BishopAccountability.org
	Church Scandals a 'Wake-Up Call' to Everyone By William Moyer Press Connects December 4, 2011 http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20111203/NEWS01/112030374/Church-scandals-wake-up-call-everyone The church is the last place where children should be in danger of abuse. Through the decades, the church has founded and operated innumerable children's hospitals, summer camps, orphanages, preparatory schools and athletic programs. So, when the church itself violates the sacred trust to care for children, the sin seems unpardonable. "You expect a church to be safe," said the Rev. Marilyn Sanders, pastor of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Bainbridge. "Abuse is a horrible thing to happen, especially in a church. That's why we need to create a safe environment." Episcopalians, Catholics, Jews and others have adopted strict policies in recent years to protect children from child sexual abuse, ranging from such measures as criminal background checks of church officials to requiring that two adults always be present with children. Many feel the rules have put churches in a better position to help deter child sexual abuse, but acknowledge the policies have to be enforced and that everyone must be trained to watch for signs of abuse to help stop it. Sanders, a Michigan native and St. Peter's pastor since May 2008, has worked at the highest level of the Episcopal church for many years to enact national polices to reduce risks and prevent child abuse. Walk through the front door of her historically ornate church in Bainbridge and expect to see children and youth activities -- Sunday school, for example -- supervised by at least two unrelated adults. All doors have windows in rooms where children might study the Bible or participate in other church activities. "This is a small town where everyone knows everyone," said Sanders. "Certainly, we're delighted when we get visitors and members, but no one is allowed to get involved with children for at least six months." Anyone who wants to work with children and youth must also pass a criminal background check, added Sanders. Simply said, that sends preying pedophiles -- who once looked at the church as a playground because of its laissez faire attitude -- on their way faster than Jesus can say "Begone, Satan." The scenario is similar in other Protestant denominations -- Judaism, too -- as well as Catholicism, which has been rocked by revelations of sex abuse of children by priests. Those incidents left a lingering spiritual black eye on the Catholic church, but were not parochial to the world's largest religion. "When you look at what happened in Catholic church, certainly it was a wake-up call to everyone," said Charles Colton, a professor at Davis College in Johnson City. "It was the entire body of Christ that was harmed. Evangelicals and others startied saying we've got to cleanup our act, not they need to cleanup their act." Several years after the abuse scandal went public initially in the Boston area, the Syracuse diocese enacted a mandatory requirement that anyone who is paid or otherwise works with children anywhere in the Catholic church must undergo training, known as Virtus, and pass a criminal background check, said Danielle Cummings, associate chancellor and director of communications. Since 2003, Cummings said roughly 30,000 people have been processed through the training and screening programs, which includes everyday volunteers, church workers and leaders, teachers and priests in Broome and Chenango counties. The diocese has a Children and Youth Protection office in Syracuse specifically charged with handling concerns and questions related to protecting children from abuse. All dioceses in the United States, including Rochester which includes Catholic churches in Tioga County, have similar programs under a mandate from the church's national Conference of Catholic Bishops. When the Syracuse office gets a call about suspected inappropriate behavior, Cummings said the diocese collects information -- mostly from the person initiating the call -- about what happened. Often, the incident can be explained as not being child abuse, but something that was misconstrued by the caller, perhaps an adult taking pictures of Sunday school children for a church newsletter or website. However, if child abuse is suspected at all, Cummings said the diocese immediately reports the incident to law enforcement in the appropriate jurisdiction. Watchful eyes can prevent abuse. About two years ago at the day care/school setting, a volunteer showed a particular interest in a child, laughing and joking excessively. Eventually, the volunteer brought a gift -- a seemingly innocent charm -- and gave it to the child in the play area. This is often a predator's ploy -- to entice the child with gifts. Not this time, because others noticed. The volunteer was confronted and removed from the daycare center. "If we didn't do the training, perhaps the behavior would not have stood out to others," said Cummings. "I'm completely convinced the child would have been a victim." The regional United Methodist conference has embarked on an ambitious plan to get its 910 churches in upstate New York -- including Broome, Tioga and Chenango counties -- to appoint a committee in each individual parish whose task is to reduce risks of child abuse. In the Binghamton District, all local churches have Safe Sanctuary policies, according to the Rev. David Marsland, district superintendent. The policies, which include the "six-month" and "two unrelated adult" rules are posted in highly visible locations in the district's 70 churches. The requirement for all regional churches to enact and enforce Safe Sanctuary policies was adopted by the regional United Methodists in June 2010. Churches are expected to comply by Dec. 31. In part, the policy requires training and criminal background checks for all church members who work with children and youth. Churches must adhere to what is called the "two-adult rule" whereby two unrelated adults must be present at all activities involving children and youth. The screening and other policies cover clergy and laity. Any suspected cases of child abuse must be reported immediately to a district superintendent or denominational headquarters in Syracuse, where officials will decide whether to report the incident to law enforcement, according to Maidstone Mulenga, director of communications. The upstate region, which covers from Rochester to Albany and Watertown to Binghamton -- formerly including the Wyoming Conference -- has no current cases of reported child abuse at its churches, added Mulenga. During preparation for bar and bat mitzvah, Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell, of Temple Concord in Binghamton, said she meets one-on-one with boys and girls. Consciously, she takes precautions to make sure nothing is misconstrued and parents are included in every step of the process. "There is an individual tutoring component of preparation for bar or bat mitzvah when a rabbi must meet directly with a child," said Goldman-Wartell. "But I always do this in the synagogue, always with the door ajar, always with the parents' awareness." Last summer, she said employees and staff at the temple's elementary school signed statements related to child abuse protection. Goldman-Wartell said all employees are required to clear a criminal background check. Religious officials describe these child protective polices as preemptive by sending strong messages that everyone -- from pastor to custodian -- will be screened before working with children and youth. Everyone will also be watching everyone else, with little tolerance for odd behaviors.
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