Within the walls of a church, a gray area occasionally becomes a snare for ministerial staff.
It’s found where a legal obligation to report child abuse overlaps with pastor/church member confidentiality. And it can be tricky, according to Dale Huff, director of the office of LeaderCare and church administration for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
But Huff offers a solution to make it black and white: "If there’s anything that involves a child, report it. Period."
It’s better to err on the side of protecting children, he explained, even if that means explaining it to a jury later.
Ever since Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tenn., began dealing publicly with a snafu surrounding a staff member’s admission of sexually abusing his son, Alabama Baptists have been questioning how to be proactive on the issue of abuse, Huff said.
"The best thing to do is take it out of the pastor’s hands before it ever becomes an issue," he said. "Absolve the pastor of having to make the decision by making it a church policy."
Churches can adopt a policy that states that anytime a staff member becomes aware of abuse, he or she is required to report it, Huff explained. In many cases, a church vote is not even required to adopt such a policy.
Similar policies can also help when it comes to preventing abuse within the church. Policies, Huff said, such as:
– having staff members sign a document stating that if they are caught viewing pornography, then they will face specific consequences like immediate termination. "That way, they know the expectation and have already agreed to the punishment," he explained.
– running a background check and at least five references on each person a church is seriously considering calling to its staff. "Preachers don’t get in trouble with the gross crimes like bank robbery. He could be a person who’s not a person of integrity, but he has a squeaky-clean criminal record," he said. "You will find that kind of information out by reference checking." Huff’s office offers a list of questions to ask each reference.
– running background checks on everyone who volunteers with children, regardless of position or tenure. "It’s also important to mandate that more than one [adult] be in the room always," he said.
– having guidelines to handle the situation before a registered sex offender visits or joins the church. "That way, you can tell them upfront, ‘Here are the regulations — you can’t go in areas where children are, an usher will accompany you to the restroom during church, etc.’"
For more information, contact Huff at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 203. (TAB)
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