BMA FINANCIAL: Protecting the Flock - Church Safety and Abuse Prevention

By Steve Crawley, PhD, Executive Director • BMA Financial

At this year’s BMA National Meeting in Waxahachie, Texas, one of the most sobering — and vital — breakout sessions centered on church safety and abuse prevention. Led by David Chase, director of operations at Ministry Safe and Abuse Prevention Systems, and sponsored by James Greene & Associates (represented by Travis Weaver), this session tackled a topic no church can afford to ignore.

David began with a clear-eyed reminder — we live in a Genesis 3 world, and the church must not be naive. Sexual abuse within the church is both real and preventable — but prevention requires vigilance, strategy and ongoing training. The greatest threat is not the stranger with a van, but the trusted volunteer who has spent months — sometimes years — grooming not just a child, but an entire church.

Key Takeaways

• Background checks alone aren’t enough. While necessary, they only catch those with a documented past. Preferential offenders, by contrast, are calculated and often have clean records. They seek out trusting environments with weak safeguards.

• The real danger lies within. Most churches emphasize front-end screening but fail to monitor those already inside. Offenders often gain access, build trust and fly under the radar. Ministry Safe advocates a five-part system — Awareness Training, Skillful Screening, Comprehensive Background Checks, Tailored Policies and Ongoing Monitoring.

• Insurance requirements are changing. With the rising cost and frequency of abuse claims, insurers now demand evidence of training and policy enforcement, not just verbal assurances. Claims can average $2.5 million per victim, even higher if litigated.

• Peer-to-peer abuse is rising. Since COVID, there’s been a notable increase in peer-on-peer abuse, particularly among children who were abused during lockdowns. Churches must be equipped to prevent and respond to this as well.

• Mandated reporting matters. Many states now require anyone in youth or children’s ministry to report suspected abuse. Churches must know their state’s laws and apply them faithfully.

Ministry Safe and James Greene & Associates offer a free 36-question safety self-assessment and discounted training resources for churches seeking guidance. Brotherhood Mutual, the insurer for many BMA churches, also provides legal support, policy reviews and white papers on managing sex offenders in the church setting.

Let’s not wait until there’s a victim to get serious. Prevention isn’t intuitive, but it is possible. As David reminded us, “Grooming follows a pattern, and patterns are predictable — and preventable.”

Steps To Get Started

• Take the free Church Safety Assessment at ministrysafe.com.

• For more information about insurance-related safety support, contact Travis Weaver at tw eaver@jamesgreene ins .com.