Sex Offenders Sue for Right to Volunteer in Churches
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Wed, November 19, 2008
- Viewed 43
- (14) comments so far
Sounds terrible.
Then you read some of the details. More from the article:
Among the plaintiffs in the class action suit filed is Janet Jenkins Allison, who was convicted of statutory rape when her 15-year-old daughter became pregnant. Allison was accused of not doing enough to stop her daughter from becoming sexually active and is now one of more than 16,000 people on Georgia’s sex offender registry, including 224 in Hall County.
Omar Howard, a sex offender who served 14 years in prison for false imprisonment and manslaughter, testified that he, too, was no longer able to tell church gatherings about being saved.
Seems like there has to be a way to separate the real offenders from mother’s whose daughters get pregnant. Doesn’t there?
Todd
According to an article in the Gainesville, FL Times, a legal advocacy group is arguing in federal court that Georgia's registered sex offenders should not be prevented from volunteering in church.
According to the article, "Lawyers for the Georgia Attorney General’s office, meanwhile, countered that the law preventing registered sex offenders from volunteering in church did not keep them from attending services or practicing their religion of choice."...
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ck on Wed, November 19, 2008
I actually think that they should have the opportunity to serve in churches. I think by not allowing them they are actually violating the separation of church and state.
Now what they could do is require that they notify the leadership of the church of their past. So the leadership can then make the decision in the church and not the government.
Dan on Wed, November 19, 2008
So would Mary’s mother then be an eligible sex offender?
Mandy on Wed, November 19, 2008
Here is my question….if they win this law suit would their be limitations in the areas they can serve? Our sex offender policy is that they cannont volunteer with our children, youth, or in the office (because they would have access to children’s personal info).
There are areas they can serve, but we need to look out for them as well, and not put them in situations where they would be tempted to do it again.
ck on Wed, November 19, 2008
Mandy,
Understand the inability to serve is a STATE restriction. The church would still be allowed to limit where people serve by whatever reason they wish to enforce.
In this case the state is telling churches that people can’t serve.
shane on Wed, November 19, 2008
Seems pretty simple to me. Can you attend the church? Yes. Can you work/volunteer in childrens/kids/youth ministries? NO. The church must protect children, it’s that simple. I had to deal with this situation a few years ago. As the senior pastor I told the gentlemen he was welcome to attend our church, but he would not be able to work in any capacity with any kids. Guess what, he was ok with it and understood. He remained with the church for many years and we never once had any issues.
Yes there are different scenarios for what one may be considered a sex offender and that may seem “unfair”. But I do believe in having ONE policy, if you have been convicted as sex offender, here is our church policy, period. Sorry, but your problem is not my problem. And I am very weary about states passing any bills instructing churches in what their policies should be, this is a gross infringement of seperation of church & state.
Snoop on Wed, November 19, 2008
This is not just about serving with kids though. Because of this law, sex offenders are not allowed to be ushers, bulletin passer-outers, janitors, or anything else.
I completely understand a church decision that mandates that sex offenders can not serve with children, that is only prudent (and I believe that it is already a law in most jurisdictions). But do we prohibit them from leading worship? What else is inappropriate for registered sex offenders to do?
EC on Wed, November 19, 2008
1. We don’t have all the details in the Allison case.
2. How can you “practice” your religion if you cannot serve? And while a sex offender may not even want to volunteer to work with children, they might want to serve by mowing the church lawn or painting the building or gassing up the church vans, etc. Does that law prevent them from even doing something like that?
Snoop on Wed, November 19, 2008
EC,
My understanding of the law is that the ONLY thing that someone on the registry is allowed to do is go to church. Any other involvement at the church is against the law.
EC on Wed, November 19, 2008
Wow. Thanks Snoop for the info. Knowing only the little that I know about this Georgia law, I would have to agree that the state has WAY overstepped its bounds with that law. The limited experience that I’ve had with people on a sex offender’s list is that they don’t want to have any contact with children in the church. And that is as it should be. But again, why should the state have the authority to mandate that they cannot mow the church lawn or fold bulletins or something else that does not require them to be around children?
Peter Hamm on Wed, November 19, 2008
I’m guessing that when your insurance provider discovers that you have a registered sex offender serving in ministry…
...you will have no more insurance provider…
sad but true reality.
Snoop on Thu, November 20, 2008
So Peter, does that mean that no registered sex offenders are allowed to serve in your church?
Peter Hamm on Thu, November 20, 2008
Snoop,
I don’t believe our state has a law against them serving in a capacity that would bring them near children, so we don’t have the same situation.
But of course in any kids ministry (birth through high school) they need clearances to serve, so no, they couldn’t serve there.
I realize that it’s delicate and more than a little unfair at times, but sometimes we pay in our flesh for mistakes we make regardless of Christ’s forgiveness… and SOMETIMES we pay in flesh for mistakes others have made. It’s part of fallen humanity, and last I checked, won’t be completely rectified until the New Heavens and New Earth.
Snoop on Thu, November 20, 2008
But what about other areas? Would you allow a person on the list to lead worship? Besides areas involving children and youth, what would you and would you not allow them to do?
Greg Sporer on Tue, November 25, 2008
There is a reason for the many children being sexually abused at churches. There are 5-6 million non-convicted sex offenders in the USA and 600,000 registered sex offenders.
The question congregations want to know is how many of these offenders attend church?
Steve and I invested thousands of hours evaluating church sex offenders and studying church sexual abuse research. There are more sex offenders attending churches than churches. One sixth of the non-convicted and 1/5th of the registered sex offenders attend church.
Note: Our study of research is very conservative compared to our peers in the sex offender management field who estimate 33%-50% offenders attend church.
Why are there so many offenders in churches?
Many offenders are desperate in trying to quit their sin before they get arrested so churches attract offenders for their redemption and spiritual help. Most offenders are church members or staff living a double life of being spiritual and other times preying on kids.
Churches attempt to police themselves, but with very little success. It takes outside accountability from a ministry with experts at managing church offenders. Keeping Kids Safe has earned its reputation as the leader in protecting kids in churches.
Kids can be safe in churches! Repentant offenders can attend church without harming kids with accountability. We can help! Call Greg at 631-5075 or visit or website http://www.KidsSafeMinistries.com
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