CHURCH BOARD GUIDE TO A CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION POLICY


references should be able to describe the potential volunteer’s involve- ment in the church, level of commitment, and ability to serve well. This is especially important in large congregations where staff members may not know every member well, and yet, depend on the recruitment of large numbers of volunteers to assist with church programs. It is not enough for a person to attend the congregation for six months. The potential volun- teer should be actively engaged in the life of the church, and acquainted with other members to a degree whereby they can provide a reference on his or her behalf. Furthermore, these individuals should include adults who are not limited to the parents of the children with whom the vol- unteer wishes to serve. Remember, preferential molesters may make an effort to know and gain the trust of parents of potential victims. Sometimes the question is asked, “What about people who transfer


their membership from one church to another, and who have had a long history of working with children in their former church? Do they have to wait for an extended period of time before they can volunteer to work with children in their new church?” In such cases, if you have conducted thorough reference checks, interviews, and training, it may be appropriate to reduce that time. Remember, the goal is not to thwart ministry, but to enhance it through proper safeguards. The key principle at stake here is to prevent people that you do not


know from gaining easy access to your children through a position of service within your church. When taken together, these two require- ments establish an important threshold for the selection of volunteers who will work with children or youth.


Implement the screening process The screening process for volunteers should establish the same basis for reasonable care that was used for paid staff members. The factors used to establish that basis include the use of a written application, reference checks, conducting a personal interview, and in some cases, doing addi- tional background checks such as a criminal records check. Once the volunteer is selected, he or she should also receive training.


Additional background checks A criminal records check is recommended for all volunteers who will have unsupervised access to children, youth, the developmentally


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