The recent articles from the Houston Chronicle about sex abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) are convicting to me. What can I and others do better to prevent such abuse? How can we better serve, help, and show compassion to the victims?
I know many of you readers are not a part of the SBC, but please allow me to have this “family” conversation. It is too great of an issue to treat lightly.
One of the issues we have in SBC life is how we license and ordain pastors and staff. Each local church has the authority to ordain and license people because of our belief in the autonomy of the local church. In many cases, because our ordination process is so weak, we “bless” new pastoral candidates who may not be ready for ministry at the least, and who are sexual predators at worst.
Here are some of my thoughts on how we ordain, and how we could do so differently, particularly to protect our churches from predators and others who are not fit for vocational ministry.
- Autonomy is not an excuse for irresponsibility. Every local church that licenses and ordains has a heavy and sobering responsibility. We need to examine our processes and how we communicate those processes to the full congregation. No church should vote on a candidate until they are confident the candidate has been vetted in every way possible.
- Background checks should become normative in the ordination process. Some of you may be shocked to learn we likely have more churches doing background checks on church volunteers than we do ordination candidates. And let me confess my own neglect. I have sat on many ordination councils, and I have never asked to see a background check of the candidate. In fact, I doubt a background check was done, because it was not mentioned. Shame on me.
- We should not assume the ordination of a pastor or staff member from another church is sufficient for our church. When churches call a pastor or pastoral staff member, that person should be examined as if a new ordination is taking place. Unfortunately, we cannot always have confidence that the ordaining church did its homework.
- Leaders should insist on vigorous examinations of candidates for ordination. Our polity does indeed advocate local church autonomy, as I note above. But our structure should not be an impediment for good practices. The influence of leaders is often more powerful than the rules of a structure. Leaders, like me, should speak up more clearly and more quickly.
Solving the ordination problem alone will not solve the sexual abuse problem. But it’s a start. Many predators in the pulpits and on church staff got there because we did not ask the right questions nor put them through thorough screening processes.
It’s time to change.
Posted on February 16, 2019
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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78 Comments
Communication is a must between Churches. I am an Independent Baptist and I have seen this manifested in different ways. Thankfully to my knowledge there has been no sexual abuse or otherwise to children in our circle of fellowship.However, a serial adulterer and some wife abusers in the group I used to fellowship with.are plenty bad enough. This can all be done without violating autonomy. I appreciate your ministry and I listen to your podcasts almost daily.
The problems laid out in the third part of the Houston Chronicle articles point to part of the problem. At 2nd Houston they ordained a man who had only been a Christian a short while. He had a history of hard drinking and there were questions surrounding relationships. Several scriptural guidelines were violated. We are not to ordain to elder a man new in the faith; we are not to ordain a man of questionable character; the elder is to be above reproach. None of these were followed.
We’re in a rural associationof very small churches. I’m going to propose we have two times a year where we as an association help our smaller churches by examining candidates for ordination.
There you go.
I know a worship leader in Georgia who has been accused by at least 8 men of sexually assaulting them when they were in middle school or high school. None of them came forward until it was too late to prosecute him due to statute of limitation laws. The abuse was spread over several years and 4 churches. The last known victim was assaulted 7-8 years ago. This worship leader is 65, and is being protected by the pastor of his current church, who is his longtime friend and knows of his past. One of his victims committed suicide because he couldn’t deal with the pain. The predator has only admitted to assaulting one victim. He has been dismissed from churches only to go to his next leadership position, many of those we as youth pastor. There were at least 5 victims from the church I grew up in.
Great article, I too am United Methodist like another reader. Our process is complex and unwieldy to say the least, but I would recommend psychological testing and some period of mentoring.
Thanks, Dan.
Lifetime ordination/licensing is an area in which we in SBC life must re-examine. Each congregation must have within its constitution and by-laws a process to revoke a license/ordination for biblical cause.
I agree!
Thom,
I seem to always refer to your research. You do a grand job! Love you books because they are easy to read and very practical.
I have to disagree with you just a little. We do have a responsibility to do everything we can but in the end of moral failure occurs after the process that is on their soul. The same can be said for the numerous wedding ceremonies I have presided over. It hurts deeply when one of my marriage ceremonies that I did premarital counseling and follow up too, ends in a divorce.
And yes you did say it is a start. I assume church bodies ordaining pastors have been doing what they are suppose to do. I know we do.
Thank you for all you do Dr. Rainer.
About two years ago we amended our bylaws so that we could revoke an “ordination” that we conducted. Part of that process includes notifying the individual of our actions and the reason as well as notifying their current place of ministry if the revocation. There is more to it but that’s the short and sweet of it.
No that is a great solution. Thank you for this idea! Love it!
This I believe is the greater issue. once saved always saved is not the same as once ordained always ordained. It is the ordaining churches responsibility to monitor that ordination.
The “list” that the article refers to should be as simple as checking whether a minister is ordained.
We could update that list with some wise and Spirit-led leadership rather than being bogged down by the legal system.
The answers are there and God wants to use even this issue to display His glory!
This is great. Wish more churches would do the same. But it isn’t new…churches used to do this all the time, but it fell by the wayside with other facets of church discipline.
