The Approach
Those seeking to be part of the research will be contacted by the researcher either by phone or video call and will be requested to participate in a screening interview. The purpose of this is to ensure that they meet the criteria for selection.
From this assessment participants will be invited to enter the research, and be provided with guidelines for preparing for the interview process. This will include a recommendation to discuss their participation with their health care provider. This is to ensure that all participants have in place a plan for support and feel equipped to manage consequences of disclosing memories, thoughts and emotions.
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Successful participants will then be asked to participate in an interview of between 60 – 90 minutes duration. Each interview will be recorded by webcam onto a computer either directly, or via Zoom recording.
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Each participant will be provided with the primary questions prior to the interview. All participants will have the option of providing written responses to these questions prior to the interview and only asked additional clarifying questions if necessary.
A written copy of the transcript will be provided to participants shortly after the interview for their assessment of its correctness.
Interviews will be conducted in safe places (consulting offices) or mutually agreed neutral ground. Participants will be invited to have a support person accompany them to the interviews. These support people will remain outside the interview room itself, but at various stages during the interview participants will have access to them, and they will be included in the monitoring processes. Where interviews are conducted via online means, candidates will be asked to locate themselves in a private place where they feel safe and have access to their support person in an adjacent room.
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The data gathered from all interviews and submissions will be analysed and filtered to establish common meaning units and explored from theological and psychological perspectives. The aim is to discover reactions and actions at both a conscious and subconscious level and compare these with others who have had similar experiences.
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The results will hopefully assist those who are seeking to institute explorations of return to ministry processes in better understanding of what may take place for participants, what to look for, and how to support them. Overall, it is hoped that this information will lead to a fulfilling of our calling to forgive a penitent sinner as Christ forgave us, and to be reconciled into the body of Christ.