Welcoming Those with Felony Histories
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
II Peter 3:9
Our prayer is that you would find BCF to be a place where you will be accepted and loved, regardless of your past. Along with that, you will also find BCF to be a place where we share openly & honestly with each other if we see one headed in a dangerous direction.
In a desire to provide a safe environment for everyone to worship together and walk out the redemption that comes through the blood of Jesus Christ, we want to put some guidance in writing so there are no assumptions & we can cut down on mis-communication. We believe that Jesus came to set the captives free â including ourselves! But we also know that freedom can be a progression that may take a period of time. That period of time is different for each individual so each situation will be evaluated on an individual basis.
If you are on parole or probation, we require that you make the Leadership Team aware of that as soon as possible. We want to sincerely honor any restrictions government authorities may have imposed, help you to be accountable to these restrictions, and avoid situations that would cause/tempt you to violate them. Finding out later or hearing about it from a second-hand source will make it much more difficult to establish any level of trust.
We want everyone who attends to feel welcome and have the freedom to worship unhindered. The only way we know to do that effectively is to have open and honest conversation about what is in the past in an effort to set everyone up to succeed in the present & the future. If we as a Leadership Team believe the situation warrants a conversation with the entire church, we reserve the right to do so. As a Leadership Team we also take our responsibility as âMandatory Reportersâ very seriously and will not hesitate to report a crime if we believe one has been committed. We take every report of sexual misconduct seriously.
If you are currently on probation or parole, we will require a conversation with your probation/parole officer to better understand his/her requirements so that you are not put in a compromising situation. To honor God, the government, and the congregation, this must happen before you may attend our congregation on a regular basis. It will be your responsibility to set up the meeting with probation/parole.
As it relates to registered sex offenders, some special procedures will be required, especially considering that your history is an easily accessible public record. Attendees should not have to be alarmed or panic or otherwise disengage in fellowship with you if they innocently discover your past from an Internet search. It is required that we share with the congregation your desire to attend and the nature of your offense (it will be somewhat generalized). You will need to attend this congregational meeting to answer any questions that may arise. We desire to create a family atmosphere that looks out for the best interests of all of us.
If you are a registered sex offender, regardless of probation/parole status, we require a meeting with the leadership team to determine how we can best walk with each other, to glorify the Lord, provide necessary accountability and provide a safe and healthy environment for everyone. Based on that discussion, we may need to agree on some specific accommodations, at least for a season, such as:
An assigned gender appropriate adult with you at all times when you are at the church. That person is required to be with you wherever you go so as to create a safe environment for our congregation, but it is also to protect you should a compromising situation arise.
II Peter 3:9
Our prayer is that you would find BCF to be a place where you will be accepted and loved, regardless of your past. Along with that, you will also find BCF to be a place where we share openly & honestly with each other if we see one headed in a dangerous direction.
In a desire to provide a safe environment for everyone to worship together and walk out the redemption that comes through the blood of Jesus Christ, we want to put some guidance in writing so there are no assumptions & we can cut down on mis-communication. We believe that Jesus came to set the captives free â including ourselves! But we also know that freedom can be a progression that may take a period of time. That period of time is different for each individual so each situation will be evaluated on an individual basis.
If you are on parole or probation, we require that you make the Leadership Team aware of that as soon as possible. We want to sincerely honor any restrictions government authorities may have imposed, help you to be accountable to these restrictions, and avoid situations that would cause/tempt you to violate them. Finding out later or hearing about it from a second-hand source will make it much more difficult to establish any level of trust.
We want everyone who attends to feel welcome and have the freedom to worship unhindered. The only way we know to do that effectively is to have open and honest conversation about what is in the past in an effort to set everyone up to succeed in the present & the future. If we as a Leadership Team believe the situation warrants a conversation with the entire church, we reserve the right to do so. As a Leadership Team we also take our responsibility as âMandatory Reportersâ very seriously and will not hesitate to report a crime if we believe one has been committed. We take every report of sexual misconduct seriously.
If you are currently on probation or parole, we will require a conversation with your probation/parole officer to better understand his/her requirements so that you are not put in a compromising situation. To honor God, the government, and the congregation, this must happen before you may attend our congregation on a regular basis. It will be your responsibility to set up the meeting with probation/parole.
As it relates to registered sex offenders, some special procedures will be required, especially considering that your history is an easily accessible public record. Attendees should not have to be alarmed or panic or otherwise disengage in fellowship with you if they innocently discover your past from an Internet search. It is required that we share with the congregation your desire to attend and the nature of your offense (it will be somewhat generalized). You will need to attend this congregational meeting to answer any questions that may arise. We desire to create a family atmosphere that looks out for the best interests of all of us.
If you are a registered sex offender, regardless of probation/parole status, we require a meeting with the leadership team to determine how we can best walk with each other, to glorify the Lord, provide necessary accountability and provide a safe and healthy environment for everyone. Based on that discussion, we may need to agree on some specific accommodations, at least for a season, such as:
An assigned gender appropriate adult with you at all times when you are at the church. That person is required to be with you wherever you go so as to create a safe environment for our congregation, but it is also to protect you should a compromising situation arise.
- You may need to agree not to visit any home of anyone in the congregation that has minor children present during that visit.
- The Leadership Team might request that anyone inviting you into their home seek their counsel, to head off any situations that could end badly for you and/or them. Of course, the decision is ultimately up to the head of the household.
- We will require regular updates on what you have in place to help you continue to grow in your relationship with the Lord and find healing.
In summary, we want to create an environment void of as many temptations as possible where people are always safe & feel cared for. We do not want to see you re-offend for numerous reasons. Number one reason is that we donât want anyone from our congregation violated in any way and number two is that we donât want to see you go back to prison.
Please know that we love you and want to see you succeed.
Sincerely,
The Ministry Team of Bethesda Christian Fellowship
Sincerely,
The Ministry Team of Bethesda Christian Fellowship