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What is Safe Sanctuaries?
Safe
Sanctuaries is the name commonly given by local
United Methodist Annual Conferences and local
churches to their individual efforts to make
conference, district, and local church programs
welcoming and safe for children and youth. Safe
Sanctuaries is the title of two guidebooks, Reducing
the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church and Reducing
the Risk of Abuse in Youth Ministries, written by
United Methodist deacon and lawyer Joy Thornburg
Melton.
What does the term Safe Sanctuaries encompass?
Safe
Sanctuaries encompasses the efforts made by a local
church, district, or the Conference to reduce the
risk of abuse to children and youth and to protect
the adult workers (either paid or volunteer) who
interact with those children and youth in any church
activity, whether on-site or away from the church
building. Being known as a Safe Sanctuaries church
or district indicates to persons entering your
building that a level of care and protection is
being provided in that local church or at that
district or Conference event.
Why
do we need to have this Safe Sanctuaries program?
For Holston
Conference, the physical and emotional safety, as
well as the spiritual growth of all God's children
and youth, is important. We as a Conference are
committed to the holistic well-being of each child,
youth, and adult entrusted to us. We believe that we
as a Church must take reasonable steps to love and
protect our children and youth while they are
involved in programs and activities provided in and
by our local churches, districts, and our
Conference. In addition, we must take reasonable
steps to love and protect those adults who work with
our children and youth.
The resolution "Reducing the
Risk of Child Sexual Abuse in the Church" was adopted
in 1996 and reaffirmed in 2000 by the General
Conference of The United Methodist Church. This
resolution became the impetus for all Annual
Conferences and local churches to implement child
and youth abuse prevention policies.
In all of our
ministries with children and youth, the Holston
Conference is committed to demonstrating the love of
Jesus Christ so that each child will be...
"surrounded by steadfast love, established in the
faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way
that leads to life eternal" (Baptismal Covenant
II, United Methodist Hymnal, p. 44). This
effort at Safe Sanctuaries demonstrates our
commitment to the physical safety and spiritual
growth of all our children and youth.
Why
conduct background checks and interviews
of existing
employees and volunteers?
One aspect
of Safe Sanctuaries care includes conducting
background checks on persons – both paid and
volunteer – who work with children and youth. Doing
background checks on staff members and volunteers
who have regular and direct contact with children
and youth provides uniformity in treatment of the
workers. It demonstrates that background checks are
not targeted or random. Uniformity of treatment
helps guard against any misunderstanding or
resentment that might otherwise arise.
Safe Sanctuaries policy information and forms:
MPUMC Policy, Definitions, and Guidelines (link
coming soon)
MPUMC Volunteer Application (link coming soon)
MPUMC Participation Covenant (link coming soon)
MPUMC Release of Records/Background Check (link
coming soon)
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