By John M. De Marco

LAKELAND — For many churches, being immersed in the journey of ministry is so consuming there isn’t much time for embracing certain big-picture issues, such as legal concerns or the potential liabilities a church may face while operating its ministries.

Florida Conference leadership has been focusing on some of those big-picture issues and has discerned a need for many more congregations to have a plan or policy in place for protecting children and youth from various forms of harm.

The Child and Youth Protection Policy, unanimously approved March 1 by the Conference Council on Ministries (CCOM) and scheduled for a vote at the 2003 Florida Annual Conference May 27-31, calls for all churches and missions to embrace such a proactive plan.

The policy for each church should include screening guidelines for staff and volunteers who work with children or youth; what to do if abuse of any kind is suspected; potential hazards on a church’s physical plant; and other guidelines, according to Carol Sue Hutchinson, CCOM director of Discipleship and Church and Society ministries.

“We’re asking for the policy to be in place by the 2004 Annual Conference [event], although churches are encouraged to do it this year,” Hutchinson said. “By Annual Conference [2003] we should have some sort of packet with sample resources on how to do such a policy and what to include. We’re asking each church to write their own, rather than us just giving them one. We want them to have some ownership.”

The resolution cites two key scriptures in justifying this step on the part of churches and missions, including Matthew 18:5, which includes Jesus’ statement that whoever welcomes a child welcomes him, and Matthew 18:6, Jesus’ warning that whoever places a stumbling block “before one of these little ones” would be better off having a great millstone fastened around his or her neck. The resolution also makes reference to the “Reducing the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse in the Church” resolution that was adopted in 1996 by the General Conference of The United Methodist Church.

In drafting their resolutions, churches and missions are encouraged to include, at a minimum, appropriate safety measures in the selection, recruitment and supervision of workers with children and youth; educating workers on the policy and procedures, along with ongoing monitoring so that compliance is maintained; reporting incidents of child abuse in accordance with Florida law; providing sufficient liability coverage; and dealing with the safety of those who may have been victimized.

The resolution also requires the Florida Conference Cabinet to create forms to monitor progress toward full compliance with the resolution. The forms will include questions relating to the presence of a policy, the date it was approved and ongoing monitored compliance of the policy and procedures, as well as an anticipated completion date for a policy when one is not currently in place.

“I think it’s just a matter of wanting to make sure there’s something intentional being put into place, so churches know what they’re doing to keep the children and youth safe,” Hutchinson said.