Posted on May 21, 2008 | by Jenny Rice

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--How vulnerable are the children and youth of your church to volunteers or staff with criminal histories? Can staff members at your church confidently look a young mother in the eye and say everything possible has been done to make sure her child is safe?

"Of all the crimes against children in the U.S. every year, thousands will occur within the walls of churches and youth centers," said Matthew Robbins of Backgroundchecks.com. "With crime and abuse at an all-time high, churches must develop hiring programs that work to prevent dangerous situations before they occur."

Because Southern Baptist churches are autonomous, the responsibility to provide safe, responsible employees and volunteers falls on the local church.

"Background screening will assist in making decisions that prevent placement of people in situations that could lead to them committing an illegal act that will harm a minor and ultimately hurt the trust that communities place upon organizations that have pledged to protect that trust," Robbins said.

Through an agreement between LifeWay Christian Stores and Backgroundchecks.com, churches have access to discount screening services, Robbins said. Because most criminal records are kept at three levels -- federal, state and county -- Backgroundchecks.com has compiled a proprietary database called US OneSEARCH, the largest national criminal conviction database publicly available. The program offers services ranging from motor vehicle record screening to education and employment verification.

Background screenings may be helpful, but they also must fall within legal guidelines, Robbins noted.

"While it is very important to create and execute a thorough plan for protection against violence or crimes against children and workers, organizations must be mindful of consumer rights as well," he said. "Backgroundchecks.com provides support by promoting strict adherence to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which was put in place to protect consumers from misuse of their background information."

Some pastors or hiring committees may feel uncomfortable performing background checks on volunteers or staff members, but the consequence of not performing these checks can be devastating, Robbins explained.

"It is unfortunate that everyone must be checked out before they are given trust or confidence in their goodwill, especially when they are only trying to give back to the community through the giving of themselves to support a ministry," he said. "But child protection statistics tell a gruesome story that needs to change."
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Jenny Rice is a corporate communications specialist with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Information on LifeWay Christian Stores' OneSource program is available at www.lifewaystores.com/backgroundchecks.