High-Profile Cases Force New Diligence against Predators
By Leslie Boyd
Citizen-Times [Asheville NC]
February 25, 2007
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770224033
Parents who drop off their children in the nursery at First Baptist Church of Asheville are given a numbered pager, which they must present before their child is released to them.
Across the street at First Congregational United Church of Christ, middle school and high school classes were combined one recent Sunday morning when one class had only one adult present.
In light of recent multimillion-dollar settlements for sex abuse that occurred decades ago, churches across the country are setting policies to keep children safe from predators, who might come from the ranks of clergy or volunteers. The policies include background checks of people who work with children, special training, a requirement that at least two adults be present during any activity involving children, and an open-door policy if an adult must be alone with a child.
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| Jeannie Seiler, left, Cornelia Garbee and Richard Seiler teach pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children in a Music and Missions class at First Baptist Church of Asheville. The children, left to right, are Alec Stacey, Patrick Welmaker, Jake Bratton and John Gillespie. Church policy requires two adults to be present at any activity involving children. Photo by John Fletcher |
"You want to think that someone who comes into your church and volunteers to work with children is OK, but, sadly, you can't count on that," said the Rev. Joe Hoffman, pastor of First Congregational.
The Rev. Garland Pierce, associate general secretary for education and leadership ministries for the National Council of Churches, says some denominations have made more progress than others, but nearly all are moving toward formal safe-church policies.
"Churches have come to the realization that they have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable, and even those denominations that are less centralized and less top-down are moving toward stricter policies."
Settlements are expensive
Apart from keeping children from physical and emotional harm, church policies can save millions of dollars in settlement payments.
The Roman Catholic Church has paid out more than $1 billion so far in cases stemming from sexual abuse by priests, including:
• $85 million in the Diocese of Boston;
• $100 million in the Diocese of Orange in California;
• $48 million in Spokane, Wash.;
• $60 million in Los Angeles;
• $1.2 million in settlements paid by the Diocese of Raleigh in 2006 alone;
• $12 million set aside by the Diocese of Charlotte in January to pay settlements.
Four dioceses — Portland, Ore., Spokane, Wash., Davenport, Iowa, and Tucson, Ariz. — have declared bankruptcy, and a fifth, San Diego, is considering it.
Not just a Catholic problem
But the problem doesn't just exist in Catholic churches. This week, the advocacy group SNAP (Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests) targeted the Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination in the country. The group says it has evidence of at least 40 cases of sexual abuse by clergy that were covered up, some dating back to the 1950s.
"It doesn't just happen in Catholic churches," said Mary Grace Labella, SNAP coordinator in North Carolina. "Every church needs to pay attention."
Some denominations, such as the Roman Catholic Church, can impose requirements on churches to set policies, but others, such as the Southern Baptists, cannot.
"We don't have the legal power to require it," said Craig Bailey, director of missions for the Buncombe Baptist Association. "We can strongly recommend it, but we can't mandate it."
The organization offers training to churches on safe-church policies and advice on how to assess a potential employee. Bailey says most churches are eager to accept, but some continue to insist they don't need training or policies.
Beth Riddick, minister with children at First Baptist of Asheville, said policies that protect children also protect the church.
"Every other organization in the community has policies and procedures to protect children from predators," she said. "If we don't do the same, we become an easy target."
An easy target is going to pay higher insurance premiums, says Brian Smith, the area representative for Church Mutual Insurance Co., the largest insurer of churches in the country.
"Rate structures are complex," he said. "But certain things that reduce risk are taken into account when rates are set."
What it all adds up to, Smith says, is that better programs increase premium discounts.
"It's just good risk-management," he said. "No insurance company will say to a church that it has to have a certain policy, but some denominations set standards."
Smith said his company worked with the United Methodist Church to develop its Safe Sanctuary policy. That policy is considered a model.
A church doesn't have to be turned into a fortress to be safe, Smith said.
"There are lots of resources, lots of places you can go for help," he said.
Contact Leslie Boyd at 828-232-2922, via e-mail at lboyd@ashevill.gannett.com
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