Violence In The Sanctuary

A friend of mine forwarded me a link to an article about violence in the sanctuary in a church near Lansing, Michigan.  In November of 2008, a group called Bash Back, dressed in militant garb staged a loud protest outside the church in the parking lot.  This was a distraction to lure church security out of the sanctuary so that the group could take over the service.  Other members of the group, who were dressed in plain clothes, had entered the sanctuary and took over the service.  Some took over the platform. A female couple began kissing near the stage while others began shouting slurs like "Jesus was a homosexual", and "It's OK to be gay".

These types of groups have been described as "Gay Nazis".  Their focus is to create havoc and target churches that are against homosexual behavior and gay marriage.  The group said that they targeted this particular church because of their well known Christian views on homosexuality.

The Allied Defense Fund filed suit against this group on behalf of the church to stop Bash Back and other activist from invading churches in the future.  The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan has entered a judgement against Bash Back and the case has concluded.  The Court held that no one can "by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injure, intimidate or interfere or attempt to injure, intimidate, or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise their First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.

Christians won this battle but the war is no over.  Churches need to be prepared for this type of action against Christianity and religion in the near future.  This type of violent behavior will continue.  These militant anti-Christian, pro homosexual groups have and always will make headlines by creating havoc in our churches.  Something to think about.

Trademark Infringement of Royal Rangers Logo

A recent court decision awarded the Assemblies of God/Gospel Publishing.com 6.1 million dollars for trademark infringement for illegally using the Royal Rangers logo to sell badges, t-shirts and backpacks.  A couple in California were found guilty of using the logo and the Royal Ranger name to sell products with the name and the logo that were not authorized by the Assemblies of God.  They were also found guilty of using the Royal Ranger name in domain sites used to sell the products. The court ruled that the Royal Ranger name and logo are considered intellectual property of the Assemblies of God and can not be used without permission.  

This brings to the fore front all of those churches out there that use the Royal Ranger program without chartering, which gives that church the right to use the logo.  It also might concern the churches, districts and groups that use the logo and name to sell t-shirts, hats, backpacks and other items that are not chartered.  Any way you slice it, it is illegal to use the name or logo without permission.  This court decision could open the door to more suites like this one.  

Churches have often felt safe when taking liberties with logos, music, Vacation Bible School Curriculum, Sunday School Materials, etc.  What difference does in make if we use the lyrics of a popular song in our advertising or promotional materials?  No one will ever find out anyway. Maybe, maybe not.  In this day and age of electronic tracking, you might want to re-think your approach.  Using an illegal copy of software on the church computers or powerpoint slides of lyrics for praise and worship on Sunday mornings.  Either way it is illegal.  Think about it.

Churches Are Fast Becoming Targets For Cyber Crime

I read in the last few days about a Catholic Diocese in Des Moines, Iowa that lost $680,000 when hackers hacked into their church computer system and took over their accounts.  The theives drained the church's accounts in no time and the church was powerless to do anything about it.  These crime gangs, many located in Eastern Europe, target small towns, community banks and civic organizations which often lack high-tech defenses.

What kind of cyber security does your church computer system have?  Does the "IT Guy" really know what he is doing?  Do you know what the "IT Guy" is doing?

Most of the time churches accept help from volunteers for almost everything, including cyber security.  If you haven't done so already, you really need to have your system checked by a professional.  You also need to ensure that the basics like virus protections, are up to date.  In the long run it may be cheaper to actually pay a professional than to rely on a volunteer.

Can The Church Be Held Liable For Hiring A Rapist?

Can the Church be held liable if a staff member commits a crime against a church member or their family?  Yes it can if it can be proven that the church was negligent in it's hiring of the staff member of if the church should have known about the staff members past.  In a case like this one, it may not matter if the church knew or should have known.  The crime is so horrendous that a jury may sympathize with the victim anyway.  In a civil case a jury can find anyway they want to and if they feel that the church was negligent in it's hiring of the suspect or should have done a better job of checking out the suspects background then the plaintiff will likely win the suit.  

