FROM THE EDITOR
IN THIS ISSUE : background check pitfalls
• media storage made easy • government funding for religious schools
In many churches , background checks are regarded as the first line of defense against child sexual abuse . Unfortunately , for some , it ’ s also the only step taken .
In EXPERT ADVICE : PROTECTING THE KIDS IN YOUR CARE , Philadelphia Insurance Companies ’ ( PHLY ’ s ) Risk Management VP Andrew Shockey and Human Services Product Manager Michael Nester explain why this approach falls far short of due diligence — and how to do better at your own church . Together , Shockey and Nester possess 25 years of experience working with churches to mitigate their biggest risks . Certainly , child sexual abuse is among them . In this article , they discuss the biggest barriers to effective implementation : high costs ; too much trust ; a lack of time , energy and expertise ; and a tendency to gloss over the fine print . They also examine the problem of elusive data . Case in point : even if a background check is done correctly , offenders can move from state to state — and the data that might show up in one state might not show up in another . “ In the Church , there have been many painful examples of something like this ,” Shockey says , citing Ban the Box legislation as a driver . Simply put , after a certain number of years , a state might require that a certain offense be eliminated from a background check . “ Though it ’ s a sensitive issue for people on both sides of the argument , the concept — that someone can integrate into society once they ’ ve paid their debt — is grounded in a lot of very good reasons ,” Shockey says . “ While I think it ’ s well-intentioned , I ’ m also saying that the criminal element always looks to exploit areas of trust . And those are certainly prevalent in churches .”
This article appears on pages 8-11 and is well worth reading .
One thing about COVID and churches : it forced many to turn on a dime . Quite a few church leaders were challenged to learn how to communicate with their church families in new ways . Such was the case at Without Walls Church in Mesa , Ariz ., where Production Director Jeff Watkins and his team dove right in , learning ( from square one ) to produce and deliver much more content than ever . They spent 86 consecutive days studying , training and testing . Many of these workdays lasted between 12 and 20 hours . “ It was insane , but it was necessary ,” Watkins recalls . “ By that point , with COVID , embracing the learning curve was our only option .” With the amount of technology being added to meet rapidly growing content production needs , storage was becoming a real issue at Without Walls . Up to that point , Watkins and his team would buy drive after hard drive — about 75 in all — at hundreds of dollars apiece . The team was also battling disorganization issues ; namely , inefficient ways of transferring and sharing media . Fortunately , switching to a centralized , on-premises media storage solution was a simple solution . It delivered real , tangible ministry benefits for every department at Without Walls Church : better collaboration across all work groups ; freeing up more time on Sundays for the team to spend with their families ; and , of course , a more efficient workflow , which drives cost savings .
Read all about it in ROOM TO MANEUVER on pages 12-15 .
Finally , in ON THE DOCKET AGAIN : government funding for religious schools ( pages 16-19 ), Church Executive spotlights two upcoming Supreme Court rulings that could effectively eviscerate The Establishment Clause , which forbids governments from supporting religion or favoring one religion over another , or religion over non-religion — a potentially monumental pivot point for church schools .
These cases could turn out to be blockbusters if a majority of the Court decides to allow Oklahoma to include parochial schools in its charter school program and receive direct grants .
As always , we welcome your feedback .
RaeAnn Slaybaugh Editor in Chief
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Email : rslaybaugh @ churchexecutive . com Facebook : Church Executive Magazine Twitter : @ churchexecutive . com
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Volume 24 , Number 2
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL
Stephen Briggs Associate Pastor of Administration First Baptist Church | Hendersonville , NC
Denise Craig , CCA CEO The Church Network
Mike Klockenbrink Chief of Staff Lakeside Church | Folsom , CA
Dan Mikes Senior Relationship Mgr ., Faith Based Banking Division Cass Commercial Bank | Des Peres , MO
John C . Mrazek III Executive Pastor Pathways Church | Denver , CO
Sam S . Rainer III Senior Pastor West Bradenton Baptist Church | Bradenton , FL
Mark Simmons Business Manager Christ Community Church | Milpitas , CA
Eric Spacek Risk Control Program Manager Church Mutual Insurance Company | Merrill , WI
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4 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | FEBRUARY 2025