Sexual abuse in the church does not have to end in broken lives, agonizing lawsuits and divided congregations. As illustrated by the real-life abuse case described later in this post, when people follow God’s ways and words, these terrible incidents can result in healing, justice and healthier churches.
Every church I have ever worked with says the same thing when the subject of access control comes up.
“We want people to feel welcome.”
And they mean it. The open door is not just a policy — it is a theology. The church exists to receive people, to gather them, to make room. Putting a lock on a door feels like a contradiction of everything the building is supposed to represent.
But here is what I have learned after years of working inside churches of every size and context: the open door, without structure behind it, does not protect the people inside. It just makes it harder to know who is there.
During Passion Week this year, I contemplated how it took the empty tomb to flip the narrative about Jesus. Leading up to the cross, the narrative was scandalous. Jesus was labeled a lawbreaker, usurper, heretic, and pretender. To most, the truth of the scandal was substantiated on Friday at the Cross. They supposed He wouldn’t allow the crucifixion if he wasn’t all the things they said about Him.
Every church I have ever worked with says the same thing when the subject of access control comes up.
“We want people to feel welcome.”
And they mean it. The open door is not just a policy — it is a theology. The church exists to receive people, to gather them, to make room. Putting a lock on a door feels like a contradiction of everything the building is supposed to represent.
But here is what I have learned after years of working inside churches of every size and context: the open door, without structure behind it, does not protect the people inside. It just makes it harder to know who is there.
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.”
— Proverbs 22:3
The urgent need for abuse awareness and prevention education in Christian K-12 schools cannot be overstated. Alarming statistics indicate that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys under the age of 18 experience abuse, with over half of these incidents involving a perpetrator known to the victim (ECAP, n.d.). However, 95% of abuse cases can be prevented through education (ECAP, n.d.), underscoring the powerful role that proactive,
After more than five decades in pastoral ministry, one sobering truth stands out: protecting the flock from sexual abuse is not a task that can be delegated. It is a core pastoral responsibility rooted in our calling as shepherds of God’s people (1 Peter 5:2-3). Oversight of souls includes vigilance over safety, especially for the most vulnerable among us. For many years, sexual abuse was rarely discussed openly in the church.
Around 1992, attorney Richard Hammar, who founded Church Law & Tax, published one of the first child and youth protection resources for churches: Reducing the Risk. This abuse prevention material was based on research that Hammar had conducted starting in the 1980s determining that sexual abuse was one of the top legal issues for churches and ministries. Hammar started reading thousands of cases involving churches, religious organizations and educational institutions for the purpose of providing analysis, education and solutions to serve Christian ministries.
A good gardener knows that fruit appears only when the right conditions for growth have been nurtured. Jesus often used agricultural metaphors, including the parable of the soils (Mark 4, Matthew 13, and Luke 8). While the parable focuses on individuals’ responses to the message of God’s kingdom, we can also apply it to churches by asking: What fruit is my congregation bearing and what does that reveal about the soil being cultivated? Are we cultivating good soil that contributes to an abundant harvest?
In a time when organizations dedicated to serving youth and vulnerable community members are more vital than ever, ensuring the organization’s own long-term stability and protection is paramount. A crucial, often challenging, aspect of this stability is securing adequate Sexual Abuse or Molestation Liability (SML) coverage.
The insurance market for SML has been “hardening”— coverage is becoming more limited, more expensive, and harder to obtain. This trend directly impacts the ability of nonprofits, schools, religious organizations, youth sports leagues, camps, and other community-serving entities to operate with confidence and financial security.
Jesus’ words still echo through time: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). These words were not just a gentle invitation—they were a command. A command to the Church to make room, to open arms, to clear the way. Yet in too many places, we’ve allowed hindrances to remain. We’ve allowed silence, fear, neglect, and even abuse to take root where there should be protection, joy, and peace.