“ A church is a fellowship and community led by a shepherd . It is the shepherd ’ s responsibility to protect the sheep within the flock — especially the vulnerable — from danger , including danger at the hands of other congregants . Wolves do not have an automatic right to fellowship within the sheep pen .”
“ A church is a fellowship and community led by a shepherd . It is the shepherd ’ s responsibility to protect the sheep within the flock — especially the vulnerable — from danger , including danger at the hands of other congregants . Wolves do not have an automatic right to fellowship within the sheep pen .”
Back to the baseline question : is your church called to serve known sex offenders ? Never assume so ; don ’ t consider services to known offenders as ‘ just another ministry offering .’ This question is fundamental . Do not move past it until you have a definitive response .
# 2 : Does the church have rock-solid child safety protocols in place ? Using a common analogy : before you create a ministry program for wolves , do you have rock-solid protections in place for your sheep ? For many churches , this query derails the discussion ( at least temporarily ). Appropriate child protection protocols are meant to protect children in your congregation from the known risk of child sexual abuse . In general terms , an effective child safety system is aimed at a known risk stemming from an unknown source . In other words , you don ’ t currently KNOW which applicant for employment , volunteer or congregation member poses a risk to children in your program – the unknown offender . As a result , an effective safety system includes training , screening , policy provisions and supervision meant to create an environment where offenders ( known and unknown ) have limited opportunity to groom a child for inappropriate interaction . Ministry to known offenders requires that you take reasonable steps to address a known risk from a known ( past ) offender . This is a higher bar . From a liability standpoint , you are responsible for what occurs on your watch , under your roof or in the context of your ministry program — when harm or damage results from a known risk . If your church doesn ’ t have rock-solid child protections in place and a strong track record of ongoing compliance , your church is not ready to provide a ministry program to known offenders . ( For a description of an effective child protection safety system , see churchexecutive . com / archives / stop-sexual-abuse-2 ; churchexecutive . com / archives / stop-sexual-abuse-3 ; and churchexecutive . com / archives / stop-sexual-abuse-4 .)
# 3 : Are we the right kind of church for this type of ministry ? What is the right kind of church ? Consider the following characteristics :
An established church with an established pastor . Church plants and churches in the process of significant transition in upper leadership ( or anticipating change ) should avoid stepping into ministry to known offenders . A church experiencing exponential growth — therefore encountering an escalating need for volunteers to serve children — should likewise forbear . A church with existing programs serving populations dealing with addiction and criminal convictions — Celebrate Recovery , AA , family reunification programs . These churches are usually staffed with program leaders that understand addiction , manipulation , the criminal process , and behavior accountability . A church with significant and stable resources . Ministry to known offenders will require training , an uncommon depth of knowledge ( individuals familiar with the criminal justice system and offender behavior ), manpower ( designated staff members and volunteers to serve with consistency ), and financial resources ( modification of physical plant , camera systems , securing manpower , expertise and record retrieval ).
# 4 : Will ministry to offenders impact our insurance coverage ? Some churches have stepped into offender ministry only to learn that their program resulted in loss of insurance coverage . Do some due diligence in advance of launching programs to serve known offenders . ( See churchexecutive . com / archives / stop-sexual-abuse-7 .)
# 5 : Have you clearly and transparently involved your congregation ? Don ' t assume all congregants will be excited about ministry to known offenders . Rather , you should assume there are many individuals in your congregation who were victimized as children who will simply leave , voting with their feet . Communicate with your congregation carefully , involving members and lay leaders in the decision-making process . Never assume this decision has no cost to your members , and never require an abuse survivor to worship alongside his or her abuser . The needs and comfort of the victim should always take priority . If church leaders are not prepared to communicate to the congregation with great transparency about this issue , assume your church is not called to this ministry at this time .
# 6 : Can a church offer limited ministry services , or is it ‘ all or nothing ’? Some churches have concluded they are able to offer limited ministry opportunities — from meeting with several deacons or elders off campus , allowing supervised attendance at a specified worship service or involvement with a small group with no children present . It is NEVER advisable to allow a known offender to serve in children ’ s or student ministry . If you conclude your church is NOT equipped to provide ministry services to known offenders , find other programs , regionally or nationally , that specialize in this area , and be prepared to provide a list to known offenders who approach church leaders or come to your attention . Don ’ t attempt to recreate the wheel if a ministry in your area is already providing excellent services .
# 7 : If we believe we are called , what are the next steps ? Undertake significant reconnaissance to determine which ministries are doing this well . Get the benefit of their experience , and retain competent legal counsel to understand the common boundaries and liability issues . With skilled help , create written policies and agreed boundaries for each offender who requests ministry involvement . Where relevant , communicate with each offender ’ s parole officer , and check the risk assessment created by the state that paroled or released the offender . Do not assume that every offender qualifies for a program designed for known offenders . Train your staff members and volunteers who will participate in the program , and create and maintain a ZERO TOLERANCE for boundary violations .
CHILD SAFETY SYSTEM If your church has worked through the questions above and desires competent counsel in this realm , contact the law firm of Love & Norris . For help creating child safety protocols , contact MinistrySafe .
Kimberlee Norris & Gregory Love are partners in the Fort Worth , Texas law firm of Love & Norris and founders of MinistrySafe , providing child sexual abuse expertise to ministries worldwide . After representing victims of child sexual abuse for more than two decades , Love and Norris saw recurring , predictable patterns in predatory behavior . MinistrySafe grew out of their desire to place proactive tools into the hands of ministry professionals . Love and Norris teach the only graduate-level course on Preventing Sexual Abuse in Ministry as Visiting Faculty at Dallas Theological Seminary .
32 CHURCH EXECUTIVE • STOP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE churchexecutive . com