Thank you for your interest in the clergy conference explaining the Child Abuse Reporting Act and its effect on your responsibilities as clergy. We are pleased to provide you with details on how you may access information provided during the conference designed to encourage churches to develop policies to respond effectively to this issue.

Protecting children – who cannot speak for themselves –should not and cannot be discretionary and it is not only our moral duty, it is now the law. We all must be alert to those circumstances that, unless properly managed, pose a threat to the welfare of our children.

I encourage you to develop a Child Protection Policy for your church or congregation sooner rather than later. The materials provided through our website can be used to supplement or to create your program. When you or any of your colleagues suspect child abuse or neglect, you must make an initial oral report immediately to your county Department of Human Resources, followed by a written report. If you have any questions regarding this process, please call your local county DHR office, or you may call the state DHR office at (334) 242-9500.

Thank you for your courageous and faithful leadership in your church and in our state. Please continue to pray for all leaders and for those who serve the public by guarding its welfare.

Ten Child-Saving Questions Every Church Must Ask

  1. Have we considered what would happen if a child is abused in our church?
  2. Are we fulfilling our responsibility before God to protect the children of our church from harm?
  3. Do we understand the legal grounds on which our church could be sued if a child is sexually abused?
  4. Do we understand the benefits of having a program to prevent child sexual abuse?
  5. How should we screen our youth workers?
  6. How should we supervise our youth workers?
  7. How should we identify and report incidents of sexual abuse?
  8. How should we respond to incidents of sexual abuse?
  9. How do we persuade our people to cooperate with a program to prevent abuse?
  10. Are we acting like our church is immune to child sexual abuse?

Courtesy of Tom Eden, Attorney with Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt, LLC

 

Resources

Documents and Templates

Internet Links

Clergy Conference Presentations & Documents

Return to Attorney General's Office Website