A complete Volunteer and staff screening program is vital in today's world. You must do a complete background check along with interviews and reference checks. This includes contacting people not included on the application listed as references. Most people will list friends or family members that they know will give them a good reference. Review the application thoroughly and look for previous employers and prior churches attended. Contact the previous employers and the pastor of the prior church. You will amazed at what kind of information that you can get from these contacts. Look for gaps in employment and gaps in church attendance. Ask about these gaps during the interview. Gage the responses and look for deceptive behavior and body language. People get uncomfortable when questioned about these things and a lie will reveal itself in their speech pattern or the way that the applicant sits in their chair. Think about these tips as you read the article below and as always, if you need more information please visit my website at www.trinityriskmanagment.com. 

Rape victim's parents suing church

Updated: Thursday, 02 Jun 2011, 5:56 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Jun 2011, 5:56 PM CDT

TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) - The parents of a 14-year-old rape victim have filed suit against a Taylor church, alleging the pastor and other church members opened the door for the crime to happen.

Jeremy James, 29, a musical minister at the Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, was convicted in April for aggravated sexual assault of the girl who was a member of the church choir.

He is now facing 15 years in prison, but the girl’s family think the church should also be held accountable.

“The church has some liabilities for allowing him to take girls over and have sleepovers,” said the family’s attorney, Kevin Madison.

The rape occurred on July 9 when the victim was invited over to James’ home for a sleepover with other girls from the church, including James’ two daughters.

But Madison also said the church staff's knowledge of James reputation also makes them liable.

“The knowledge we petitioned is his history of relations with woman and also girls," he said.

Pastor Tony Sorrells said that was knowledge he did not have when he hired him.

The suit alleges James had a history of questionable relationships which should have raised red flags before he was hired to head the church’s musical productions.

“I have never heard of anything inappropriate with him in that nature,” said Sorrells who re-hired James just months after he left the church following a verbal altercation with another female.

“There was never any proof or evidence of wrongdoing,” said Sorrells, who claimed troublesome past incidents were only brought to his attention after the 14-year-old was assaulted.

“The church has knowledge and if they didn’t, they should have,” said Madison. “This is the small town of Taylor.”

Sorrells said James was popular among the congregation.

“It has been difficult for the church because a lot of people liked him, but justice has been served," Sorrells said.

Embezzlement From The Church? It Does Happen!

A Hammond, Indiana Church Treasurer was arrested recently for embezzling $17,000 from a Baptist Church's checking account.  She stole the money over a period of 2 years without being caught.  She says that she used the money to pay bills and to pay her son's college tuition.  

How can this happen?  A trusted member of the church that was the church secretary prior to becoming the treasurer. How could she do this?  The checks and balances that were in place were not being followed.  You see, someone trusted her to make the right decisions. Well the problem is that she is human and when she felt the pressure of financial need, she made a decision that would ultimately affect the rest of her life.  

Pastors and Board Members trust the people that work around them and volunteer in the ministry. Most of the time they think that these are Christians so they won't fall prey to worldly pressures.  That type of thinking is wrong in today's world and economy.  People will do things that no one ever thought that they would when confronted with the pressures of life.  I have interviewed over a thousand subjects for theft in my career and all of them were trusted and no one ever thought that they would do what they did.

Trust but verify.  Ensure that you have the checks and balances in place to keep this type of theft from happening and follow them.  Always have two people involved when it comes to the church's finances.  Never allow a human being the freedom to control finances by themselves. They may succumb to temptation when they see no other way out.

Are You Protecting Your Tithes and Offerings

I have read several articles recently about church break ins and money being stolen from church offices and safes.  Many Pastors and Board Members don't even think about securing the tithes and offering after it has been counted.  I bet most don't even know what happens to the money after the Ushers count it.  

