What do you think about this? Personally, I have mixed feelings about it. I understand there may be good reasons, such as crimes perpetrated upon children, but isn’t this why we’re to know those who labor among us–especially before placing them in positions? Does that include a criminal background check as well? I can think of a number of Christians (Paul included) who would have failed a background check because of their past, before coming to Christ.
- From The Christian Post:
Since LifeWay Christian Resources teamed up with Backgroundchecks.com last year to offer discounted background checks to ministries around the nation, some 450 churches have requested for more than 5,000 background checks.
While most of those searches returned clean records or minor traffic-related offenses, 80 screenings reportedly uncovered serious felony offenses, and more than 600 people had some type of criminal history that may have disqualified them from volunteering or working at a church.
That means around 13.6 percent, or roughly one in seven, of applicants were found to have a criminal history.
“Good guys don’t wear superhero capes, and bad guys don’t always have shifty eyes and devious-sounding chuckles. In real life, discerning the heroes from the villains often requires more than a visual assessment,” commented Brooklyn Noel Lowery, a spokesperson for LifeWay.
“That means you can’t know whether someone is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ by looking at them when they walk through the front door of your church and volunteer to serve,” she added. “That’s why LifeWay Christian Resources entered an agreement with Backgroundchecks.com to provide discounted screenings for churches.”
"If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord's will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel , insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness."
Wow …
In all cases, I think it would require some time and attention by the leadership. If the background check turns up something that a potential volunteer was hiding, then there might well be a problem. On the other hand, the whole point of being redeemed is … well, … we needed to be. If we’re going to start refusing help from imperfect people, then we have a problem.
Heck, at least one of Jesus’ own Twelve was a tax collector, and thus probably a crook.
You see the same conflict i do–the pros and cons.
I know we live in an evil world…but hasn’t the world always been evil? So there must have been pretenders/posers in the early church, who joined with wrong motives or purposes. I wonder what the early church leaders depended upon–i have a hunch it was God and discernment.
Right. And that is the main problem with this action that i see…
It’s odd that’s for sure. I agree that they’re relying on worldly systems rather than God to figure out who is telling the truth or not about their past. As a parent, though, I can see the point! (And that is my humanity talking!)
Yes as a parent and grand-parent, i too can see that side of the issue.
In fact i’ve personal experience; someone i love dearly who is now 34, was sexually molested at 13 by the churches 29 yr old married with kids, youth leader. Its molded her life to this day, in many ways. None of them good.
Some people are very good at hiding their vile crimes… especially those who have never been caught.
I loved listening to that video pj you had recently on here… he said: Jesus washed the feet of the one who betrayed Him.
We still have a lot to learn don’t we?
Amen Oxy amen.
Most days it seems the more i learn the less i really know.
Quote: Most days it seems the more i learn the less i really know.
Praise the Lord… we still abide on the same page. :0)