Policy for Grievance Procedures

Those who are recognized as Christian Reconcilers desire to be accountable to their peers for their work, in accord with the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators. Ambassadors of Reconciliation (AoR) provides this grievance process for anyone who believes that a Christian Reconciler has violated the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators. The Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators is published as part of the Guidelines for Christian Conciliation by the Institute for Christian Conciliation.

Remedies in AoR Grievance Process

Through this process, AoR can assist a Complainant and Reconciler to resolve the complaint, and AoR can discipline the Reconciler by temporarily suspending or permanently revoking recognition as a Christian Reconciler. AoR has no authority to render compensation to aggrieved parties or assess financial penalties against a Reconciler. Decisions in this Grievance Process shall be limited to the following remedies:

Finding the accused Reconciler not guilty or guilty of violating one or more provisions of the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators;
Offering non-binding counsel to either or both parties on how to repair wrongs or change attitudes or behavior that appears to have contributed to the complaint;
Temporarily suspending recognition as a Christian Reconciler and implementing a correction regimen for the Reconciler;
In the case of serious or unrepentant violations of the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators, recommending that AoR revoke recognition as a Christian Reconciler;
Communicating concerns to the Reconciler’s church in accord with the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators under Section 1(D).

Selection of Grievance Officer or Appeal Panel

When a grievance is filed, the AoR President or his designee shall select by blind draw an individual Reconciler (“Grievance Officer”) for the Initial Process or a panel of three Reconcilers (“Appeal Panel”) for the Appeal Process to provide counsel and/or render a decision on the case, according to these provisions. The person responsible for the draw shall not be included in the draw, and the draw shall be witnessed by another person. As much as possible, Reconcilers for the blind draws shall meet the same Certificate Level as the Reconciler involved with the grievance.

In the event that a grievance is filed against the President of AoR, a member of AoR’s Board of Directors shall select by blind draw an individual Reconciler (“Grievance Officer”) for the Initial Process or a panel of three Reconcilers (“Appeal Panel”) for the Appeal Process to provide counsel and/or render a decision on the case, according to these provisions. The Grievance Officer and Appeal Panel shall keep AoR’s Board of Directors informed about the procedure and any outcomes.

Written Communication

Written communication shall be in the form of letters delivered by United States mail or private carrier, or electronic mail (email).

Initial Process for a Grievance

When an inquiry or complaint is initially made with AoR, AoR shall provide access to this Policy for Grievance Procedures to each person involved. An individual Christian Reconciler shall be selected by blind draw to serve as the Grievance Officer, who shall manage the following Initial Process.

A Christian Reconciler (“Reconciler”) may report in writing his or her own situation to AoR when believing he or she may have acted inconsistently with the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators, or when others may have perceived that the Reconciler has done so. The Grievance Officer shall meet with the Reconciler (in person or online) to learn more about the situation. If the Grievance Officer determines that no violation of the Standard of Conduct has occurred and that no further action is necessary, the matter will be closed. If the Grievance Officer determines that a violation may have occurred, he or she may coach the Reconciler on how to address the issue privately. The Grievance Officer may also contact the aggrieved party directly to facilitate a resolution of the matter pursuant to these procedures.
If a party or legitimately interested individual (“Complainant”) believes that a Reconciler may have violated the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators, he or she may initiate a written complaint with AoR. The complaint shall be a detailed written description of the incident indicating which provisions of the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators have been violated. The complaint should be addressed to the care of Grievance Officer, Ambassadors of Reconciliation at mail@aorhope.org or P.O. Box 81662, Billings, MT 59108-1662. A copy of the detailed written description shall be provided to the Reconciler, unless the Grievance Officer believes that doing so may result in physical harm to the Complainant.
The Grievance Officer will initially direct the Complainant to communicate concerns directly to the Reconciler and make a good faith effort to address those concerns through personal conversations. This step shall not be required if the case involves power imbalances or abusive behavior that would make further direct communications with the Reconciler intimidating or inappropriate.
The Grievance Officer may immediately contact the Complainant to clarify information or may contact the Reconciler to request an initial response to the complaint. In either case, the Reconciler shall normally be informed of a complaint and given an opportunity to respond.
If the Grievance Officer believes there is a reasonable chance that the complaint can be resolved privately between the Complainant and the Reconciler (“Parties”), the Grievance Officer may coach and encourage the Parties to make another attempt to resolve the matter personally.
If the Parties are unsuccessful in resolving the matter personally, the Grievance Officer shall conduct further investigation as needed to make a determination whether the Reconciler violated the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators. The Grievance Officer shall issue a written decision to AoR based on the remedies described above, and AoR shall forward the Decision to the Parties.
If no appeal is made by either party within 14 days, the matter will deem to be resolved.

Appeal Process for a Decision of the Grievance Officer

Within 14 days of receiving the Decision, if either the Complainant or Reconciler is dissatisfied with the Grievance Officer’s Decision, the Party may file a written request to AoR for an Appeal Panel. Upon receiving the request, AoR shall select an Appeal Panel by blind draw. The blind draw shall not include the person selected as a Grievance Officer.

The Appeal Panel shall select its own chairperson and secretary. AoR shall submit all written information from the Grievance Officer to the Appeal Panel.
The Appeal Panel may review all information submitted to it and render a final Decision without further investigation. The Appeal Panel may also investigate the situation by gathering as complete and accurate an understanding of the situation and issues as possible. The investigation may involve:
- Requesting more detailed written statements or evidentiary documents from the Parties (Complainant and the Reconciler) or relevant witnesses.
- Individual conversations with the Parties or relevant witnesses, or joint conversations with the Parties or witnesses, either by phone, video conference, or in-person meetings.
The Appeal Panel shall issue a Decision that either affirms or modifies the Grievance Officer’s Decision in whole or in part, subject to the same remedies identified above. That Decision shall be final and binding. This Decision shall be communicated in writing to AoR, and AoR shall forward the Decision to the Parties.

Notification of Suspension or Revocation of Recognition of Christian Reconciler

In accord with the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliators, Sections 1(E) and 4(A), AoR shall notify other professional Christian conciliation organizations if a Christian Reconciler has had his or her recognition as a Christian Reconciler suspended or revoked. However, AoR shall not provide the specific reports, decisions, or other information regarding the complaint, suspension, or revocation without the written permission of the Reconciler.