United Methodist Insight Screenshot
General Commission on Status and Role of Women | May 21, 2016
GLENVIEW, Ill. — Actor Ashley Judd and former Olympic gymnast Rachel Denhollander will highlight a November virtual conference, “Do Not Harm,” sponsored by The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women on preventing sexual abuse and harassment.
Ashley Judd (Courtesy Photo)
Judd and Denhollander were among the first women to expose widespread sexual abuse, primarily of women by men often in positions of authority and power. Judd was the first to accuse producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, and Denhollander was the first to expose the predations of Larry Nasser, then a physician for female Olympic gymnasts. The #MeToo movement in which they’ve participated sparked a parallel effort, #ChurchToo, addressing sexual harm within churches and other religious institution.
The United Methodist women’s commission has opened registration for Do No Harm, a virtual conference designed to equip individuals and the Church for preventing sexual harm and fostering trauma-informed care. In addition to the headliners, a slate of advocates, mental health practitioners, scholars, and church leaders will participate.
Scheduled for Nov. 12–14, 2026, “Do No Harm” “marks a historic step forward in the denomination's ongoing commitment to preventing sexual harassment and abuse and strengthening trauma-informed response and care,” said a press release. “For the first time since the initial conference in 2006, ‘Do No Harm’ will be fully online, expanding accessibility and engagement across our worldwide connection.”
The press release said the commission will use proceeds from the virtual event to support in-person, contextual versions of “Do No Harm” in regions outside the United States.
According to the announcement, the 2026 symposium “serves as an important response to the 2024 General Conference apology to victims and survivors of sexual misconduct, which included a pledge to provide healing resources and develop trauma-informed responses to complaints of sexual misconduct.”
The Rev. Dr. Tyler Schwaller, the commission’s director of sexual ethics, noted, “The General Conference statement made the strong, essential point that an apology is worthless without a commitment to doing the work of repair and transformation. ‘Do No Harm’ is an opportunity to unlearn ideas and behaviors that have contributed to further harm and to learn frameworks and practices that build trust and create conditions for care and healing.”
Rachel Denhollander (Courtesy Photo)
Keynote speakers, Ashley Judd—actor, humanitarian, New York Times bestselling author—and Rachael Denhollander—attorney, author, advocate, and educator—are leading voices in telling the truth about sexual harm and advocating for accountability and change. Each has spoken publicly about the role of faith to empower and uplift, as well as the church’s capacity either to hurt or heal, Schwaller said.
Historically a professional development gathering for individuals serving in roles designated by their annual conference, the 2026 iteration of “Do No Harm” will expand its reach through a dual-track offering:
- Nov. 12–13 (Thursday/Friday) — Professional Development: oriented toward professionals whose roles include the work of prevention, response, and/or training (e.g., episcopal leaders, cabinet members, response teams, boundaries and ethics trainers, chancellors, Boards of Ordained Ministry).
- Nov. 14 (Saturday) — Public Witness: oriented toward a general audience and centered around themes of truth-telling, healing, empowerment, and solidarity.
Registration for both portions of the event is open to all. To ensure that the Saturday public witness is accessible to as many people as possible, the women’s commission is using a sliding-scale registration model, guaranteeing that financial barriers do not prevent participation in this vital witness and work.
This article is edited from a press release.