The Tithes and offering should be secured immediately after the counting is completed, which by the way should be done by two people at all times.  It should be secured in a safe or locked cabinet until it can be deposited in the bank.  Most burglars and robbers know that banks are not open on Sundays and know that there will likely be money in the church office somewhere on Sunday night into Monday morning so that's when they will likely strike.  

Here are a few things to remember about securing the money.  If you have a safe, ensure that it is secured behind a locked door.  If you can take the deposit to the bank on Sunday afternoon and put it into the night drop, that may be a good idea.  If not, get it to the bank as early as possible on Monday.  You do not want to have the money in the building any longer than you have to.  The robbers know it's there. Always have two people take the deposit to the bank.  There is strength in numbers and there is a lesser chance of being robbed.  You also have a witness that the money made it to it's destination.  No questions about the deposit being made if the bank calls and says there was a problem. Always have two people count the money.  Always have a second person verify the count and have two people sign the deposit slip.  Trust but verify.  Vary your routes to and from the bank.  Vary the times that you go.  DO NOT get into a routine.  A robber will figure this out.  Do not be predictable.

Protecting the Tithes and Offerings is not that hard to do.  Just use common sense and never think that It Can't Happen Here.  IT CAN!

Robbery In A Church - Really?

Last Sunday morning at St James Church in Montclair, NJ, a man walked into the room where the offering was being counted, grabbed a handful of cash and ran from the building.  The Usher counting the offering chased the suspect but he got away.

Are you protecting your offering?  Do you have robbery prevention procedures in place?  Do your Ushers know what to do if a robbery occurs?  How about transporting the deposit to the bank on Monday? Are you following a pattern that can be figured out by a potential robber? Proper Robbery Prevention and Post Robbery Procedures Training is something that needs to be done even though most churches believe that it won't happen to them.  

A robbery can occur at anytime and your Ushers need to be prepared just in case.  Always ensure that there are a minimum of two people handling the offering at all times.  If a robbery occurs, don't be a hero. Give the robber what he wants and let him go.  Call 911 and let the police deal with it.  Safety and prevention is the key.  Don't make yourself an easy target.

For more information on this and other risk management topics check out my website at www.trinityriskmanagement.com or email me at keith@trinityriskmanagement.com.

Proper Training is a Must

With Summer coming on strong comes opportunities for your childrens and youth workers to take the kids on outings.  Hiking, camping, canoeing, swimming, summer camps and other fun activities.  One of the things that we taught leaders in Royal Rangers was that kids want to have memories of things that are fun, not nightmares of things that can go wrong.  Do you have the right leaders in place?  If so, are they properly trained?  Can they handle emergency situations that may arise on an outing?  Do they know how to properly plan outings?  Do they seek advice and assistance from people who are experts in their field?

I can not express enough the importance of training for volunteers and staff members who work with our kids.  I have seen what can happen when workers are not properly trained and how devastating it can be to a child when something goes wrong or how a life can be taken so quickly and how it affects all who are involved.  I was on the Board of Directors of a church that lost a child in a drowning accident.  It devastating to all who were involved.  It also almost ruined the church itself.  Do not underestimate the damage that can occur when your youth and childrens leaders are not properly trained.  Make sure that all of your youth and childrens volunteers and staff members get the training and guidance that they need to minister to kids and how to have fun safely.  Remember it only takes a few seconds for a fun outing to turn into a nightmare for the kids and the adults involved.

Is It Biblical to Have A Church Security Team?

“But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.”

Nehemiah 4:7–9

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.

Acts 4:1

If the Israelites saw the need for protecting Jerusalem and even the Temple, why shouldn't we in today's world see the need to protect our churches?  In Acts you read about the Temple Guard.  Even the Jews had a church security team.  

