SAFETY
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” -St Paul to the Ephesian elders, Acts 20:28
All of our local churches must be safe places, and must comply with non-profit tax laws. The diocese does not provide technical advice, but we are able to provide resources from those who are experts.
Reporting
If you need to report any matter to the Bishop, please contact The Rev. Canon Sean George at sean@adots.org or call (770)466-8584 x103.
Important Articles & Books
- Leading Congregations through Crisis by Greg Hunt
- What They Don’t Tell You About Church Safety by Bryan Donihue
- What the Church Needs to Know about Sexual Abuse by Deacon Rebecca Graber, LMSW
Safe Practices
Please consult with your liability insurance provider on ways to make your building space more safe, and on how to train staff and volunteers to create safe practices for on-site and off-site events. Below are a few resources for study:
Free Safety Checklists
- SafeChurch: https://www.safechurch.com/Resources/fc/TheMissingMinistry-SafeChurchResourcePacket.pdf
- Church Mutual: https://www.churchmutual.com/media/pdf/Self_Inspection_Checklist.pdf
Background Checks
Each local church is required to run its own background checks on their clergy, staff, and volunteer leaders. Check with your liability insurance provider about discounted services for background checks. Here are a few providers:
Sexual Abuse Prevention
We recommend Ministry Safe for sexual abuse prevention training, but there are other great resources out there as well.
IRS Requirements
The diocese cannot provide professional tax advice. Each local church should make sure its practices follow current IRS guidelines in terms of staff and clergy compensation, as well as tax receipts for donations.
Liability Insurance
Each local church should have the appropriate level of liability insurance. Church Mutual and Guide One are examples of national providers.