Eldon United Methodist Church 

Safe Sanctuaries Policy 

Adopted by EUMC Leadership Team 

The purpose of this policy is, first and foremost, to protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults who attend events at Eldon United Methodist Church (EUMC) from suffering neglect or abuse. Secondly, it is to protect both paid and volunteer staff from potential false allegations of neglect or abuse and to protect the church as a whole. 

The scope of this policy and its provisions shall apply to all paid staff, volunteers, clergy or lay, who have direct contact with children, youth, or vulnerable adults at local church, District, and Conference sponsored events. 

This policy and its associated procedures are intended to be the MINIMUM necessary precautions for protecting children and youth. Eldon United Methodist Church will endeavor to monitor updates and recommendations by the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church and will modify this policy and its procedures as deemed necessary. 

Definitions 

1. Physical abuse is a deliberate act that inflicts bodily harm to a participant. 

2. Sexual abuse is the infliction of any sexual act or conduct or sexually explicit language, gestures, or images upon a participant. 

3. Neglect is failure to provide nutrition, medical, surgical or any other care necessary for the wellbeing of a participant. 

4. Staff includes any clergy person, any paid employees of EUMC, District, or Conference and any paid employee of any group, committee, team or agency of the Conference or District who has the care/supervision of a participant at an event. 

5. Volunteer is any non-clergy, lay worker who has the care/supervision of a participant at an event. This may include paid staff members of another local church. 

6. Participants are children, youth, or vulnerable adults who are registered, enrolled, attending or otherwise participating in an activity sponsored by EUMC, the District, or the Conference. 

7. Vulnerable adults are persons over 19 years of age with physical, mental and/or developmental disabilities. 

 

Standards for Staff and Volunteers 

All staff and volunteers shall be active members or attenders in EUMC and its ministry for a minimum of six months prior to supervising participants. Persons who leave EUMC for more than six months shall again submit to the screening procedure prior to returning to a staff or volunteer position with participants. Exceptions will be made by the Pastor for ecumenical community events. 

All staff and volunteers who will work with children, youth, and vulnerable adults will complete an Application Form and submit it to the Local Church Associate (LCA) who will, in turn, contact the Safe Sanctuaries representative at the Conference Office. The staff member or volunteer will receive an email invitation from Safe Gatherings which is a program offered by the Conference that manages this application and training process. A full background check (including criminal background) will be conducted, references provided by the applicant will be contacted, and the applicant must successfully complete a two-hour online training course. Once successfully complete, the applicant, the LCA, and the pastor will receive notification of acceptance or denial of the application. Once this certification is granted, the applicant will be allowed to participate in events and activities with children, youth, and vulnerable adults. No one who either hasn’t yet received or has been denied certification will be allowed direct contact with participants. There is a fee for this certification and training, and the applicant is asked to pay this. If an applicant is unable to pay, he/she should speak with the pastor to consider other payment possibilities. 

This application is entirely confidential and the results of all background checks are retained in the Conference records. The local church is notified of the results but not any of the details or reasons for the action. The certification is valid for a period of three years and then must be repeated. 

Reporting of Incidents 

Any person who directly witnesses any act of abuse should immediately call 911 or the State of Missouri Children’s Division hotline at (800) 392-3738. Any staff or volunteer of EUMC who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been or may be subjected to abuse or neglect, or who observes circumstances which would result in abuse or neglect, must immediately report such facts to the Pastor. If the Pastor is unavailable, the report must be made to the lead contact for the Pastor Parish Relations Committee (PPRC). The person receiving such report must document the report/incident. 

A call to the appropriate abuse hotline is required to be made by the Pastor or lead contact of the PPRC when there is reasonable cause to suspect that abuse of a participant has occurred. When the necessity of reporting occurs, the protection of children, youth, and vulnerable adults is paramount. Reporting should occur in the following order: 

1. The State of Missouri Children’s Division Child Abuse hotline at (800) 392-3738 

2. The Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church through the District Superintendent of the Mid-State District at (573) 441-8878 and through the office of the Missouri Conference Bishop at (573) 441-1770 

3. The church’s insurance agent 

4. The church’s attorney 

Notification of abuse or neglect must be made as immediately as possible. Notification of sexual abuse must be made to the State of Missouri within 24 hours of receiving the report of such sexual abuse. 

Statements to the Media 

If an alleged incident occurs, the Pastor will serve as spokesperson for all media requests. If the alleged incident involves the pastor, then the lead contact for the PPRC will serve as the spokesperson. The following is a suggested media response: 

We here at EUMC are saddened by the allegations that have been brought. We have attempted to create an environment here that is welcoming and safe, whereby all persons might learn of the Good News in Jesus Christ. 

We are cooperating fully with local officials who are investigating this incident. Our District Superintendent’s office has also been notified and an investigation will be conducted through that office as well. If you desire further information, we will help you get in touch with our District Superintendent. 

This is all we can comment on at this time. 

Operational Procedures 

1. The rules and procedures of the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church always prevail over the church’s stated policies if they should come into conflict. 

2. Private, one-on-one meetings between staff/volunteers and children/youth/vulnerable adults are never allowed without another adult in the facility and in full view. 

3. All individual programs (e.g. KICK) will develop and implement sign in/sign out procedures to provide additional security measures for all children participating. 

4. At least two certified adults must be present at all events utilizing EUMC facilities that involve children, youth, and vulnerable adults. In addition, at any church event off-site involving children, youth, and vulnerable adults at least two certified adults must be present. Adults are defined as those individuals 18 year of age and older who are also at least four years older than the oldest youth being supervised. The only exception to the two-adult rule is when the education wing is full of activity (e.g. Sunday school). 

5. All doors to classrooms and meeting rooms in the church will have windows. These windows are not to be covered up at any time. 

6. When on field trips, young children will not be identified with name tags. Tags can be worn which identify the group only. 

7. When an event requires that children, youth, or vulnerable adults travel with an adult other than their parent or guardian, written permission must be obtained in advance for each person. An Event Permission Form must be signed, dated, and collected for the specific event. All children, youth, and vulnerable adults who regularly participate in our church’s ministries must have an Event Treatment Permission Form on file in the church office or in the possession of the adults in charge. 

8. When a traveling group contains members of both genders, supervision must also be provided by both genders (male supervisor for male participants, female for female participants). 

9. Drivers must be at least 21 years of age and copies of their driver’s license and proof of insurance must be on file in the church office. In addition, all passengers (including the driver) are expected to wear their seatbelts. Two certified adults are always required when transporting children, youth, and vulnerable adults. 

10. There will be separate sleeping areas for males and females. No adult may share a hotel/motel room or tent with a youth or child unless the adult is the parent of the youth with whom he or she shares the room/tent. 

11. The use of alcohol or illegal drugs or abuse of prescription drugs at any EUMC sponsored event involving children, youth, or vulnerable adults is prohibited. The use of tobacco products by adults while supervising children, youth, and vulnerable adults is prohibited. 

Policy Training 

For this policy and associated procedures to be successfully implemented, annual training will be offered to all staff and volunteers. This training may include education on the policy itself as well as topics related to the safety and well-being of children. Each person who works with children, youth, and vulnerable adults will receive a copy of the “EUMC Safe Sanctuaries Policy” upon its annual review. 

This policy will be posted on the church website and will be made available in the narthex for members to pick up. A copy will be given to new members when they join.