Are All REALLY Welcome??? – Protecting from Known Sex Offenders

by Michael Boutot

"All are welcome" is a common phrase on many a church sign and Web site. But what happens when a convicted sex offender is at the door?

Church officials and legal advocates are grappling with how -- and whether -- people who have been convicted of sex crimes should be included in U.S. congregations, especially when children are present:

-- Last month, a lawyer argued in the New Hampshire Supreme Court for a convicted sex offender who wants to attend a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation with a chaperone.

"What we argued is that the right to worship is a fundamental right and the state can only burden it if it has compelling interest to do so, and then only in a way that is narrowly constructed," said Barbara Keshen, a New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union attorney for Jonathan Perfetto, who pleaded guilty in 2002 to 61 counts of possessing child pornography.

-- On Monday of last week, the Seventh-day Adventist Church added language to its manual saying that sexual abuse perpetrators can be restored to members only if they do not have unsupervised contact with children and are not "in a position that would encourage vulnerable individuals to trust them implicitly." Garrett Caldwell, a spokesman for the denomination, said the new wording in the global guidelines tries to strike a balance between protecting congregants and supporting the religious freedom of abusers in "a manifestation of God's grace."

-- On Thursday of last week, a law took effect in Georgia that permits convicted sex offenders to volunteer in churches if they are isolated from children, HB 571 (read more here: http://www.covnews.com/news/article/13170. Permitted activities include singing in the choir and taking part in Bible studies and bake sales.

The Rev. Madison Shockley, pastor of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, California, which publicly grappled with whether to accept a convicted sex offender three years ago, said he hears from churches several times a month seeking advice on how to handle such situations.

"The key lesson for churches is this: The policy, however it winds up, must be a consensus of the congregation," Shockley said. "I talked to so many pastors who decided they're going to make the decision because they know what's theologically and spiritually right -- and that's absolutely the wrong thing to do."

Shockley's church will soon commission a minister to address the prevention of child sex abuse; the church also distributes a 20-page policy on protecting children and dealing with sex offenders. He declined to say how the church handled its admission of a known abuser in 2007, citing the congregation's limited-disclosure policy.

Beyond the thorny legal questions, theologians also find that there are often no easy answers to the quandary of protecting children and providing worship to saints and sinners alike.

"My own theology of forgiveness is not that it's a blanket statement -- 'You are forgiven; go and sin no more,' " said the Rev. Joretta Marshall, professor of pastoral theology at Texas Christian University's Brite Divinity School. "Part of what we have to do is create accountability structures, because damage has been done."

Sometimes, legal and religious experts say, crimes are so severe that convicted offenders must lose their right to worship.

New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General Nicholas Cort argued in court documents that Perfetto should not be permitted to change the conditions of his probation to attend a Manchester congregation, because "restricting the defendant's access to minors was an appropriate means of advancing the goals of probation -- rehabilitation and public safety." Barbara Dorris, outreach director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said it may be possible for convicted offenders to attend services if "proper safeguards are in place" but that offenders "forfeit many rights when you commit this kind of a felony." In other cases, the wording of laws has made it difficult for offenders who want to worship to be able to attend church legally.

In North Carolina, lawyer Glenn Gerding is representing James Nichols, a convicted sex offender who is contesting a state statute that made it illegal for him to be within 300 feet of a church's nursery. He was arrested in a church parking lot after a service.

"Technically, a person could go to an empty church and violate the statute if that church has a nursery," said Gerding, whose client was convicted in 2003 of attempted second-degree rape and released from prison in 2008.

In Georgia, the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights successfully argued for the removal of a legal provision that would have prevented registered sex offenders from volunteering at church functions, said Sara Totonchi, executive director of the center.

Experts say churches need to abide by state laws and be prepared to handle the possible presence of sex offenders, which could mean ministering to them outside the church building.

Steve Vann, co-founder of Keeping Kids Safe Ministries in Ashland City, Tennessee, said that children's safety must be paramount but that giving convicted abusers social support could help reduce additional offenses.

