Appendix C Guidelines: Sex Offenders in the Congregation
A present reality. It’s a very strong possibility that you already have or have had a number of sex offenders participate in the life of your congregation. Think about it. Every new or repeat visitor (or current church member, for that matter) crossing the threshold of your church door may, at one time, have committed a sexual offense. And unless you’re requiring a background check before someone enters, you’re already facing this reality. So, the ques- tion isn’t a theoretical or rhetorical one for any of us. The question is: How do we craft a faithful, responsible, common-sense congregational approach that both welcomes those who have sexually offended and are seeking to grow their relationship with Christ and a local congregation, while at the same time safeguarding the security of the congregation? There’s good news to report. Congregations and denominations have been busy developing policies and procedures (especially for “RSOs,” that is, those on sexual offender registries) that can help your congregation develop your own guidelines. There are, in fact, multiple ways that this setting of healthy boundaries is happening. We’re including some helpful links for you to ex- plore, in order to see which approach might best speak to your congregation’s theological tradition and polity, as well as your congregation’s unique culture. The following links outline a range of congregational policies and proce- dural steps when dealing with a request from a person who has committed a sexual offense. Online searches of “Sex offenders in the congregation” will yield additional results that echo some emerging best practices. These include topics like... • Initial interview with the person. Agreeing on the process to be followed. • Contacting the person’s parole/probation officer and others involved in his/her treatment. Informing key people in the congregation. • Identifying designated “accountability partners” who will be a shepherd- ing presence. • Developing a signed covenant with the person (samples included).
Policy and Covenant for Congregations: Safe Church Practices for Welcoming Registered Sex Offenders. Re- viewed by the Executive Board of The Diocese of Virginia Sex Offender Policy and Attendance Contract - Sum- mit-Church-Sex-Offender-Policy_2019.pdf
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