Thanks.

Acts 20:28-30
(28) Therefore take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He has purchased with His own blood.
(29) For I know this, that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
(30) Also men shall arise from your own selves, speaking perverse things in order to draw disciples away after them.

Many understand these verses to mean doctrinal shifts, but those who are charged with being Overseers of the flock not only have to look out for doctrinal wolves, but wolves of every stripe. This includes those who would prey on our children. I was watching a show about sexual predators and it stated it’s never the creepy looking person who is molesting the children. It’s always the person who has a very plausible reason to be around the children, the one person you’d never expect. Which goes hand in hand with what Scripture says that men “crept in unawares”. Again, speaking about doctrinal issues, but can be applied here as well.

That being said, anyone wishing to work with children should be willing to submit to a criminal check to see if they have committed sexual crimes in the past. Being an Overseer and taking heed of the flock means I look out for the spiritual needs of the sheep on all levels. Should someone who has had a past of sexual molestation be allowed to continue to work with children? No, it would be irresponsible to continue to place an individual in such a position…the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And one never knows which temptation would be enough to trigger the flesh and one’s movement towards the desire of the flesh.

Should the person be ex-communicated? Not at all, we are all sinners saved by grace.

Should the person be released from the position they were serving in? This is the same question as the one above and the answer again is yes. Allowing a sexual predator to continue to work with children would be placing an undue burden on them, something we are told we should not do in the body of Christ.

Should we broadcast the sin to the congregation? Only if we are willing to broadcast everyone’s sin…and only if that individual is continuing in that sin.

Those are my two pennies.

While all sin is the same, I think the act that made someone a sexual predator has to be examined to determine the role they should be able to play in the lives of children. I believe there is difference between someone who was convicted of statutory rape when they were 19 because they were dating and having consentual sex 16 year old girl versus a 19 year old who is molesting a 10 year old. Again, let me repeat, that I am not saying that either one is right, but I would consider the first a bit differently years later.

Also, I believe that disclosure is a hugh consideration here. If the sexual predator has truly been healed of their former lifestyle, then I would expect that they be forthcoming with their past before engaging in any work with children. The fact that all of these criminal offenses were only discovered because of the background checks means that the offenders were concealing the information.

GCMW: thanks so much Landa. Welcome and that is sound advice I agree with.

Your points were very good, but one thing almost made me trip and fall; you said, “Do you allow alcoholics to prepare the communion table if your church serves wine?”

What are the churches supposed to serve??

Inquiring mind wishes to know, or what remains of it.

Peter.