EPA’s Complaint Resolution Procedure

When an individual or corporation lodges a complaint against an EPA member, the following steps shall be taken:

1. The executive director shall receive all complaints in writing. Before presenting a complaint to the board, the executive director shall urge all parties to resolve their differences in keeping with the biblical principles expressed in The Peacemaker’s Pledge, which the association has recommended all of its members adopt. In particular, the parties should make a good-faith effort to resolve the matter personally and privately. If these private efforts are unfruitful, they should seek appropriate outside conciliation assistance. This could involve leaders from the parties’ churches who work together in a cooperative manner, or trained Christian conciliators from a respected conflict resolution organization. The director shall assist this process in any way possible.

2. Biblical reconciliation is the goal. If the parties have made a good faith effort to resolve their differences as described above, but reconciliation has not occurred, the director shall promptly notify the board of directors, which shall decide whether to submit the complaint to the ethics committee.

3. The ethics committee shall seek to determine whether the defendant has indeed violated the Code of Ethics and recommend corrective action if it believes it has.

The recommended action may include:

a. A request to cease and desist practices that violate the EPA Code of Ethics.
b. A retraction or apology in print
c. Censure by the EPA board or members.
d. Withdrawal of membership.

4. The EPA board of directors shall then act on the findings and recommendation of the ethics committee by accepting or rejecting all or part of it. The board will then dispose of the case as it sees fit. The findings and recommendations of the ethics committee to the board of directors should remain confidential until after the board has considered and acted on them.