"We talk about covenant partners," he said, using his ministry's phrase for chaperones. "They're not just there to watch what the person does. They're there to assist the person in spiritual growth."

Andrew J. Schmutzer, a professor at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, is editing a book titled "The Long Journey Home," which includes essays from theologians and ethicists about how churches can both address sexual abuse and predators.

"The churches are on the cusp of trying to figure out what they can do," he said, " without scaring the public and without breach of confidentiality."

This is not an issue that will be easily resolved. And before we cast harsh judgment against those churches with strict policies, ask yourself how you would feel as the parent of a young child to have a known sex-offender in your church. What would you do? How would you act? Yes, we forgive…but there must be consequences for sin. We place significant consequences on those who desire to be in ministry, should we not expect consequences for those who violate the rights and freedoms of those most innocent, our children?

Volunteer Management for Nonprofits or Ministries

by Ophelia Livingston
owlivingston@owrlrisk.com

In America, volunteers and volunteer organizations are a way of life. Volunteers give their time, talents, and treasures in many ways. Parents frequently volunteer to help at their child’s school, with extracurricular activities, or church groups. Children learn about volunteering from their parents, their teachers, and their peers as many public, private, and parochial schools require service of the students to foster civic responsibility. Young adults become involved in organizations to support their beliefs, such as evangelism, outreach, literacy, or poverty reduction.

Whether you are starting a nonprofit or ministry which will operate solely with the use of volunteers or an established entity with a paid staff who are complimented by volunteers, it is important to enlist the service of volunteers as a valuable resource- a resource that requires maintenance and management. Volunteers as a resource can save the organization money and increase cost-effectiveness, while they expand the organization’s capabilities, improve the quality of service, and improve community relations. However, these advantages require a significant investment and commitment by the organization in time, money, and staffing.

In order to create a successful volunteer program, nonprofits and/or ministries must practice due diligence in “volunteer management” through the establishment of policies and procedures for the program. When creating your nonprofit or ministry the following policies should be addressed:
-Recruiting volunteers
-Interviewing and screening for placing volunteers
-Orientation and training of volunteers
-Supervising and evaluating volunteers
-Retaining and recognizing volunteers
-Maintaining the records of the program
-Writing program reports
-Evaluating the program
-Advocating and educating the staff on the important roles of volunteers

Once a nonprofit or ministry has established the guidelines for the volunteer program, it is now ready to undertake the task of volunteer recruitment. Upon beginning to recruit volunteers, you must keep in mind the need for diversity within your program. To adequately reflect the needs of a diverse population, volunteers should be a diverse group of people as well. It is important to reflect the community that will foster a growing the client base.

Another aspect of diversity for your consideration is the fact that volunteers have diverse needs that the nonprofit or ministry will need to address. Most importantly, the nonprofit or ministry will need to recognize the diverse time commitments that many volunteers will be able to make. Thus, volunteer opportunities need to have flexible time schedules.

Whether the nonprofit or ministry is undertaking generic recruitment, a widespread call for all volunteers; or targeted recruitment, a request for individuals with a specific skill, there are three techniques most commonly employed.
1. Individual Contacts- This is most effective on a one-to-one basis through a network of existing volunteers, professionals, or other key people within your local community.

2. Organizational Contacts- This method involves the use of other organizations, such as volunteer centers, schools, service clubs, judicial court systems, and online volunteer portals.

3. Media Contacts- The use of the media to recruit serves two purposes, to recruit volunteers and to create publicity for the organization and its role within the local community and surrounding areas.

Remember that once a potential volunteer has been recruited the real work begins. The recruitment process for the volunteer program should involve the following “Volunteer Program Kit”:
1. An application form
2. A standardized interview guide that meets all of the compliance and regulatory mandates.
3. A written screening procedure guideline
4. Written procedures for acceptance and rejection of potential volunteers
5. A Volunteer Contract
6. A mandatory orientation program
7. An assignment procedure form
8. Development of a personnel file that includes all of the above.

