Safeguards for Churches
Jeff Dalrymple is currently the Director Abuse Prevention & Response at the SBC Executive Committee. Jeff formerly served as executive director of the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention, a national association of Christian ministries committed to child and youth protection. In his role with the SBC Executive Committee, Jeff serves as a catalyst to educate and equip Southern Baptists with abuse prevention and response. Jeff is based in Jacksonville, Florida and is married to his wife Kristil and together they have four children.
Editor’s note: Join the conversation in Dallas for “Safeguarding the Next Generation,” a panel conversation about child and youth protection in both ministry contexts as well as in homes and culture – Monday, June 9, 2 p.m. at the Dallas Omni Hotel’s Trinity Ballroom. Get more information here.
Southern Baptists are a force for good – I have been inspired by Dr. Jeff Iorg’s common refrain as I have traveled with him and met Southern Baptist leaders. For more than 100 years, Southern Baptists have been a force for good throughout the U.S. and around the globe. We could spotlight the work of the North American Mission Board and Send Relief in responding to disasters and the work of International Mission Board missionaries involved in all sorts of mercy ministry in faraway places.
Note this IMB interview with Dr. Tom Hicks: https://www.imb.org/2023/11/21/supporting-baptist-hospitals/
In 1947 the SBC Executive Committee responded to a telegram from community leaders in Jacksonville, Florida, stating the urgent need caused by hospital bed shortages. The Executive Committee announced the creation of a faith-based hospital with a public-private partnership that created Baptist Memorial Hospital which opened in 1955. The legacy of this good work continues today as Baptist Health (Jacksonville), totaling six hospitals and 1,168 beds. Baptist chaplains and local pastors are often on the frontlines in caring for the sick and injured and their families with the hope of the Gospel.
A new opportunity has presented itself to us, Southern Baptists. This is the urgent need brought on by sexual abuse, which, I believe, is the rotten fruit of the Sexual Revolution. There is a broad cultural epidemic that is infiltrating our churches with the prevalence of pornography and promiscuity. There is much to be done about this, and Southern Baptists must step up to address the problem with the clear hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the redemption and fulfillment that is only found in following Him.
Responding to sexual sin and brokenness is a matter of biblical stewardship and Great Commission importance. Where do we start or how can we continue this work?
First, our churches and ministries must be the safest place for kids and the vulnerable to hear the Gospel and grow in discipleship. This means we must safeguard our churches by implementing and sustaining screening, training and response measures. Each and every employee and volunteer that serves with children and youth should be background checked using the current system of criminal and civil databases that we have available to us. Performing reference checks, verifying government-issued photo ID and using a waiting period are all important measures to screen workers.
Training is another key safety measure. This training should include definitions and indicators of abuse, common grooming behaviors, mandatory and permissive reporting laws and policies, as well as any ministry-specific training such as response plans.
Second, our churches should consider sharing these measures with parents and caregivers and raising awareness about abuse, online exploitation and other common dangers facing kids today. Our churches are well positioned to provide this training and discipleship based on our biblical worldview.
Third, our churches should be equipped to provide hope, care and healing for those who have experienced sexual abuse and domestic violence. This includes access to properly trained Christian counselors who are able to bring the Gospel and a Christ-centered perspective to hurting and broken people. I cannot think of a better place for people to heal than in the community of believers who are growing in Christ together.
Our pastors and ministry leaders already have access to such incredible training, certification and resources in this area through our Baptist seminaries and universities. We can work together to connect the dots and to bring these resources to the frontlines where ministry is taking place. Caring Well is once such good resource: www.caringwell.com
Southern Baptists are a force for good. The urgent needs of our culture are different than 1947 but no less pressing. The effects of sexual sin are often hidden and more difficult to recognize, but they are there. With thoughtful and intentional care, we can provide Gospel hope for a desperate world. Let’s move forward as we build on the foundation of abuse prevention and response as a Great Commission people. May we be found faithful in protecting the vulnerable and proclaiming the Good News of redemption to a desperate world.
This article originally appeared on baptistpress.com as part of the First-Person series.
- A Better Way to Handle Abuse
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. - Access Control Is an Act of Love (Part 2)
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. - Flipping the Narrative About Southern Baptists and Sexual Abuse
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. - Access Control Is an Act of Love (Part 1)
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. - Empowering Protection: The Essential Role of Abuse Prevention Education in Christian Schools
“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,