Disclaimer: This notebook and seminar does NOT constitute legal advice.

“Keep Your Church Out of Court” presents a summary of legal issues with a view towards real-world application. The seminar content is:

• Organized by key areas of law/litigation
• Presented as a two-hour overview of general church legal issues
• Arranged in eight sections:
  • Section 1 – Legal Summary
  • Section 2 – Reasons Churches Go to Court by Church Law & Tax
  • Section 3 – Abuse Prevention
  • Section 4 – Liability & Personal Injury Lawsuits
  • Section 5 – Insurance Coverage Disputes
  • Section 6 – Facilities, Weddings & Funerals
  • Section 7 – Constitution/Bylaws & Administration
  • Section 8 – Keeping Your Church Out of Court by Texas Baptists
    
    

Section 3 – Abuse Prevention

Abuse Prevention Summary* (5 pages)

• Mandated Reporters – Every state in the U.S. has laws identifying individuals who are mandated reporters, typically professionals who have regular contact with children or vulnerable adults. These laws are designed to ensure that suspected cases of abuse or neglect are reported to the appropriate authorities for investigation and intervention.
• General Abuse Prevention Guidelines – Effective Abuse Prevention Plans include background checks, adequate screening, automatic exclusions for ineligible workers, child protection policies, security procedures, and prompt incident reporting.
• 5-5-5 Method (also known as “Essentials Curriculum”) – “The Essentials: Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response Training” curriculum is provided without charge by the Southern Baptist Convention as a resource for small and medium-sized churches. It leads churches to establish or evaluate an abuse prevention and response plan.

“Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect” by Louisiana DCFS* (2 pages)

• “A Comprehensive Exploration of United States Mandated Reporting Laws for Abuse and Neglect“
  by Remnant Counselor Collective

Child Protection Policies & Volunteer Screening

• Child Protection Policy/Reporting Process* (5 pages) – Every church should have a Child Protection Policy with robust abuse prevention rules and a clear reporting process for any suspected abuse or inappropriate volunteer behavior.
• Kids Ministry Leader Application* (3 pages) – Volunteers should be thoroughly vetted with background checks, references, staff leader observation and personal interviews. Any prospective volunteer with preschoolers, children or students should be considered for service only after a defined waiting period (usually six months to one year).
• Houston’s First Baptist Church Protection Policy* (14 pages)

Additional Abuse Prevention Exhibits & Resources

• Accident Report* (1 page) – File an Accident Report to document all injuries, accidents or mishaps that occur at any church facility or event (onsite or offsite), as well as incidents involving any church-sponsored transportation.
• Summer Camps/Trips Safety E-mail* (2 pages) – Recognize special safety considerations for offsite travel, camps and other events. Anticipate hot (or cold) weather contingencies and brief leaders and volunteers on safety protocols for medical emergencies and other concerns.
• Sex Offender Policy & Covenant* (4 pages) – For churches and ministries with resources to manage identified sex offenders in public settings and facilitate ministry to this challenging group, create a thorough policy and covenant to establish clear guardrails and expectations. A well-staffed Safety and Security Team is a likely pre-requisite for any ministry of this kind.

   Seminar Outline

   Seminar Slide Deck

   Seminar Content

   Church Law & Tax

   Alliance Defending Freedom

   Michael Best