Seventh-day Adventists who are in local church leadership positions and are being investigated for claims of child sexual abuse will have to step down while they’re being investigated, according to a statement released by the church in the South Pacific.

At the year-end meetings of the the church’s South Pacific region last month, the executive committee took a tougher stance on sexual abuse, putting responsibility on local church boards to ensure this happens until allegations are proven or disproved.

Bryan Craig, family ministries director for the church in the region, said the denomination must always uphold its duty of care to its members. “We have a responsibility to make the church and its ministry activities a safe place for all worshippers, young and old,” said Craig.

The statement said the church board must reinstate and reaffirm as a member in regular standing anyone cleared by an authority or the committee. However, it must also censure for one year or remove from membership an individual who has not been found innocent.

Individuals not cleared cannot hold any position of responsibility while under censure, and may never hold any church office or position of responsibility that places them in contact with children or young adults.

The board of a local church can reinstate censured individuals after one year, but only in offices or positions that do not place them in contact with children, and only after acting on the advice of an authority or the committee.

“As a church we must be up front and not hide any perpetrator of sexual abuse. We need to be open and deal with the problem when it occurs,” said Bronwyn Mison, spokeswoman for the church in the South Pacific.