In the last 18 months there have been 12 child abductions from church facilities in the U.S. and there have been 6 pastors killed, not to mention the number of incidents of vandalism and robberies on church property.  As Christians we are not failing by having a Church Security Team, we are protecting what God has given us.  We are literally fighting the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy.  If the enemy gets the opportunity, he will strike.  It is better to Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

Inclement Weather

Most Pastors don't think about the aftermath of a storm.  The reason for this is that is doesn't happen very often, but when it does it is usually devastating not only to the church but to the parishioners as well.  With the Tornadoes that hit North Carolina in the past 24 hours, many ministries are dealing with damage to church property as well as to personal property.  Does your Ministry have an Inclement Weather plan?  Do your workers and staff members know what to do during a severe weather event during church services?  Do you have a plan to account for everyone when a storm hits?  How about a Ministry Continuity Plan if the church is severely damaged?  Your Ministry needs to be prepared.  Think about it.

Do You Know How Many Registered Sex Offenders There Are Near Your Church?

Canton man accused of raping 5-year-old at church event

Monday, April 4, 2011  12:22 PM

Updated: Monday, April 4, 2011 03:29 PM

BY RANDY LUDLOW

The Columbus Dispatch

A northeast Ohio man has been charged with luring a 5-year-old boy into a bathroom and raping him during a church event in Athens County on Saturday.

Richard Leroy Merryman, 20, of Canton, was charged with one count of rape and is being held under $500,000 bond at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville.

Merryman also is suspected of raping a second boy, a 4-year-old, during the Albany Bethel Apostolic Church event staged at the Albany Community Center, said Sheriff Patrick Kelly.

The boys' families contacted authorities after the event to report that they had been molested, the sheriff said. The church event attracted people from around the state, Kelly said.

The cases will be presented to a grand jury for potential indictments, he said.

Merryman is a non-reporting registered sex offender who was not allowed to leave the Stark County area, Kelly said.

The Importance of Training Your Security Team

Have you ever had a bully come up and hit you for no reason?  What did you do in response?  Did you hit him back?  Most people would unless they have been trained to handle the situation by de-escalating the situation rather than making things worse by striking out.  It is important that your security team knows how to de-escalate a situation that can quickly get out of control rather than striking back when challenged by a person who is acting out.  If your team is properly trained on how to handle these situations, there will be much less of a chance of someone getting hurt and less of a chance that someone can sue for bodily harm.  Training your team ensures that they will respond with professionalism and cooler heads rather than having a team that just shows up every Sunday and you have no way of knowing how they will respond when challenged.  Think about it.  You can find more information on training for your Security Team at my website www.trinityriskmanagement.com.  A Basic Training Course for the Church Security Team is a must when you consider the alternatives.

It Can Happen In Your Church Too

Man barges into church, attacks people

7:03 PM, Mar 29, 2011

St. Peters, MO (KSDK) - It was a startling scene at a St. Charles County Church and daycare Tuesday.  St. Peters police say a church worker had to tackle and hold down a man who barged in and started attacking people.  It happened at the First Baptist Church of St. Peters on Mid River Mall Drive.  There were kids in the daycare at the time, but police tell NewsChannel 5 they did not witness what happened and they were not involved.  The 26-year-old man came into the church before noon.  Police say he was screaming, threatened at least one person and hit some people too.  This is all inside the building where there are young children.  But the children were not threatened; perhaps in part because a church worker tackled the guy and held him until police could arrive.  Police are not saying what a possible motive could be and it's not clear if the man had any connection to the church.  NewsChannel 5 is not releasing the man's name because he has not been formally charged. Police say he will spend Tuesday night in jail while the warrants are put together.  Police say he'll be charged with burglary and four counts of assault.

By Mike Rush – KSDK News

Is Your Playground Safe?

Consider this scenario.  It's a warm sunny Sunday morning and your Kinder Church workers decide to take the children outside to play on the church playground.  Five year old Johnny loves to swing so he heads straight for the swing set.  Johnny loves to swing really high so he gets going as high as he can.  Suddenly the chain holding the swing breaks and Johnny hits the ground hard.  The workers run to his aid to find that Johnny may have broken his arm and has a head injury.  EMS is called and the parents are brought over from the main Sanctuary. Johnny is taken to the hospital and you as a church staff wait to hear how he is.

