The Black Belt Consulting Group Waives fee to help Catholic Church Heal from Sexual Abuse Scandal
Consultant uses exclusive approach combining Martial Arts Principles & Prayer
(PRWEB) March 17, 2004
The Black Belt Consulting Group, LLC
Contact: Tim H. Warneka, President – The Black Belt Consulting Group
Contact email: Tim@blackbeltconsultants. com
Direct Phone: 440-944-4746
Consultant uses exclusive approach combining Martial Arts Principles & Prayer
3/12/04
As the criticism towards the Catholic Church’s response to the sexual abuse crisis heats up, one Cleveland-area Catholic Church is committed to making a difference. The Catholic church of St. Noel in Willoughby Hills, Ohio has joined forces with The Black Belt Consulting Group, a Cleveland-based business consulting firm to offer “An Evening of Lamentation and Healing” on Tuesday, March 16th, 2004. The evening brings together members of the parish who have feelings or opinions about the sexual abuse scandal they would like to express in a safe, non-threatening faith context. In a generous show of support for the people of the Cleveland Diocese, Warneka waived his company’s usual $10,000 fee.
Tim Warneka, the president of The Black Belt Consulting Group, is a life-long Catholic and ten-year parishioner at St. Noel’s. “Father George Smiga, the pastor of St. Noel’s, approached me several weeks ago about facilitating a gathering of parishioners in order to help people continue to heal from the sexual abuse scandal in the church.” Warneka notes that his company is a full-service consulting organization that uses principles from the Japanese martial art of Aikido (“The Art of Peace”), which Warneka has over 15 years experience, as well as Warneka’s skills as coach, consultant and mental health professional. “I respect Fr. Smiga’s wisdom,” Warneka states, “for being willing to bring in trained professionals to address this enormously complex issue. My company’s exclusive approach is a perfect fit for the situation.”
Warneka, who’s mental health experience includes working with both sexual abuse perpetrators as well as victims, reports that he has gathered a “highly-skilled team of professionals” to support the evening’s session. The team consists of Akron-based business consultant Laurie Zuckerman and Methodist minister & clinical social worker Annette Dimond. Ms. Zuckerman is the president of Zuckerman Consulting Group and bring over 20 years of consulting experience with her. Rev. Dimond is the senior minister at the Brook Park United Methodist Church as well as an experienced clinical social worker in private practice.
Warneka, Fr. Smiga and the other team members will be using the established process of “Open Space Technology” to support the healing of the parishioners of St. Noel’s. As Warneka observes, “Open Space Technology is best used with complex and highly conflictual issues – and I can’t think of a better way to describe the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.”
