Resources to Help Churches be Safer Places:
Have a plan:
- Protecting Children and Youth from Sexual Misconduct in Your Church
- Preventing Adult Sexual Misconduct in Your Church
If your church is not yet using the MinistrySafe system, use the coupon code ALSBOM at the time of signup and your first year’s annual fee will be $50 (a savings of $200).
Tools to Implement the Plan
- Screening Form from Brotherhood Mutual (used by permission)
- Protecting by Responsible Ordination
- Sample permission for a criminal background check
- Permission for a credit check
- Employment covenant
- A Covenant of Ministerial Ethics
- Sexual harassment policy
- Social Media Policy
- Computer and internet use policy
- Protect Ministry Data and Computers
Tools to Create your church protection policies
- Brotherhood Mutual Insurance (Protecting Children)
- Brotherhood Mutual Insurance (all topics)
- Child Protection First!
- MinistrySafe
- Reducing the Risk
Child Protective Services FAQs
Department of Justice National Sex Offender database
The database is called the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender database. It is available at www.nsopr.gov, and includes a list of convicted sex offenders nationwide.
Background Check Vendors:
- Employment Screening Services (full service screening including drugs and alcohol use)
- LifeWay Stores
- MinistrySafe
- Protect My Ministry
- Shepherd’s Watch Background Checks formerly “Church Volunteer Central”
Other valuable links:
- Alabama Attorney General’s Site
- Brotherhood Mutual Insurance
- Child Welfare Information Gateway
- Promotes the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families by connecting child welfare, adoption and related professionals as well as concerned citizens to timely, essential information.
- Child Protection First!
- Child Protection First! Administrative Guidelines
- Church Mutual Insurance
- GuideOne Insurance safety resources
- MinistrySafe
- Reducing the Risk
- Child Abuse Facts
Today Executive Reports
- Are We Prepared to Confront Peer Abuse? ChurchLawAndTax.com
- Purchase Sex Offenders in the Church from Brotherhood Mutual and Christianity Today
- Brotherhood Mutual Sex Offender Q&A
- Brotherhood Mutual Tough Issues: Registered Sex Offenders in Ministry Activities
- 2008 Child Abuse Prevention Survey Results
- Christianity Today: Church Reporting Laws for Child Abuses
Every Alabama Baptist church is autonomous and each decides for itself how to conduct business. However, some customs and practices do prevail. These are possibilities for your consideration. These ideas reflect Alabama law. You should contact your legal counsel when creating policies.
Page questions answered by Cooperative Program & Stewardship Development
Preventing Adult Sexual Misconduct in Your Church
Biblical Marriage Policies
Legal opinions differ as to the necessity of a church policy for the utilization of facilities. However, a proactive way to protect your church against future changes in the law is to adopt a facilities usage policy. If one is to be adopted, the following statement could be considered:
“The use of church facilities shall be limited to individuals or groups who are compatible with the mission and purpose of ________________________ Baptist Church.”
Another proactive step is for the church to adopt a wedding policy which affirms biblical marriage as between one man and one woman. The following statements could be adopted:
Due to our belief in the biblical teachings about marriage, same sex couples will not be married in any facilities or on any properties owned by the church.
Ministers of ________________________ Baptist Church will not perform any same sex marriages or civil unions whether on or off church owned properties. Doing so would be grounds for termination. This information is designed to help autonomous Baptist churches think through vital issues and formulate their own internal policies.
“A Potential Marriage Statement For Churches,” which includes wording for a possible amendment to your local church’s bylaws, may be found below:
A Potential Marriage Statement for Churches (.pdf)
This resource, like virtually all past and present resources from the State Board of Missions, is not binding on local congregations, which are entirely self-governing. Permission to use this is not required.
Every Alabama Baptist church is autonomous and each decides for itself how to conduct business. However, some customs and practices do prevail. These are possibilities for your consideration. These ideas reflect Alabama law. You should contact your legal counsel when creating policies.
Page questions answered by Cooperative Program & Stewardship Development
Resources:
Basics of Church Security for Small Congregations
Generic Security Manual – Whitesburg
Active Shooter Checklist – Churches
Church Security Conference Notes 2/15/2018
- Security Assessment Checklist
- Safety 101: A Church Leader’s Guide To Risk Management at Brotherhood Mutual
- Download: Brotherhood Mutual’s The Big Book Of Risk Management Checklists
Security
- Basics of Church Security for small congregations Word PDF
- Protect your church from a gunman by Christianity Today
- Church Security
In the wake of the November 5, 2017, shooting at First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs, Texas, the myth that “something like this could never happen here” has been dispelled. Churches should give serious thought to planning their response to any type of emergency.
The resources on this page are provided by the State Board of Missions and the Department of Homeland Security to help churches be prepared for an active shooter incident. Periodically, the State Board of Missions provides workshops on the topic, which will be posted on this page. Also, a state missionary is available to come to your church or association to provide assistance as requested.
Resources:
Every Alabama Baptist church is autonomous and each decides for itself how to conduct business. However, some customs and practices do prevail. These are possibilities for your consideration. These ideas reflect Alabama law. You should contact your legal counsel when creating policies.
Legal Issues for Churches
Employment Law Posters
Consider verifying this: https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/posters.htm
Direct Links: Posters are required under the following laws:
Federal
- The Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Required
- The Equal Employment Opportunity Poster Required
- The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Required
- The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) / Section 14(c) Required If you have an ADA covered employee.
- The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Required If you have 50 or more employees.
- The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act Required
- Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Required
- Whistleblower Protections Required
Alabama
- Alabama Child Labor Law (English) Required
- E-Verify
- Workers’ Compensation Notice Required NOTE: You must fill in the blanks!
- Your Job Insurance Required NOTE: add a hand-written note “Alabama law prohibits churches and associations of churches from participating” see: Are religious organizations liable for Unemployment Taxes?
Q. Are religious organizations liable for Unemployment Taxes? see: Are religious organizations liable for Unemployment Taxes?
A: The Alabama UC law provides that services performed in the employ of a church or convention or association of churches; or an organization that is operated primarily for religious purposes and which is operated, supervised, controlled or principally supported by a church or convention or association of churches shall not be considered covered employment. For more information on religious organizations contact the Status Unit as shown at the end of this section.