A few weeks later you receive a letter in the mail from Johnny's parent's attorney.  They have filed a lawsuit because Johnny has permanent damage from the accident that he will deal with the rest of his life.  You decide to inspect the playground to see what you may be dealing with and this is what you discover.  The playground equipment was purchased and installed by the Men's Ministry group over 15 years ago.  It is composed mostly of wood and metal.  There is only about two inches of cushion material below the equipment.  You also discover that the chain broke on the swing because of metal fatigue and age.  There are sharp edges and splintered wood all over and the equipment has never been inspected and repaired.

When is comes to the safety of our children we must ensure that the playground equipment that they play on is safe and trustworthy.  Here are some things to consider.

• The equipment must be age appropriate.  Younger children should not play on equipment made for older children.
• It should be appropriate for heavy use.  Do not purchase and install equipment intended for home use by two or three children for your church play area.
• Ensure that it is professionally installed.  If the Men's Ministry group installs it make sure that there is a professional over seeing the project.
• There must be a minimum of eight inches of cushion material under the equipment.  (sand, sawdust, rubber, etc)
• It must be inspected at least monthly and any issues or defects repaired or replaced immediately.

Accidents can happen but you do not want to contribute to an accident by allowing your playground equipment to deteriorate or by installing inferior equipment.  Our children and their parents have an expectation of safety when they come to church.  If you have never inspected your playground equipment, do so immediately.  Make the appropriate repairs and replace what needs to be replaced and provide a safe and happy environment for the kids in your care.

As always if you need more information on this and other church risk topics visit my website www.trinityriskmanagement.com.

The Benefits of a Risk Assessment for Your Church

If you have never done so, it may be a good idea to have a Risk Management professional complete a Risk Assessment of your church.  A thorough Risk Assessment can point out areas of vulnerability in your security and also help you limit premises liability as well.  A Risk Assessment should be completed by an outside party who has fresh eyes and no biases toward your church.  An independent consultant that can give it to you straight and not sugar coat your weaknesses or the chinks in your armor.

A thorough Risk Assessment will look at the physical security of your building and your ministries.  It should include fire safety, playground safety, how you protect the offering, trip and fall hazards and any other safety issues.  It should also include a hard look at your Children's and Youth Ministries.  Are these ministries protected from possible kidnappers?  You should also have them look at Pastoral and Platform protection to ensure that the Pastor and the members and visitors of your church are protected against intruders.  It should also include transporting children and youth and other members of the congregation to and from events off the property.  And one thing that most people forget about is food safety.  Do you have a kitchen and do the people that use it practice good food safety and sanitation?  There is nothing worse than having a barbeque chicken sale and have multiple people get sick from poor food safety practices.

A thorough Risk Assessment should look at all four corners of your property and everything that could be a liability to you and your members.  If you haven't had a Risk Assessment completed you should really think about it.  Call me and I can help.  For more information go to my website. www.trinityriskmanagement.com.

An Article from the Church Security Alliance Website

Pastor Murdered, Secretary Seriously Assaulted in Arlington, Texas Church.

---

Arlington, TX - March 3, 2011, Arlington's Northpointe Baptist Church Pastor Clint Dobson was found dead this date and church assistant, Judy Elliott was found seriously injured in what police are describing as a robbery.

Police were called to the church property in the 2000 block of Brown Blvd. at approximately 0400 PM and discovered the crime scene.  Both victims were beaten severely.   Dobson was dead at the scene and Elliott was transported to the hospital in serious condition.

On March 7, 2011 two men were arrested for the murder and assault.  Police reported Pastor Dobson was suffocated with a plastic bag during the brutal attack.

Police received tips from community sources when one of the suspects was overheard saying inappropriate remarks about the pastor's death and produced credit cards taken during the robbery.

