4 Ways that Local Churches Should React to Church Sex Scandals

Far too many people hear the word "church" or "Christians" and immediately think about child molesters. It's hard to blame them, since the only time the media pays attention to the church is in the midst of such a problem, but today's local churches have an unfair burden placed on them. A pastor of a small church might spend his time doing everything right only to be associated in people's minds with shameful scandals that he has nothing to do with.

Even though most churches will never have do directly deal with a sex scandal, every church can learn to handle these situations appropriately, and proper planning can keep many of these things from happening at all and restore the neighborhood's confidence in the local church.

1 - Don't Hide It - But Get It Out of the Church Quickly

Last year, a large and well-known local church found out that one of their many pastors had been arrested for soliciting a minor for sex over the internet. (Little did he know that the child he was chatting with was actually a federal agent.) I wondered if this church, which I had always respected, would be able to get through that crisis, and they really exceeded my expectations. The head pastor announced that they were disappointed at these events and made it very public that they were working along with the police to have the minister taken care of. Only a few weeks later no one even remembered it, and the delinquent minister was out of the church and in the hands of the law. (Yes, I could provide you with a link, but this nice church doesn't need me to bring up old problems.)

Dealing with these problems swiftly and publicly keeps the media from turning the situation into a circus, and it lets everyone know that this was the act of a single foolish person and not part of the church's overall habit. Don't try to sweep things like this under the rug - it's already to late for that - just deal with it open and honestly. I think people respect that.

2 - Background Checks

Most churches are pretty good about this one. Perverts and child molesters who are old enough to apply for church jobs often have a suspicious criminal record or something else incriminating in their past. (The infamous child rapist/murderer, John Wayne Gacy Jr., would never have been allowed to work with local youth events if these things were common in his day - his criminal record would have betrayed him.) The key is to be tough on these things. If there is a chance that this person is going to be such a liability then don't hire them. Thousands of ministers are looking for work who will not cause legal problems of this sort, so make sure to be very discerning. It is tempting to overlook someone's past (especially if there are only minor problems) in the spirit of forgiveness and charity, but you can't take that risk. If something goes wrong you will certainly wish you had hired someone else.

3 - Talk About It

Everyone is talking about this problem except for the church. It's not OK to pretend that this isn't a crisis. For many people, taking kids to church is seen as a serious risk even when a local church has no record of such things. Now, most of us who grew up in church don't see it that way, because these situations aren't common, but the fact that the problem is never discussed in church makes it seem even shiftier - as if pastors are trying to ignore the problem. Don't be afraid to talk about this; in doing so you will assure your congregation and visitors that these scandals are not acceptable.

4 - Keep an Eye on Things

At my church, no child is alone with an adult. You can be assured that there are two (at the least) people with any kid or group of kids, and that these two people are not always the same. Other people even check in on them from time to time. I attend a small church where this is not easy to do, but we do it. If my church can handle this, any church can. You can even set up an inexpensive video monitoring device with a USB camera and a computer so that parents can watch their kids in class. (If your church has little money, see if the parents can donate money and computers to this cause - they might think it's worth it.)

Ministers should know that talking to a young person alone (unless there is a convenient window on the office door) is certainly not allowed, and they should be threatened with termination for such things. We have to be tough, tough, tough, or something bad will happen, and we cannot allow an environment to form where this sort of thing can take place. It's not safe to trust anyone, and even everyone's favorite minister who wouldn't hurt a flea must be treated as a possible pervert and put under extensive restrictions. Only a "zero tolerance" approach will be effective. This might sound like overkill, but it will show your congregation and your neighborhood how serious you are about this problem.

Don't think it can't happen in your church - it can. And if the proper steps are not taken it is even more likely. However, taking important steps will not only keep trouble out of your church, but will allow people to see the charity work and other good things that your church is doing in the neighborhood, and maybe they will stop associating Christians with child molesters and start noticing what the Church really is.