Church is meant to be a refuge — but predators are drawn to places where trust is high, oversight is low, and children are encouraged to respect adult
Church is meant to be a refuge — but predators are drawn to places where trust is high, oversight is low, and children are encouraged to respect adults without question.
Prevention isn’t about fear.
Prevention is about wisdom, boundaries, transparency, and courage.
Below are the foundations every church should have in place.
1️⃣ Start with a clear theology of protection
Children are not “little helpers.”
They are not “learning submission.”
They are not there to serve adults’ needs.
They are children who deserve:
- safety
- dignity
- bodily autonomy
- protection from harm
A church that cannot say plainly:
“We protect children — even when it costs us comfort, reputation, or relationships,”
is already unsafe.
2️⃣ Zero tolerance — on paper and in practice
Every church needs a written Child Protection Policy that is:
publicly available
reviewed annually
enforced consistently (no exceptions for “important” people)
It should include:
✔ definitions of abuse (including grooming)
✔ mandatory reporting procedures
✔ consequences for policy violations
✔ support pathways for victims and families
✔ how to cooperate with law enforcement — not replace it
If your policy keeps everything “in-house,” that is not protection — it is concealment.
3️⃣ Screen — and then keep screening
Predators rely on easy entry.
Healthy churches require:
- background checks (re-run regularly)
- written applications
- reference checks
- interviews focused on boundaries and motivation
- probationary periods before contact with youth
And remember:
Background checks catch known offenders — not skillful groomers.
Screening is only one layer.
4️⃣ The “Two-Adult Rule”
No adult alone with a child. Ever.
Practically, that means:
- two unrelated adults in every classroom
- open doors or windows in rooms
- no private car rides
- no closed-door counseling with minors
- no one-on-one trips, retreats, or “mentoring” in private spaces
If a program cannot run safely, it does not run.
5️⃣ Understand grooming — and talk about it openly
Grooming rarely looks like violence at first.
It often looks like:
- extra attention
- special gifts
- private inside jokes
- secret texting / DMs
- isolating the youth from peers or family
- slow boundary pushing (“It’s just between us.”)
Teach leaders, parents, and youth what grooming is.
Normalize saying:
“That doesn’t feel appropriate.”
Kids should never feel responsible for “protecting” an adult’s reputation.
A note to leaders and parents
Protecting children at church is not distrust — it’s discipleship.
It teaches:
- honesty
- humility
- accountability
- courage
- the sacred worth of every body
When we protect children well, we reflect the character of the God we proclaim.