The suspect charged for suffocating Pastor Dobson is Steven Lawayne Nelson, 24, who remained in the Arlington Jail on Monday on suspicion of capital murder. Nelson is accused of suffocating the Rev. Clint Dobson, 28, while committing a robbery inside NorthPointe Baptist Church, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The second suspect, Anthony Springs, was arrested too.  Both suspects face capital murder charges.

Police said numerous tips from the public as well as the use of the victims' credit cards at The Parks at Arlington mall helped them break the case. They declined to say whether Dobson had previously come into contact with the men.

Police advised property was taken from the church, but are not sure whether the true motive was robbery. Officers reported the doors were locked when they arrived.
Local news station Fox 4 reported there were security cameras inside the church, but it was unknown whether images of the crime were captured.

This is a tragic case with enormous effects on their immediate family and extended church family.  Our prayers are with Northpointe Baptist Church, the Arlington Police Department,families of the victims, and the souls of the suspects who did this.

Crime Against A Church Close To Home

March 11th, 2011 02:58pm

3 charged in Wilmington church theft

by Brian Freskos

Three people accused of stealing copper drainage piping from the Winter Park Presbyterian Church on Wrightsville Avenue were arrested Thursday evening by two plainclothes detectives who reportedly witnessed the theft, according to the Wilmington Police Department.

The three suspects–54-year-old Ronald Dale Pace, 40-year-old John Eric Lewallen and 51-year-old Nancy Clark Carter — were arrested after the detectives saw them loading the church’s drainage piping into a blue Jeep parked on Maple Avenue, which runs parallel to where the church is located on 4501 Wrightsville Avenue, police said.

Carter was charged with standing on the corner as the lookout while the other two men carried out the theft.

Lucy Crockett, a department spokeswoman, said the detectives stopped the suspects before they drove away and recovered the piping.

All the suspects were charged each with felony larceny and first-degree trespassing and property damage. The last known address for the three suspects was a local homeless shelter, Crockett said.

Pace and Lewallen were still in the New Hanover County jail Friday under a $10,000 bond. Carter was released on an unsecured bond.

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Security At Church?

We started a Response Team (Security Team) at our church about 5 years ago.  (I will tell you why we call it a Response Team instead of a Security Team in a later post) When I tell people that we have a Security Team at church the first question that I get is why?  Why do you have security at church?  Well my response is that we need to protect what God has given us.  Our Response Team's duties include protecting our Children's Ministries (the children, the volunteers and staff that work with our kids), our members and visitors, property, staff and of course our Pastors.  Our team works all events at the church and also district events that occur on our property.  The team is there to respond to incidents that may occur and to prevent any acts of violence, kidnappings or any other incidents that can occur on our property.

The Team is trained in First Aid/CPR, Pastoral/Platform Protection, Intruder Response, emergency procedures and many others.  The team is hand picked for service and includes some Law Enforcement, Military and Security Experts.  They are Prepared for the Worst but hoping for the Best.  With all of the violent incidents that are occurring at churches around the country, you need to be prepared to respond to such an incident at your church.

If you need help starting a Response Team (Security Team), give me a call.  I can help you get started.  Or visit my website at www.trinityriskmanagement.com for more information and links that can help.

Bradenton pastor attacked

during church robbery

By Summer Smith, Reporter 
Last Updated: Friday, March 4, 2011

VIDEO STORIES

·         Pastor forgives men despite attack 

BRADENTON -- 

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office is looking for a man they say stole from a church and then attacked the pastor at New Vision Baptist Church.

The church is currently under construction in Bradenton and its pastor, Orilange Bien-Aime, caught the men in action after driving by his church.

"I said 'Guys what you doing there?'" Bien-Aime said. "They said 'The boss told me to pick this up here.  And I said 'Who's the boss?'  They said 'The big boss.'  And I said 'No, I'm the boss, guys please put everything down on the floor.'"

Bien-Aime, also known as Pastor Ben, said the men were stealing the metal he had purchased for the roof area of the church and loading it into their truck.

