Abstract
Very little quantitative documentation exists about how religious communities respond to formal cases of pastoral misconduct involving sexual abuse. This paper presents a study of case investigations and trial disposition in one U.S. denomination. Data was gathered from an eight-state region for a six-year period. Results support three principal conclusions: reasonable, qualified interpretations can be derived from this type of analysis; the evidence does not support some leader's assertions that are invoked as rationale for not proceeding with an investigation or disciplinary trial; the results clarify the limits of this type of information in regard to understanding sexual abuse in religious communities.