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Who’s Who in the Pew? . Ministry to Sex Offenders in the Local Church. Action Plan. Confirm person’s status on Sex Offender Registry Speak with Pastor Document Action Plan
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Who’s Who in the Pew? Ministry to Sex Offenders in the Local Church
Action Plan • Confirm person’s status on Sex Offender Registry • Speak with Pastor • Document Action Plan • Meet with offender and possibly with his/her spouse to hear his/her story, secure the name of his/her parole officer, obtain any conditions of parole or lifestyle alterations that are in place. Have pastor and at least one other representative from your committee present.
Call a Safe Sanctuaries Board Meeting to discuss options. • Contact parole officer to clarify that attendance at church is not a violation of any of Mr. Story’s terms of parole. • Depending on what you have learned at this point, consider the following: • Train and Assign a Shepherd for Mr. Story • Premises Protection Agreement – signed by all appropriate parties, including Mr. & Mrs. Story • Notification of Parents in 2nd Grade class & nursery once the baby is born and participating.
Inform other church leadership on a “Need to Know” basis*. • Pastor & Church Staff • Staff Parish Chair or Representative • Children’s Director • Youth Director • Education Chair • Nursery Coordinator • Preschool Director *“Need to Know” Implies trust within leadership circle when dealing with sensitive matters. Actions of registered sex offenders forfeit certain rights to confidentiality when they choose to participate in communities with children present. However, these people are still persons of sacred worth in the eyes of God and the Christian Community. • Document Everything – Copy Pastor & DS
Conference Leadership Contact Information • At any point along the way, feel free to contact one of the following for guidance in your process: Brad Brady – Assist. to Bishop for Connectional Ministries - (888) 266-7642 – brad@sgaumc.com Adam Ricker – Associate Director Life Span Ministries (888) 266-7642 – adam@sgaumc.com Doreen Smalls – Associate Director for Connectional Ministries (888) 266-7642 – doreen@sgaumc.com Deborah Wight-Knight – Conference Pastoral Counselor (478) 929-1032 –deborah@sgaumc.com
Important Considerations • There is NO Fail Proof approach to this serious issue in our society. • Supervising children at all time and in all areas of the church is the best key to prevention. • There is always a “First Offense” for a child sex offender. No local or national data base or criminal background check identifies all of those who pose a potential threat.
Shepherding Programs Pros Cons Difficult to train Shepherds to understand the complex dynamics surrounding the sex offender. Class III Sex Offenders do NOT qualify for this. Question as to whether Class II violators should. Energy from the laity is limited. Serving in this capacity likely pulls from other programs and volunteer opportunities. Can Imply False Sense of Security • Allows sex offenders to participate in Redemptive Fellowship with appropriate accountability. • Serves as an example of grace in action in local churches as all disciples of Christ sin & fall short of the glory of God. • In larger churches, gives service opportunities for those who have law enforcement backgrounds and unique understanding of this issue.