Pastor Ben asked them to stop, but they refused. And when Pastor Ben tried to call 911, things took a turn for the worse.

"I put my hand to pick up the phone and began to call police," he said.  "And then they jumped over me and pushed me to the ground."

During the scuffle, Pastor Ben was able to steal the men's keys.

He was able to break away and call for help. Shortly after, deputies arrived and they arrested Joseph Seleb. The other man involved got away.

Pastor Ben was able to get back all $1,200 worth of metal that was stolen. 

To make sure nothing gets stolen again, the pastor said he will take all of his building supplies back and forth with him.

Despite what's happened, Pastor Ben says he doesn't hold a grudge against the men, instead he said he hopes this incident will make them change their ways.

"I'm praying for them," he said.

In the meantime, he continues to focus on keeping construction going to get his church built to help those in the community live better lives.

Seleb was arrested and charged with burglary and armed robbery. The other man involved is still on the run.

If you know any information, call the Manatee County Sheriff's Office at: 941-747-3011 or Crimestoppers at 1-866-634-tips (8477).

Assault with 1 Dead in a Texas Church

MARCH 03, 2011

1 dead, 1 hurt at NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington

Arlington police are on the scene at NorthPointe Baptist Church on Brown Boulevard, where at least one person is dead and one is injured. Police responded to a call an assault in progress at the church about 4:15 p.m., according to a police website. NorthPointe is satellite campus of First Baptist Church in Arlington.

According to WFAA's website, police said the suspect or suspects in the case may have fled the scene in the female victim's car, which was missing from the scene.

The vehicle is a four-door, cream-colored 2007 Mitsubishi Galant. The license plate number is DFR-352. Police have asked that anyone who spots the car alert authorities and not approach anyone inside the vehicle.

Read more: http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime_time/2011/03/crime-scene-at-northpointe-baptist-church-in-arlington.html#ixzz1FrmMuXUF

Using Personal Vehicles to Transport Kids

Most people think nothing of driving kids and youth around in their own personal vehicles.  I have personally taken boys on camping trips when I was with Royal Rangers and have used my personal vehicle for many church related activities over the years.  But if an accident happens while you are transporting children or youth for the church, who is liable?

Most think that the church is liable.  But that can be a myth.  It all depends on the church's insurance policy.  The policy may or may not cover personal vehicles.  The policy could be written in a way that makes YOU personally liable for any and all accidents even if you are participating in a church sanctioned event.  The church's policy may not take over until the limits of your personal policy have paid the maximum benefit.  That could leave you and your family holding the bag.

It is so important to understand the insurance policy limitations and riders.  If you have never reviewed the policy you may want to do so before transporting children or youth again in your personal vehicle.  Just a heads up.  You may want to look at your policy as well.  If your personal vehicle policy thinks that the church should pay, they may fight you to avoid paying.

Just a dose of reality people.  Information is the key.  Be informed and know the risks.  As always, you can find more information and links on my website:  www.trinityriskmanagement.com

15 passenger Vans

My job requires me to travel a lot up and down the East Coast.  As I drive the highways and byways I pass 100's of churches.  One of the things that grabs my attention when I pass a church parking lot is how many 15 passenger vans I still see parked there.  To me it is unbelievable that churches today are still using these death traps on wheels.  With all of the data and research on how dangerous these vehicles are, I can't believe that they haven't been outlawed by the government.  Most insurance companies will not insure 15 passenger vans unless certain things are done to make them safer.  If your church is still using 15 passenger vans to transport children and youth, you should contact your insurance company to ensure that you are in compliance with your policy.  If you are not and an accident happens, the church will be wholly liable for any damages or loss of life because of these vehicles.

Here are some sobering statistics:
From February 1982 through 2007, there were 698 fatal rollovers involving 15 passenger vans.  These crashes killed 1,107 people and injured an additional 1,899.  5855 people were involved in a fatal rollover as a driver or passenger in the vans.   Because the victims were relatively young, 37,496 premature years of life (before age 70) have been lost in rollover accidents of 15 passenger vans since 1982.