Your volunteers are important organizational assets and another essential segment of volunteer management is retention of these valuable resources. It is important to continually make efforts to remain in consideration of each volunteer’s safety and security needs, social needs, and esteem needs.

Retention of volunteers requires a staff dedicated to the philosophy of using volunteers to accomplish the organization’s mission. Everyone within the nonprofit or ministry plays an important part in retaining volunteers, and your ministry and board members must cultivate this attitude. Personal consideration of each volunteer’s needs and nonprofit/ministry strategies to meet those needs can forge a bond between the volunteer and the nonprofit/ministry that is stronger than any bond based only on monetary compensation.

Rape Case: Sign for Need of Improved Safety Procedures at Churches

Written by Leah Jones

Monday, 28 June 2010

Christian Web News - The recent rape of a staff member at an Oklahoma City church demonstrates the need for congregations to improve their safety procedures, says a church security expert with 30 years of experience in police and security work.

"One of the things we teach churches through our training is the vulnerability of their employees, especially during the opening and closing of property," said Jeffrey Hawkins, executive director of the Christian Security Network (CSN) (www.christiansecuritynetwork.org). "It's usually a lone, vulnerable person, such as a secretary, and that's asking for trouble.

"Last year we saw savage beatings, sexual assaults and other crimes – all during the opening or closing a church."

According to news reports, on June 22 the woman in Oklahoma City was raped and sodomized behind the church building seconds after arriving for work. The suspect, a part-time employee who did odd jobs at the church, has a lengthy criminal record, including burglary and violating a victim's protective order.

Hawkins said such cases emphasize the need for thorough background checks of everyone who is employed by a church or volunteers for one of its ministries. Churches that fail to adequately protect their employees and members from such criminals also are leaving themselves open to lawsuits, Hawkins said. "Even OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) rules stipulate every employer must provide a safe and secure environment for all their employees," he said.

The Oklahoma City tragedy follows the recent beating death of an 80-year-old woman near Wynne, Ark., at her church when she entered alone one morning. Hers is one of five murders among more than 35 violent incidents on church property during the first six months of 2010. Last year 50 violent incidents occurred nationally, including a dozen murders, Hawkins said.

The Christian Security Network (www.christiansecuritynetwork.com) is a national organization dedicated to the advancement of security, safety and emergency planning for Christian churches, schools, ministries and missionaries.

Call or email Ophelia Livingston to schedule a review of your safety and security policies and procedures.  Ophelia is founder of OWL Risk Management Consulting helping ministries develop and strengthen their safety and security programs.  1-866-579-7475 or owlivingston@owlrisk.com.

Churchshoppers.com Match People to Churches

Website Requests Unconventional Help From Christian Churches

Churches have traditionally been known for helping others. Churchshoppers.com, an on-line business dedicated to church growth and the spreading of the gospel, is asking for help in a non-conventional way. They are not looking for a hand-out, counseling or spiritual advice. What they need is information.

Churchshoppers.com was created to help people looking for a church, because of relocation or need for change, narrow down the search to churches that best fit their spiritual compatibility.

Churchshopper's owner Chad Olson, knows this well. Being a church-attendee all of his life, he has seen the struggle that many families go through in finding a home church that will not only meet their needs but allow for their own unique gifts and talents to be developed and used.

"In the course of our research we've asked hundreds of people how they go about finding a church and we've concluded that people have a spiritual temperament," Olson said. "Certain churches seem to fit their groove better than others. This Web site helps people find the right church in a shorter period of time."

Churchshoppers launched on-line in March and currently has over 103,500 nationwide churches in their database. The majority of these listings contain basic contact information only. This is where the help from churches is needed. Churches are invited to create a profile with comprehensive information that helps searchers get a good feel for a church's culture. This service is available absolutely free to churches. Churches have an opportunity to build a premium profile that allows them to include images, audio and video clips for a small fee if so desired. During the month of August, the premium profile is also being offered for free through the use of a promotional code available on the website.

