Background checks are a critical safety and assessment tool. These screens ensure churches make informed decisions about the employees and volunteers they allow into their organization to work with children, congregants, and to access church resources. But exactly what types of background checks and searches are appropriate? When it comes to a strategic approach to
Inside the Mind of a Sexual Predator
“We let him into our lives, our home. We trusted him with our children, and he betrayed us in the worst way possible,” the mother told the judge. “It is inconceivable to think that this man was able to maintain the lie of who he was for eight years in our community.’’ Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/05/sex_offender_left_oregon_and_d.html Those
Watch for These Background Check Red Flags
There are many hurdles toward landing a job; passing a background check shouldn’t be one of them. Background checks are often the final litmus test before receiving a job offer. They are – rightly so – an increasingly common requirement in ministries hiring procedures and vetting policies for volunteers. A thorough background investigation, such as
How to Spot a Predator – One Church’s Story
“Background checks are required but statistics say that background checks only catch ten percent of predators. We knew our goal had to be to get the entire staff savvy on how to spot predators.” – Executive Pastor Donald Pope of First Baptist Church of Canton, Ga. In a bold move by a Georgia church, executive
How NOT to Deal with a Sex Offender at Your Church
Leaders at a Baptist church in Connecticut have gone silent after it was uncovered that a sex offender had been leading the church for years. Letters from church officials and court records show that a pastor was allowed to continue leading his church for five years while on the state sex offender registry after a
Common Misconceptions in the Background Screening Process
Background screening employees and volunteers is one of the most effective tools at keeping congregations safe, yet most ministries make major mistakes when implementing background check procedures. It’s not your fault. Background checks are inherently confusing for several reasons: the scope of information you are trying to access the numerous places you can look for
It’s 2016! Have You Conducted Your Church Volunteer Background Screening Yet?
“What can employers find out about me during a background check?” That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? If it weren’t, that phrase wouldn’t be Googled so often. But when you type that in, you’re assaulted with a barrage of fear-mongering articles like this one from CNNMoney. It scares the daylights out of anyone who
What’s OK and What’s Not? Why Abuse Prevention Education is Needed in Every Church
An upstate New York church is rallying together after one of its former volunteer leaders was indicted on sex abuse charges. The youth ministry volunteer is accused of having inappropriate sexual relations with two teenage boys; the alleged incidents of sexual abuse happened at the man’s home and did not take place on church property
Three Key Elements to a Screening Policy
If you don’t already have an employee/volunteer screening policy, you need one. It’s non-negotiable. A thorough screening policy will not only help protect your religious organization and the people within it from psychopaths, it will safeguard your church against any legal action that might be taken should a predator/thief/fraudster/etc. slip through your ranks. But not
The Top Three Things Customers Desire From a Screening Firm (And Why Protect My Ministry Aces at All of Them)
We live in a fast-paced society. From 24-hour grocery markets to flash online sales, we want things available to us anytime, anywhere, anyhow. That’s tough stuff for businesses. How do you consistently provide a top notch product or best-in-class service when you’re stretched to your limits in terms of production costs, manpower, and the litany