The way forward: Asking better questions
SBC could keep track of sex abuse cases, experts say
Experts and activists say there are several ways that the Southern Baptist Convention could help protect against sexual abuse in its 47,000 churches:
• Start keeping track of allegations.
Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention is completely decentralized. It has no hard numbers on how many ministers have been accused or convicted of sex offenses.
Southern Baptist pastor Wade Burleson said the first step in dealing with a problem is understanding its severity. Burleson proposed in 2007 to create a database to track “credible” allegations of sexual misconduct against Baptist ministers and proposed the measure again last year. An SBC commission is reviewing it.
• Bolster background checks.
When someone applies for a job, not all churches conduct criminal background checks and those checks don’t catch everything. Court records are kept by thousands of clerks’ offices across the country, and not all files or dockets are online.
Burleson said his proposed database would help fill in the gaps of a background check and alert churches to an arrest or criminal conviction that might otherwise be overlooked. It also would include other cases, such as instances when a church leader confessed to sexual misconduct or was fired for it.
Obtain the actual records.
If a background check does find a red flag, it’s important to review the actual police report or court file about the offense and not rely on a job applicant’s explanation. Most court records are open to the public. They show what the original charges were and how the case was resolved.
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Address the difficulty of tracking offenses.
Questions remain about how Burleson’s proposed database of alleged misconduct would be handled: Who would be responsible for the data? What kind of information would be kept and released? How would non-criminal allegations in lawsuits or firings be tracked?
Not everyone agrees it’s feasible.
“It’s more difficult than you think,” said Gregory Love, cofounder of MinistrySafe, a program that trains church members to prevent sexual abuse.
Burleson said his proposal would be challenging. But if it’s done right, he’s convinced such a system would help more churches avoid terrible situations.
“I believe a database actually prevents future harm and future hurt,” Burleson said.
Improve hiring practices. Even if the SBC embraced Burleson’s idea for a database of alleged misconduct, it wouldn’t solve a related problem: Experts say most pedophiles haven’t yet been arrested for a sex offense, which means strong hiring practices
• are crucial.
But every Baptist church sets its own screening policies — if it has any policies at all.
MinistrySafe co-founder Kimberlee Norris recommends checking references for both paid employee and volunteer positions, and getting applicants to sign a release form that allows past employers to speak freely about any concerns. She also recommends that churches examine any gaps in employment — maybe there was a problem at a past church and the applicant didn’t want to use it as a reference.
During interviews, do applicants refer to a child or teen as a “best friend?” Or do they show preferences for a particular gender and age group? Those can be warning signs of someone with an unhealthy interest in children, Norris said.
Learn about ‘grooming.’ Church leaders also should attend training or seek information to learn about warning signs, such as how pedophiles use grooming behavior — the practice of forming a bond with children to “groom” them for sex abuse — so if they inadvertently hire or use a pedophile as a church or youth leader they can spot potential problems early.
An adult who gives gifts to a child, surrounds himself with toys or activities that children like, or tries to make excuses to be alone with a child could be trouble, Norris said.
“What molesters must have is trust and time alone with a child,” Norris said.
Often, that means offenders try to groom and charm their victims’ parents and other adults, too.
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