"We want to give people looking for a church the best help possible, but we can only do that if churches build their profile and provide the detailed information. No catches here...we just want to provide great and thorough service to those using our site to find a church. Of course, we believe we will see those churches building their profiles grow and flourish as well!"

Churches have several options on how to build their profiles. Creating it on-line at Churchshoppers.com, Market Your Church, allows them to enter their own information, including an"In your own words" section to personally convey the vision of their church. Churches can also do a telephone with a Churchshoppers representative or print out a written template to be filled out and faxed in at their convenience.

"Finding the right home church is one of the most important decisions you can make. We believe the place of worship needs to inspire, encourage, challenge as well as utilize the unique gifts and talents one has to offer. That's why we created Churchshoppers," he said

Compliance and Your Church's Insurance Policy?

CALL 1-866-579-7475 TO REVIEW YOUR CHURCH SAFETY/SECURITY PROGRAM, ASK FOR OPHELIA LIVINGSTON.
Do You Know What Is Covered?

Edward started his Saturday just like he did every Saturday: he went to the church to get ready for his participation in the church Children Ministry’s outreach. But, this Saturday was different. It was his turn to do a run in the church van to pick up some of the children. Because Edward did not have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), the children's pastor clearly instructed Edward not to transport more than 14 children at any one time. "That will keep us in compliance," thought the children's pastor, who remembered that the law does not let an individual transport more than 15 people in one vehicle. He wanted to make sure that Edward stayed within his legal limitation.

The Church Made Every Effort To Comply With The Law

Edward gladly complied, making three runs without any problems. However, on his fourth and final run, with 7 excited children riding in the van, Edward ran a red light in his hurry to get back to the church on time...which resulted in an accident that injured three of the children! The children's pastor visited the three children while they were in the emergency room and had a time of prayer with them and their parents. Between the three children, there were two broken arms, one broken leg that required surgery, and a bill of $120,000.00. The church filed a claim with the church insurance company and the insurance company paid it. Whew! That was close.

Was The Driver Negligent?

The church was very supportive of Edward and understood that he was trying to serve the church by picking up the children. He still could not figure out how he ran the red light. He just did not see it. Seconds earlier he saw a text message come in and briefly looked at his phone to see whom it was from. Before he knew it, he was in an accident.

The Driver (Edward) Gets Sued

Three months after the insurance company paid the claim; Edward got a letter from the church's insurance company letting him know that they wanted him to reimburse them the $120,000.00 for his gross negligence. They also stated that they would sue him in court if he did not agree to their terms for repayment of the claim. Confused and completely surprised by this, Edward first took it to his pastor. But he, too, was bewildered by the lawsuit against Edward, and so the pastor took it to the church attorney, asking, "Can our insurance company sue one of our members for the claim that the church filed?" Unfortunately for Edward, insurance companies have the right to seek reimbursement from the person or entity legally responsible for an accident after they have paid out money on behalf of the church. This is known as Subrogation. Webster definition of subrogation is “If one person performs a duty of another, they are then "equitable subrogated" to the rights of the person owed the duty”. The most common form of subrogation is when an insurance company pays a claim caused by the negligence of another. Who would have thought that the same company that is supposed to protect the church, sues one of its members?

Get The Right People Listed As Insured Under The Church Policy

After inspecting the church insurance policy, they noticed that the policy covered the acts of the board of directors and employees but it did not cover volunteers and members. Getting the members and volunteers of the church listed as insured is not automatic. In fact, you have to specifically request it. Since Edward was not listed as insured on the church policy, he was not protected from being sued by the church's insurance company.

