This article first appeared in the Spring 2025 edition of Arkansas Baptist Life. It was written by Emily Smith, ABSC Abuse Prevention + Response Consultant.
You’ve probably seen the commercial about the first-time mom taking her child for their first outing to the park. The stroller is completely loaded down with everything imaginable to the point where there is hardly enough room for the child. Flash forward to the next scene and the second child has arrived. The mom has one child on the hip, holding the hand of the other child, and grabs a handful of Cheerios as she walks out the door. Reality has set in. The mom understands that what really matters are the essentials when it comes to parenting.
Whether it is a new parent or a more experienced one you are ministering to in your church, there are necessary essentials when it comes to providing a safe environment for minors. During the 2024 SBC National Convention, the SBC Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force released a resource called Essentials: Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response to aid churches in preventing abuse and how to respond well to those affected by abuse.
The five essential actions include:
- Training for all staff, volunteers and leaders that raises awareness and shares effective actions to prevent incidents of abuse in the church.
- Screening process for all of those working with minors.
- Protection by creating and implementing policies that protect minors and vulnerable adults from grooming and abuse.
- Reporting abuse to the appropriate government authorities and communicating with the church in the event of an abuse allegation.
- Caring for those affected by abuse by identifying and offering resources that will provide victims, survivors, and their families with options for ongoing care.
To help our churches minimize the risk of abuse, we must be proactive. For additional resources and to know more how your church can incorporate the essentials when it comes to abuse prevention and response visit: ABSC.org/APR
The ABSC will be hosting an Abuse Prevention + Response Conference on May 1 in Little Rock. The conference will walk through the Essentials to actively assist and encourage Arkansas Baptist churches to train, screen, protect, report, and care when it comes to abuse prevention and response. To register, click here.