I love the published article which encourages vetting before ordination.
Thank you!
Thanks for this great word of instruction. Criminal background checks should be done as part of ordination process. Unfortunately some of these sexual predators have great people skills and will build strong silos of support within churches. 25 years ago I had a staff member where we knew something was wrong, but had no evidence. Moved him out of position into another ministry area where he only dealt with adults. Petition was started by church members to keep this pastor in youth position. Told leadership could not remain Senior pastor if staff member continued working with youth. Leadership yielded and took him out of position. Two years ago this former staff member was indicted for sexual assault on two minors. It is amazing that some students in this man’s youth group who are now seminary graduates serving in ministry still believe this staff member is innocent. If we are going to address this problem, truth will have to be valued above personal relationships.
Agreed.
I concur Dr. Rainer. My own ordination council in my Baptist church had members from the church and clergy of other denominations who were professors at Beeson (I think that was P.R.E.- Pre-Rainer Era.). I have always been proud of that council. I realize, now that I am United Methodist, even that process was weak. The UMC ordination process can be a bit unwieldy, but background checks, psychological testing, mentoring and oversight are all part of the process. It’s not perfect, but we keep trying, keep going on to perfection. I am grateful for your honesty in this issue.
Great to hear from you, Ralph!
Recommended resources for theological and practical screening?
LifeWay’s background checks for starters. We are working on several other resources, including theological screening.
Sounds great! Please let us know when these resources become available.
For sure.
A recommended policy statement would help a lot I think. Bring some consistency. And make a required course in all the seminaries as to how to properly vett all staff, paid or unpaid, pastor or layperson.
1st, we need to be careful WE don’t make ordination something it isn’t, and that has been done across many denoms..
2ndly, drifter ordination, as many other denoms. have do not prevent improprieties nor immoralities, ex.,Catholic priests.
It’s a matter of accountability that is biblical and should be ‘in force’ for both staff & congregation.
Please say more about #1. I’m not exactly sure what other denominations have done to ordination that isn’t biblical.
To #2, in the Episcopal tradition (where I am ordained), I have had no less than 3 background checks between postulancy (the first step in ordination), candidacy (approval for ordination), and for EVERY position I am called to. I have been in 1 church but if/when I move I expect at least one full background check personal, financial, police, etc. Every ministry I transfer to will require a background check.
I’m assuming a “drifter ordination” (which, by the way, isn’t a term applied to ordinations) means one that allows ordination to cross to a new location (again in the Episcopal, a diocese). I can assure you the rigor applied for ordination in the Episcopal Church is far reaching. Every single person ordained must meet proficiency in 7 different ministry areas.
Could you think about doing a rainer on Leadership podcast addressing some these practices. Thanks.
Good idea. Letting the Voice know right now.
What type of ordination background check can we do? I would like to be considered for ordination and I am willing to be completely vetted. I have never broken the law, nor would I ever. I would like to know how this process works as I would like to vet the people that will be coming into my own ministry that i am starting. Any information and resources for this process and answers would be very appreciated. Thank you and God bless. May the Lord bring faithful, god and spiritfilled servants to work along side you in your efforts to bring others to the Lord and to continue to build the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
There’s a company named the Oxford Document Management Company (www.oxforddoc.com).
Their website begins: “For over 20 years, Oxford Document Management Company (ODM) has been the vendor of choice for religious organizations seeking comprehensive background checks of their clergy, church workers and volunteers.
We offer a full array of background investigation services—from formal written reference checking programs to criminal history, credit, motor vehicle, and education credential background checks.
Hundreds of clients within numerous faith traditions have turned to us for the independent and confidential administration of background investigation programs on their behalf, including many within: more than 14 different denominations and other churches.”
Clerical and church staff background checks are all they do. They can also help formulate policy statements, etc. They are worth every penny they charge – they are independent and focus on church work.
At the conclusion of my seminary training at Midwestern in Kansas City, we were given an analysis to see how well we would fit into the roles in which we were seeking degrees. It was mandatory and a prerequisite to degree completion.
We also took a DISC profile in one of my pastoral leadership classes. both of these tools were very enlightening to the psychological makeup of an individual. Both gleaned information that would help guide students to seek proper roles. Background checks are part of seeing what a person has done but they do nothing to predict what might become of a candidate.
Local churches need to invite/insist upon associational participation to give additional credibility to the process. More objectivity that way.
Yes. I’ve been in such settings. Very helpful.
Lonnie is exactly right. Historically, baptist churches involved pastors from the local association and this became a way of keeping the theological integrity of the association and providing a full spectrum evaluation of the candidate.
I totally agree! As a DOM I see churches that desire to handle the ordinations themselves (because they don’t want other churches interfering with a decision they’ve already made) to churches who need and request assistance from their sister churches because they are not capable of doing an ordination themselves.
Generally speaking, I am always suspect of the churches that don’t want others to participate. And while I am a total advocate of church autonomy, I wonder if there were some means of requiring cooperative participation in the ordination process (like we do missions giving, etc) in order to be considered a cooperating Baptist Church.