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Church background checks and volunteer screening can be a controversial topic in some congregations. I mean, how real is the risk that a predator will attend your church searching for his next victim? And beyond that, would someone really attempt to volunteer in a vulnerable area…just to commit a sex crime?
According to LexisNexis, the industry leader in screening solutions, every 11.5 hours a registered sex offender attempts to obtain a position at a nonprofit organization. In the six years of screening religions organizations and non-profits, LexisNexis conducted more than 850,000 background checks and discovered that 15% returned with a ‘hit’ for a criminal offense.
So what’s the solution?
- Use a background checking service that offers a nationwide criminal search. The key is to find one that is “deep and wide.” State-only searches do not account for the transient nature of those with criminal convictions.
- Re-check often. Most background checks are conducted in a pre-screen scenario or when new employees or volunteers first come onboard. This is just a snapshot in time, and does not provide updated information if a criminal activity would occur.
- Keep an active list of those who have been screened. With church leader turn-over, it’s vital to maintain a file that lists who’s been screened and when.
**Does your church conduct background checks or screen your volunteers? Why or why not? Share your thoughts …
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Our insurance company insisted that we implement a full blown Child Protection Policy and Procedure in our church, or change insurance companies. They had the master blue print that satisfied their company’s need legally.
We went step-by-step in check list fashion through the whole process. We continue to screen as people join the church and our list grows. We aren’t 100% but we do have half of our congregation or more at this point, and all the people who work with youth screened. The orientation and training materials the insurance company provided are tactful and well done.
This does bring a certain peace of mind to us as a church, and it lets families know that we are a safe place for kids and that we genuinely care about their well being.
We perform a background check on all of those who work with our preschool through youth. Also, because of the number of senior adults who rely on our church bus, all of the drivers must submit to a background check too.
Additionally, we certify all of our workers through a child safety class led by a law enforcement officer in our church. We recertify all workers every three years, even if they are new and were certified the previous year. This makes it easer on our record keeping.
Our church developed these policies voluntarily and not as a requirement of our insurance company. Most of the time adults seem pleased by our policies. Since a person cannot work in these areas for the first six months after joining the church, some members do not fully appreciate the necessity of maintaining a consistent standard. This is more likely to occur when they have served in a church for many years prior to joining our church.
We do background checks on all children, youth workers and Church staff. I recently called the “Dept. of Human Services Children” in Washington DC to inquire about any laws that CT may have in this regard and they were surprised/pleased at my vigilance, saying there is no State laws for churches in this matter. My call to them came after a Conference i attended that recommended same.