Get An Insurance Policy and Cover The Right People

The number of churches and ministries that do not have an insurance policy of any kind is a surprise in itself. Though many pastors know of the real possibilities that exist in today's litigious society, they see insurance as an expense that brings no benefit. As a risk management consultant, I see it differently. It is an asset, because it protects the wealth and prosperity of the church. When getting a general liability insurance policy, make sure that the policy covers the board of directors, employees, and church volunteers, including members. This is very important. Incidents like the one Edward went through are frequent. The church was diligent to make sure they complied with the law, but it failed to spend adequate time reviewing its insurance policy to make sure the right people were covered.

Many Different Types Of Church Insurance

Did you know that there are over 30 different types of liability insurance? That does not include property, theft, missions' travel, fire, key man and many more. Getting the right policy is absolutely important. We have added the topic of church insurance to our seminars because getting the right insurance policy is a must. Have you spent time lately thinking about insurance for the church? You may have felt intimidated by the number of policies that exist. With the right information, you will be able to get the right policy that provides maximum coverage at the best price. Call today and schedule your risk management seminar.  1-866-579-7475!

Woman Attacked and Raped at OKC Church

 CALL 1-866-579-7475 TO REVIEW YOUR CHURCH SAFETY/SECURITY PROGRAM, ASK FOR OPHELIA LIVINGSTON.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma City woman is attacked and raped at a local church. Luckily, within just a few hours, police were able to make an arrest. The accused rapist is 30-year-old Antwine Walker. The crime took place at Britton Baptist Church near Britton and Western. The suspect occasionally worked at the church doing odd jobs. Police say that made it easy for employees to ID him.
The alleged rape victim told police she was ambushed and assaulted just seconds after arriving for work early Tuesday.

"The suspect actually followed her to the back of the building, threw some kind of rope around her neck and proceeded to choke her and rape and sodomize her in the building," said Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow.

Walker remains behind bars at the county jail.

Walker has a lengthy criminal record, including convictions for burglary and violating a victim's protective order.

The church pastor says he knew of Walker's criminal past but wanted to give him a chance to go straight.

No one at the church wanted to go on camera to talk about the crime. 

How to Create an E-Book

There are many reasons why a person would want to write an e-book. One is to help spread his knowledge and teach others about a certain topic. Another is to promote a business, organization or idea. And also, it can be for marketing purposes to help sell a certain product or service. Whatever the reason may be, it is essential to understand the basics on how to create an e-book. Because you must understand that it is not simply about putting sentences together, slapping it all in one file, and publishing it as an e-book. There is more to it than that.

You probably have tried making your own first e-book and when you released it to the public, or even offered it for a fee, you realized that the feedback was not really that good. You might even have received some negative feed back regarding the quality of your e-book. Rest assured that just like everything else, writing an e-book is not really a rocket science. It is easy to understand and achieve if you keep the following points in mind.

1. First of all, know your goal for creating that e-book.
Everything has a purpose. All things have a goal and your creating an e-book is not an exemption. List down the things that you want to achieve through your e-book. Think first your main goal and then break it down to smaller goals and stick with them.

2. Practice good grammar and proper spelling.
Part of the basics on how to create an e-book are using the right grammar and checking for any wrong spellings. Why are these important? You must remember that you are positioning yourself as an expert, as a professional in your field. The only reason that you will be seen as such is if you conform to standards and you present yourself as an intelligent and smart person which good grammar can greatly help you with.

3. Who are your target audience or readers?
An e-book naturally has a target set of readers. Are they your colleagues? Perhaps they are people who are just starting to learn about marketing and stuff. Maybe you are trying to teach people the proper ways of protecting their home computers from malware threats. As the topics of e-books can be greatly varied, so are their readers. You must nail down who your readers will be and then fashion your e-book specifically for them.

Other things that you have to consider when you're creating your e-book are the number of pages or word count. Since people are just reading online or through their computers, their attention span is very short. So it is best if you keep your e-book very short. Another point to consider is your choice of words. You can use highly technical terms if your readers are your colleagues. But if it's just anybody from around the globe, using layman's terms is usually the best approach. These are just the basics on how to create an e-book. Follow these and you are all set for a successful launching of your e-book.