Child Protection
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Child Protection
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The problem of child sexual abuse continues to be the number one catastrophic risk facing churches today. A single case can shatter the life of an individual and family, and destroy the ministry of a church. Cases continue to receive widespread media attention. American society is now well aware of the problem, and will not tolerate any excuses from church leaders to provide safe places for children. Incidents of molestation can occur in any church, including Fulton Church. We have traditionally accepted the services of anyone expressing an interest in working as a volunteer with children or youth. We are by nature trusting and unsuspecting members. Asking sensitive questions of those who are giving of their time and talent can be distasteful to our church leaders. No one at Fulton wants to offend potential workers, especially long-time church workers with a history of good service. Therefore, a committee was appointed to review this potential problem and propose a child protection policy for Fulton Church. Our main concern, of course, is the child. Then the fact we could lose our insurance coverage was another concern. Thirdly, how do we answer this – assume that an incident of abuse occurs at Fulton, and Pastor Larry is asked to testify during trial. The victim’s lawyer asks, “What did you or your staff do to prevent this tragedy from occurring? What procedures did you utilize to check the molester’s background and supervise his work with children?” What would Pastor Larry say? If the answer is “nothing,” you can well imagine the jury’s reaction. The only question in the jurors’ minds at this point is the monetary size of the verdict. The policy is now completed. The link below will take you to our policy. If you are interested in becoming involved in our children's ministries, you will need to submit a volunteer application (link below) to the church office. Once the background check is complete, you will be notified as to when you can begin helping out. If you have any questions regarding our child protection policy, please call the church office at 884-8512. |
Missions Conference starts October 11th and ends Wednesday, October 15th Board of Administration - October 14th at 6:30 pm Baby Shower - October 16th at 7 pm
Quarterly Meeting - October 26th at 12:30 pm Sewing/Quilting Day - Saturday, November 15th
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