The CNH District and the LCMS recognizes the need for continued vigilance in child protection. The LCMS recommends that congregations and schools affiliated with the LCMS utilize abuse prevention resources including tools, training and instruction, as well as obtain criminal background check services for staff and volunteers. The LCMS has identified MinistrySafe as a valuable resource for LCMS districts and congregations that can be incorporated into a more all-encompassing program developed by each congregation, school or other ministry.
MinistrySafe is a national organization that equips congregations, schools and other ministry programs to better protect children from sexual abuse. The LCMS has developed a relationship with MinistrySafe that provides access to the online MinistrySafe resources at no cost to the end user (the church, camp or school) through June 2024 for all LCMS congregations, schools and ministries. However, neither the district nor the LCMS can mandate or require its implementation; the LCMS and the districts recognize that each congregation, school or other ministry is a separately incorporated and self-governing entity. As such, each congregation, school or other ministry should determine what policies, procedures and resources best fit the specific ministry and its particular needs and objectives.
Sexual abuse of children is a “quiet” epidemic that is only occasionally brought to light when a sensational news story hits the press. The reality is that 1 in every 4 girls and 1 in every 6 boys in the United States are sexually molested before the age of 18. Ninety percent of the time, they are molested by someone they know and trust.
So, we are partnering with MinistrySafe to better educate and equip the workers in our congregations and schools to recognize the signs of child sexual abuse and to better understand the tendencies of child predators — all at no cost to congregations and schools. You can immediately roll out the MinistrySafe Sexual Abuse Awareness program to your school and congregation. We desire that all of our workers and volunteers who have contact with children go through this 90-minute training.
It would be a blessing to the children we serve if every staff person in every congregation and school in the CNH District completed a 90-minute, video-based online training course that will help protect children and ministries.
We urge you to consider being a MinistrySafe congregation or school, for the sake of the children entrusted to your care. To learn more about MinistrySafe, watch a short video at ministrysafe.com/the-risk/.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Joel Wahlers.