Dealing with Sex Offenders Who Attend Church

My former editor at Christianity Today mag sent me a link to the article below.  CTI is conducting a groundbreaking national survey on attitudes about sex offenders in churches. Take the survey now & get a free download: http://bit.ly/9MJC7E The survey will be used to produce several articles for publication later this year. Feel free to forward or copy this blog post.

I suggested CT also include articles on s-x offenders being people too, and the potential for their transformation. While we need to be careful to protect our children, we also need to view these men and women in light of the Gospel's hope, as God's wounded sons and daughters. Let's remember who the real Enemy is. The editor replied he was already looking into that. Go CT!

How do we protect our members from known sex offenders?
by Richard R. Hammar

Question posted on ChurchSafety.com:

There is a female, registered sex offender who wants to attend our Sunday services. We want her to attend, but what guidelines should we have in place to safeguard our children?

Answer by Richard Hammar:

When the senior pastor, or any member of the church board, is informed that a registered sex offender is attending the church, there are steps that can be taken to manage risk. These include the following:

1. Obtain a record of the sex offender's prior criminal convictions by conducting a national criminal records check. The church must be fully informed regarding the sex offender's criminal background.

2. If the sex offender is on probation, identify his or her probation officer and ascertain the conditions that have been imposed. In some cases, sex offenders are not even allowed to attend church. If the probation officer says that the offender is free to attend church, ask the officer if he or she would recommend that the offender be allowed to attend church, and if so, under what conditions. Obtain this information in writing, or, if that is not possible, make a detailed written account of the officer's response.

3. Condition the sex offender's right to attend church services and activities on his or her signing a "conditional attendance agreement" that imposes the following conditions:

• The sex offender will not work with minors in any capacity in the church.

• The sex offender will not transport minors to or from church, or any church activity.

• The sex offender will not attend any youth or children's functions while on church property, except for those involving his or her own child or children, and only if in the presence of a chaperone (see below).

• The sex offender will always be in the presence of a designated chaperone while on church property. This includes religious services, educational classes, activities, and restroom breaks. The chaperone will meet the sex offender at the entrance of the church, and accompany the sex offender on church premises until returned to his or her vehicle.

• A single violation of these conditions will result in an immediate termination of the sex offender's privilege to attend the church.

• The conditional attendance agreement option will not be available unless the church's insurer is informed and confirms that coverage will not be affected.

4. In some cases, exclusion of the offender from church is the only viable option. This option is advisable if (1) for any reason the conditional attendance option is not feasible or enforceable; or (2) if the offender's crimes are so frequent or heinous that exclusion is the only appropriate option; or (3) one or more of the offender's victims attends the church. This will be a judgment call made by the pastor and board.

5. It is often desirable to draft a short policy addressing the church's response to registered sex offenders attending the church, and have it adopted by the congregation during an annual or special business meeting. This would allow the membership to discuss this issue in a rational manner.

6. Seek legal counsel in formulating the church's response.

For additional information on handling registered sex offenders, see volume four in Richard Hammar's four-book set, Pastor, Church & Law (4th ed., 2008, Christianity Today International).

Richard R. Hammar is senior editorial advisor for Your Church, Church Law & Tax Report, and Church Finance Today. He serves as legal counsel to the Assembly of God denomination. He is an attorney and CPA, specializing in legal and tax issues for churches and clergy. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is the author of more than 100 books, including the annual Church & Clergy Tax Guide, the Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, and his landmark work, Reducing the Risk: Keeping Your Ministry Safe from Child Sexual Abuse.

 

Comments

[n mitchell]

What if registered child sex offender, who served five years in prison, shows no signs of wanting to change. They haven't done anything in the church but their lifestyle outside the church doesn't appear to be different than before they went to jail.

[Pam Hogeweide]

I have a friend who together with her husband and a few other close friends decided to launch a home bible study expressly for sex offenders who are following Christ and cannot be around children at all. She told me this about two years ago. I don't have an update on how that worked our for them, but I was amazed at their group's commitment to make a space for those offenders who are rebuilding their lives. I think she may have had some overlap with people in substance/alcohol recovery and this is where they observed the obstacles to fellowship for registered offenders.

I'm a mom. There's registered offenders in my neighborhood. Because kids are a huge part of my life I cannot make space for sex offenders as my friend has, but I admire her and her husband's determination to reach out to a group that is obviously marginalized and displaced within the body of Christ....it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, that every offender has a unique story for what happened in their past. There is no tolerance for those acting criminally and endangering children. But to think of making a safe place, child-free zone for those adult offenders who are moving forward is to me one of the greatest pictures of grace in motion.

I hope you get to write your story about the humanity of offenders. If you are interested in connecting to my friend, Dana, shoot me an email and I'll put my networking magic to work.

[Owen S]

It strikes me that it's important to keep a perspective that says 'attending church' is not the same as 'enjoying the fellowship of the body of Christ'. If allowing a particular person to attend a broad-based church gathering isn't possible or wise, there are other ways that brothers and sisters can continue to love/support/care for/share with that person.