Most insurance companies require training for anyone who will drive the vans and all drivers must be over 25.  They may also require that the rear seat be removed and that no more than 9 passengers be allowed in the van. They may also require a sway bar to be installed to make the vehicle more stable.  There are many more requirements that your insurance company may have, so you need to contact your insurance company and review your policy.

Transporting children and youth in personal vehicles can also open the church up to major liability issues as well. I will discuss that topic in a later post.  As always you can find more information on this and other risk issues by visiting my website.  www.trinityriskmanagement.com

Volunteer Screening

It's common sense to periodically take a look at your retirement accounts, investments, savings, etc.  You need to protect them, watch out for them and not let them slip away!  The same is true for the kids in your Children's Ministry in your church.  What a valuable investment you are given to care for week after week.  Are you watching out for them and protecting them?

Volunteer screening is vital in protecting the children in your ministry.  Many churches are happy when adults volunteer to help with Children's Ministries.  They are glad to have the help.  It is wonderful when people volunteer their time to help with teaching classes and music, puppets and so on.  But do you really know the person that is helping out in your Children's Church?

You should ensure that you have a volunteer screening process in place that includes a criminal background check.  You need to know for sure that a wolf has not infiltrated your ministry.  Children are so vulnerable to predators.  They are so trusting and honest.  You must check out anyone that wants to work with your kids.  Some say that we need to trust people and that God will protect the children.  I say that God gives you the tools to ensure that your children are protected.

A criminal background check can, just by being discussed with potential volunteers, screen people out.  If there is something in a persons background that they don't want you to know, they will not agree to the criminal history being run.  That should be a RED FLAG right off the bat!  If a potential volunteer agrees to the check and discusses any issues that may arise, then you can feel better about that person and their true intentions.

If you are not currently screening your volunteers, I would encourage you to begin to do so immediately.  There are a number of resources our there to use.  You can find some of them on my website at www.trinityriskmanagement.com.

Kidnapping at Church!

People often ask me why we have security at church?  Why do we have such stringent rules in Children's Church?  I tell them that we are protecting our children from risks such as kidnapping.  Again I hear, that won't happen here.  My response to that comment is that a large majority of kidnappings are perpetrated by parents and family members.  The most common example would be you have a couple that is going through a nasty divorce.  Mom has custody of little Johnny and Dad wants to see him.  Dad knows that Mom takes little Johnny to church on Sunday mornings.  While Mom is in the Worship service Dad shows up at Children's Church.  Little Johnny sees Dad and runs to him.  The Children's Workers see that Little Johnny knows his Dad and allows him to leave with his Dad.  When Mom comes to pick Little Johnny up after service everyone realizes that Dad has kidnapped Little Johnny and has probably crossed state lines by now.

This scenario can happen too easily in most churches today because we are too lax in our security procedures when it comes to our children.  We think that nothing like this will happen.  We know all of our parents so a kidnapping scenario can not happen here.  Do you really know what is going on in all of the lives of the families in your church.  I spoke with a friend recently who told me of a situation in his church similar to the one that I described earlier.  The family is going through an ugly break up and no one knew.  They only knew that Mom is coming to church with the children alone right now.  She did not inform anyone of the situation, so no one really knows.  This can happen in your church.

That's why you must have some type of check in check out process that requires proof to pick up a child from Children's Church.  There must be a verification process that matches a parent badge or sticker to the child's badge or sticker.  When the parent comes to pick up Little Johnny, the parent must present the parent badge and it must match the child's badge.  There should also be a list of people who are authorized to pick up the child in an emergency.

This simple process can prevent a bad situation that can lead to liability for the church.  Think about it.  If you do not currently have a process in place, please start some type of simple program today.  You can find resources that will help you with this and many other risk and liability issues on my website www.trinityriskmanagement.com.