by Grant Lottering
Children and youth represent a large percentage of the ministry that happens in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, including Sabbath School, VBS, Pathfinders, summer camps, and the educational system. This is why having an effective child-protection program is critical.
An effective child-protection plan starts with screening and regular training for anyone who works with young people. Consideration must be given to your facilities as well as proper supervision protocols to minimize accidents and prevent incidents of abuse.
Guidelines are available from Adventist Risk Management to ensure a safe environment for children to learn and grow at church. These guidelines may be downloaded here. The guidelines summarily offer four safety measures which should be in place around the children’s area:
Firstly, the premises used for children’s activities should be monitored and restricted. Ensure that the area is well lit and that visual panels such as windows are transparent without anything to restrict a clear view of the area such as curtains or pictures/stickers.
Secondly, there is a need to practice caution in the selection of staff who will work with the children. Be careful to select staff who are well known and who have demonstrated high ethics and standards of Christian living. It has become necessary to perform background screening for volunteers to ensure the protection of the children. Providing training and supervision and requiring accountability from the volunteers further limits the risk of violation.
A third guideline deals with protecting the children from any compromised position. Limit the amount of contact between staff and the children, and especially monitor any interaction of staff members with the children out of the usual church program. Be observant of any signs of abuse and report any incident which compromised the safety of the children. Be vigilant of strangers and do not tolerate any bullying.
Lastly, review and evaluate your child protection program regularly in order to notice any possible flaws or loopholes which may need to be adjusted and corrected.
While we recognize the seriousness of child abuse, we are not at liberty to exclude perpetrators from our communal worship. While we cannot exclude perpetrators of child abuse, we should simultaneously keep in mind the safety and comfort of the children. As such, a participation agreement form can be downloaded here, which should be agreed upon and signed between the local church and the perpetrator.
We encourage all churches to do their utmost best to ensure the safety of all children and youth at church gatherings. In the unfortunate event of any abuse related incidents which occur within the Seventh-day Adventist Church setting, please inform the Conference designated Abuse Prevention Officer (APO), Pr Jeremy Vlotman. This will ensure that the incidents are reported to the relevant authorities. The Seventh-day Adventist Church promotes reporting any form of abuse and strives to comply with the mandatory reporting of suspected or confirmed cases of abuse relating to vulnerable persons including children, senior citizens and persons living with a disability.
Click here for more information on the Statement on Nurture and Protection of Children
