8 in 10 chuch members say sex offenders should attend church

8-26-2010 National:

CAROL STREAM, ILLINOIS (BNO NEWS) — Nearly 80 percent of church members believe that sex offenders belong in church under appropriate supervision, according to a survey conducted by Christianity Today International (CTI) to explore the attitudes and beliefs of pastors, church staff, lay leaders and other active Christians regarding whether to allow sex offenders to participate in faith communities.

The survey was conducted online between April 9 and May 3 and was filled out by 2,864 people, of which one-third are pastors, one-fifth are non-pastoral leaders, and 43 percent are lay leaders, members or attendees.

The results show that eight in ten church members think that convicted sex offenders belong in a church as attenders, under continuous supervision, and subject to appropriate limitations. In contract, about five percent say they belong as attenders with no limitations and no supervisions required.

And while nine percent said sex offenders should be embraced without qualifications, only three percent of respondents said they think known offenders should be completely excluded from church.

The majority of respondents are influenced by the seriousness of the sex offender’s crime in their decision to allow an offender to integrate into the faith community. For 52 percent of the respondents, standards for participation are determined in part by the seriousness of the sex offense committed.

Nearly everyone – 99 percent – agreed that someone needs to be notified when the presence of a registered sex offender becomes known. However, many respondents feel that finding out about the presence of a registered sex offender in the church is a bigger problem for their church than it is to them personally.

But despite the fairly positive response regarding the attendance of sex offenders, almost half of the respondents said they would be opposed if a sex offender expressed a desire to serve in a ministry at church.

And when it comes to child victims of sex offenders, nearly two-thirds of respondents say that people who were sexually abused as children are at a greater risk of becoming abusers as adults.

For this reason, about 56 percent believes it should be standard policy to question all adults about their history of possible past abuse before they are allowed to serve in a ministry at church. On the other hand, only 23 percent think questioning all adults about possible past abuse is an invasion of privacy.

Among other results of the survey, more than half of respondents advocate church leaders to take action when they become aware that someone in church might be at a higher risk of committing a sex crime. 81 percent of this group believes church leaders should talk to the individual, while 65 percent believes counseling at church should be offered, or otherwise provide a referral for professional counseling.

Asked what church leaders should do when they become aware that someone in church is an offender, 82 percent said they should pray about it. Additionally, 57 percent believes church leaders should draft a conditional attendance agreement and talk to the offender’s probation officer. ..Source.. by BNO News

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