Protecting Our Children

by KAREN WARING

God calls the church to be a people who promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace. The church continues to explore how these facets of Christian life can translate into effective ministry. Child Protection is ministry with its foundation in the church’s Enduring Principles. It expresses the mission initiatives of ending suffering in the world and pursuing peace on Earth.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 162 reminds us that “…we hold precious lives in our hands.” No lives are more precious than the lives of vulnerable children in our societies.

Since the 1980s the Christian church at large has striven to protect children by responding to allegations of abuse. Statistically child abuse is a reality. Community of Christ approaches the protection of children professionally and with rigorous standards. Community of Christ provides policies and guidelines for protecting children. These policies are for the entire church and have three purposes:

• Protecting all children in the care and ministries of the church.
• Providing guidelines and procedures for administrative officers, the ministers who are in contact with children, and clear immediate reporting requirements.
• Reducing the liability and risk from legal action.

Protecting children is more than administrative procedures. These procedures become missional when motivated by the gospel message. At one level the church is registering and training youth workers. On a deeper level these procedures arise from the church’s ministry of safeguarding those most vulnerable in society. The church approaches child protection with a compassion that reveals that God’s love promotes healing and expresses justice.

Affirmations

The ministry of child protection has two emphases:

• Spiritual investment
• Practical systems

Spiritual Investment

Within the Enduring Principles of the church lies the foundation of the spiritual investment we make in our children:

• We recognize them to be of worth.
• We make responsible choices in our rearing and interaction skills.
• We value them as part of God’s sacred creation.
• We receive precious blessings as they share in our community.

There are other principles that acknowledge children’s important place in the faith community. The church invests in curricula to educate children in God’s ways and nourish them with experiences that develop their spiritual giftedness. As these ministries mingle with child protection policies the church grows disciples in safe and nurturing places.

In Luke 18:15–18 is the story of Jesus welcoming children for a blessing. This narrative lays the foundational model for the church’s ministry to children. Welcoming children is what the church does. Ensuring that the church’s welcome is safe in a contemporary society is also part of the church’s stewardship.

Practical Systems

Community of Christ is not alone in its determination to protect the children in its care. Local and international organizations recognize the need and are responding. Often initiatives to protect children follow well-publicized incidents. The impetus gathers as organizations put new safeguarding procedures into place and new texts are written on the topic. Community of Christ tries to remain aware of present-day thinking, research, and methodology as it lays out its policies.

The Child Protection Policy

The Child Protection Policy is a series of documents that clarifies safeguarding children in Community of Christ, which includes:

• Community of Christ Mission Statement
• Introduction (the context of child protection in Community of Christ)
• Registered Children and Youth Worker Application
• Training materials
• Perpetrator procedures for congregations
• Guidance policies

Some of these documents are available at www.CofChrist.org/legal/ChildProtection/.

Additional materials are available from the Child Protection Office, Legal Services (816) 833-1000, ext. 2220.

The policy is a changing document and will undergo periodic updates.

The Child Protection Policy contains the guidance congregational leaders need to keep the children in their care safe.

No one can work with children and young people in Community of Christ unless registered as a youth worker.

Pastor Responsibilities

• The pastor (perhaps after consultation with the pastor’s leadership team) chooses a person(s) to take responsibility for coordinating the Child Protection Policy within the congregation. This may be the pastor, another leader, or person with skills in this field. (The responsibilities for this position are found below.)
• The pastor oversees the procedures for policy implementation, even if delegated.
• The pastor is responsible for a Supervised Participation Plan for a sexual perpetrator’s attendance in the congregation, should this need arise.
• When an applicant has a history of felonies or has been investigated by children protection services, the pastor refers the Children and Youth Worker Application to the Special Circumstances Committee for approval. The pastor’s recommendation is required. When the applicant is related to the pastor, the pastor delegates responsibility to the financial officer or other congregational leader.
• The pastor consults with the mission center regarding any additional requirements from the state or other government jurisdiction.
• It is strongly recommended that pastors and anyone involved in managing the Child Protection Policy receive the Administrators’ Training available through Legal Services.

Child Protection Coordinator Responsibilities

• Administer the youth worker applications: check applicant’s details, interview references and fill in form with comments, interview the applicant, and send form to mission center president. (Please consult online guidance.)
• Ensure the delivery of the Child Protection Core Training
• Ensure that all persons in the congregation who work with children and all members of the priesthood are registered children and youth workers with Community of Christ.
• Inform the pastor of any deviations from the policy.

Training Materials

Child protection training resources, both generic and specific are available for use in the field. These are listed on the website and can be requested from Legal Services at legalservices@CofChrist.org or (816) 833-1000, ext. 2220. Registration as a children and youth worker is two-fold:

1. Successful completion of the application form
2. Participation in Child Protection Core Training

The Child Protection Core Training Pack is available from mission centers. Additional copies are available from Legal Services. Because of copyright restrictions anyone who requests an additional set of the core training materials must purchase a Reducing the Risk DVD. Confirmation of the purchase of the Reducing the Risk DVD must be sent to the child protection coordinator in Legal Services. Follow this link to order your set: www.reducingtherisk.com. On receipt of the order confirmation the Core Training Pack will be delivered. To buy the leader’s set go to: http://store.churchlawtodaystore.com/reducingrisk.html. The Core Training (PPT) is available to download from www.CofChrist.org/legal/childprotection.

Registration as a Youth Worker

The guidance for registering as a children and youth worker is described above and in the online policy. Please note:

No one can work with children and young people in Community of Christ unless registered as a youth worker.

Applicants are not registered as youth workers until the status code is entered onto Shelby by Legal Services.

Sex Offenders or Abuse Incidents

Guidance about these matters is provided online. If you do not have Internet access, please contact your mission center officers or Legal Services. It is important to inform Legal Services of the circumstances surrounding these events as soon as possible. Legal services are available 24 hours a day: Telephone: (816) 833-1000 or 1-800-825-2806, ext. 2217 (during regular office hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST). Emergency telephone: (816) 509-2946 (after regular office hours and on weekends). E-mail: legalservices@CofChrist.org; Fax: (816) 521-3099; and Website: www.CofChrist.org/legal. Ask for General Counsel or the child protection coordinator. Either of these people is available to offer information, support, and guidance as you may need. Legal Services will provide supervised participation plans when accused or convicted sexual perpetrators wish to participate in congregational life.

Ministers, employees, and leaders in Community of Christ are mandatory reporters of child abuse. All ministers, employees, and leaders in the congregation must report suspicion or incidents of child abuse to the relevant authorities. More information is provided in the Administrators’ Training. Please contact Legal Services for any questions or assistance.

If any doubt exists regarding any aspect of the child protection policies please contact Legal Services. We recognize the demanding and often sensitive nature of this ministry. Legal Services is available 24 hours a day to support you with the prevention of child abuse.

If any of the above seems daunting, don’t worry. Your mission center officers and members of the Legal Services team are there to help.

 

1. Are the priesthood of the congregation registered youth workers?
2. Is everyone who works with children or youth a registered youth worker?
3. Becoming a registered children and youth worker is not just an administrative policy to follow—it requires active participation in a process that is designed to protect the most vulnerable. How will you talk with your priesthood and others about this? How can you use the information provided here to educate leaders in your congregation?