EmployeeScreenIQ

Some people are praying for more background checks in churches after the results of a recent study were released.

One agency recently conducted a slew of background checks by way of LifeWay Christian Resources. The 5,000 background checks for 450 churches found serious felonies in 80 cases and more than 600 people who had some type of criminal history that could disqualify them from working at a church.

Of course, those in favor of more background checks in churches say this study's results show the need for an increased effort in order to keep everyone safe.

In an article by The Birmingham News, Christa Brown, Baptist Outreach Director of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, said many evangelical churches, including Southern Baptists, still do not keep records of abuse allegations against clergy and church workers, and many don't have objective professional panels to review allegations.

"We're still looking at a small percentage of churches that are even doing minimal bare-bones background checks," she said.

Brown also said the problem could be worse than reported in the study, citing a 2007 Associated Press report that stated three major insurers of Protestant churches had about 260 reports a year for the past 15 years of claims of minors being abused by clergy, staff or other church workers.

That's higher than the average of 228 credible accusations against Catholic priests per year reported in a 2004 study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Today, however, most Catholic and Protestant churches have formal panels and reviews for claims of abuse.

Labels: Background checks