National Child Abuse Prevention Month is upon us. Commemorate it by brushing up on some basics — and taking impactful action in your own church to protect children. Church Executive: As insurers, what kind of an increase in child sexual abuse claims have you seen among churches in recent years? Andrew Shockey: It was […]
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What to expect from child protection agencies By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris Child sexual abuse continues to present a compelling concern to the Church. An understanding of mandatory reporting requirements is critical for ministry leaders. If every allegation of child sexual abuse is simply reported by church leaders to appropriate authorities, the […]
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By Georgia McKnight, featuring Kimberlee Norris ‘Church Rocked by Sexual Abuse Allegations’ The headline stunned the members of a large evangelical church in western Pennsylvania. Church leaders took hundreds of telephone calls from members, media representatives and advocacy groups. Social media coverage was immediate and savage, with posts assuming the worst possible motives attributable to […]
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How to provide help, hope and healing to sexual abuse survivors in your church Church Executive: Even now, it seems like sexual trauma incidents are treated like isolated incidents. Why? Dr. James Reeves: Sexual abuse occurs in a subterranean place. In a secret place. Most of the public is living on one level; beneath that, […]
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Sexual abuse prevention and healing occur at the church level By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris Why does child sexual abuse continue to impact the Church? Why do so many abuse survivors remain hurting and silent? What must change in the Church? In the last 10 years, our culture has experienced repeated clarion calls for […]
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It’s time for ministries to be the Gospel standard. When brought to light, abuse in the church should be handled swiftly. Sometimes it can be challenging to know how to respond, so below, we’ve provided considerations should your church face allegations. As experts in church insurance and ministry, we know that the importance of protecting […]
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What is the insurance carrier looking for? Abuse claims have become increasingly frequent and highly publicized. Expansion of statutes of limitations has resulted in insurance carriers defending claims from activity alleged to have happened decades ago. As a result, insurance carriers are asking for more documentation to allow the carrier to better defend against […]
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As a church leader, you would, of course, be horrified to learn that someone in your congregation is suspected of abusing or mistreating a child. But are you required by law to report this abuse to the authorities? At what point does clergy confidentiality prevent you or the pastors at your church from reporting […]
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It’s a common scenario in houses of worship: Who’s in charge of the property committee? “Our elder, Joe, heads that up.” What about the finance committee? “Yes, Susan is our accountant and oversees the finances.” And the sexual abuse prevention plan? “Well, our children and student ministry leaders do the background checks, interviews and […]
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It’s the call no ministry leader wants to get — that a church employee or volunteer has been accused of sexually abusing a child. Unfortunately, predators see churches as an easy target. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge and plan for the possibility that child sexual abuse could happen at your ministry. Your insurance company […]
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