as soon as possible. This does not replace the obligation to contact authorities. Make the Director aware that an incident report was submitted so that it can be reviewed.

Non-Retaliation Policy: No clergy, staff, or volunteer will be penalized or retaliated against for making a report in good faith.

Keep the matter confidential except to authorized law enforcement, protective services, and Heralds and/or Directors of The Church of Korihor. Do not promise absolute secrecy to the person disclosing; explain that you are required to report to keep them safe.

Failure to Report - Failure to comply with this policy is grounds for immediate removal from clergy duties and may result in legal penalties under state law.

Jurisdiction Note - Where state law specifies shorter timelines, broader definitions of abuse, or additional reporting channels, those requirements take precedence. When in doubt, choose the most protective and immediate reporting option available.

Incident Reporting

Document incidents promptly and accurately.

Professionalism & Privacy

Substance Distribution and Abuse

Do not illegally abuse or distribute alcohol, cannabis, or impairing substances while serving. Never officiate in any official capacity while your judgment is impaired by such substances.

Prescription medications must not compromise safety.

Communications & Social Media

Use respectful, factual communication; keep private counseling confidential.

Do not publish images, audio, or stories of participants without explicit written consent (parent/guardian for minors).

Use official branding only as authorized.

Counseling Scope

Provide secular, values-aligned support; avoid dependency. Refer out for therapy, addiction treatment, legal, or medical needs.

Keep brief, dated notes stored securely; never record sessions without written consent.

Data Privacy

Collect only necessary data; store securely; limit access to “need to know.”

Honor requests to delete personal data unless retention is required by law/safety policy.

Safety, Transparency, and Liability

Events & Physical Safety

Conduct risk assessments for gatherings; maintain first-aid kit and emergency contacts.

Follow location policies (permits, occupancy limits). Ensure accessibility.

Training & Supervision

Annual refreshers on safeguarding, boundaries, crisis response, and inclusivity.

Accept supervision, feedback, and performance reviews.

Complaints & Enforcement

Anyone may file a complaint confidentially.

The Church will: (1) acknowledge within 3 business days, (2) assess risk, (3) investigate impartially, (4) communicate outcomes.

Possible actions: coaching, written warning, suspension, removal from clergy, or referral to authorities.

Whistleblower Protection

Retaliation against reporters or witnesses is prohibited and grounds for removal.

Recordkeeping

Keep incident, finance, consent, and training records per retention schedule; maintain chain of custody when needed.

Acknowledgment

Clergy must sign this code annually and report any arrests, protective orders, or policy breaches within 48 hours.

This code complements—not replaces—applicable laws. When in doubt, follow the stricter rule (law or this code).

Harm Reduction & Sanctuary

Clergy of The Church of Korihor are committed to make decisions that reduce harm to those within Sanctuary Spaces. If reporting a person to Law Enforcement would cause them more harm than benefit, Clergy should carefully consider declaring Sanctuary

Always do your best to protect life, respect autonomy, comply with applicable law, and maintain the trust and safety of Sanctuary and ministerial spaces.

Applies to all clergy interactions, whether in private conversation, spiritual practice, or designated Sanctuary Spaces.

Confidentiality Commitment

Treat disclosures of self-harm or suicidal thoughts as confidential unless an exception applies.

Intent: Sanctuary and pastoral spaces are non-punitive and designed to be free from automatic law enforcement intervention where this is legally permissible.

Exceptions to Confidentiality

Clergy must break confidentiality if:

The person is a minor (under 18) and in imminent danger.
There is immediate risk of death or serious harm that can be reasonably prevented without violating law.
State or federal law mandates intervention in cases of suicidal behavior or certain forms of self-harm.
The person’s behavior poses a credible and imminent risk to others.

Safe Space Practices

Where legally permitted:

If the person is an adult with capacity and expresses a clear, informed, and consistent wish to die with dignity in a jurisdiction where aid-in-dying is legal, clergy may offer emotional presence without reporting to law enforcement, provided:

The clergy member does not supply means or assist in prohibited actions.
The clergy member encourages the person to involve their chosen support network.
The clergy member documents the interaction in a confidential note, including jurisdictional legality and absence of coercion.

Assumed sanctuary for neurodivergent people

If the person has autism, ADHD or other neurodiverse condition and their self-harm is a known, non-suicidal coping mechanism (e.g., certain forms of stimming, skin picking, head banging), clergy should:

Avoid criminalizing the behavior.
Support harm-reduction techniques and access to sensory-safe environments.
Monitor for escalation into life-threatening harm.

Intervention Guidelines

Imminent, preventable danger: Engage the person in voluntary safety planning; involve medical or crisis services only if necessary under law or to prevent irreversible harm.

Non-imminent distress: Offer continued pastoral presence, grounding techniques, and connection to supportive resources without breaching confidentiality.

Harm reduction approach: Where ongoing self-harm exists but is not life-threatening, work collaboratively with the person to find safer alternatives or coping strategies.

Clergy Protections
While performing Pastoral Care, Clergy are not acting as medical or mental health professionals; their role is to provide non-judgmental, values-based support. If the Clergy is a Mental Health or other Health professional who is bound by oaths of professionalism in their certification, they should abide by the standards of their oath.

Harm Reduction Training

Clergy must complete a qualified suicide prevention and harm-reduction training before serving in Sanctuary or pastoral care roles.

In jurisdictions with clergy-penitent privilege, clergy will assert this privilege to protect harm unless an applicable exception applies.

Documentation

Keep minimal, secure notes.

Record only what is necessary to recall the nature of the disclosure and any action taken, avoiding subjective judgments.

Store notes in encrypted clergy records with access limited to safeguarding officers.