Author	Thread: Background Checks...
Admin	Background Checks... Posted : 16 Feb, 2011 09:18 PM Many churches today are requiring pastors, and thier pastoral staff to have background checks, BEFORE they are allow to minister in thier churches, or become pastors of a church. The reason for all of this new protocol, church administrators, say it is to stop pastors or pastoral staff who have been called to pastor a church from being hired, if they have a criminal background, and bad credit reports. As we all know, many predators have been exposed in the Catholic church, and not only the Catholic priests who have been exposed ofr sexually abusing so many children, and the church has paid out and continue to pay out lawsuits. But there are many churches in America, and all over the world wherein pastors or a trusted ministers who are not being sued for sexual crimes against children in the church, or for stealing church funds, etc,...because they haven't been caught.. We hear about pastors of all denominations raping young girls and boys, stealing large sums of maney from the churches; we hear about pastors killing their wives and families, or church members; we hear about pastors singke and married having all kinds of homosexual affairs in the church; we hear about pastor having all kinds of adulterous affairs with other women and having chldren born from these relations in the church; we hear about pastors getting caught with drugs, and prosititutes, and on and on....sinful sins, and many sinful crimes, and many have not been caught and brought to justice, and many have been caught. But, what do you do with the man of God was a pastor who has changed his sinful ways, served his time for his crimes, repented, and God has restored him for the work of the ministry? QUESTION: Should a backgorund check prevent the church from hiring a man as pastor of the church, or from being on a pastral staff in a church, because of his past criminal reports, or bad credit? What say you?... Post Reply
flyby View Profile History	Background Checks... Posted : 16 Feb, 2011 10:49 PM Gees ET you really drove that point home! And I got grief for the Egyptian wife beating comment? Post Reply
Hilltop View Profile History	Background Checks... Posted : 17 Feb, 2011 04:31 AM For crimes yes, especially sex abuse. Bad credit? People turn their finances around all the time. Depends on how far in debt they are. Definitely something to consider. Post Reply
View Profile History	Background Checks... Posted : 17 Feb, 2011 09:55 AM QUESTION: Should a backgorund check prevent the church from hiring a man as pastor of the church, or from being on a pastral staff in a church, because of his past criminal reports, or bad credit? What say you?... *** Prevent ? NO !...But ima sure it does...A background check " is " to be used as a Tool in finding the " best " person & match for the Job in this world...May GOD show Mercy & Favor to those that struggle with this issue...xo Post Reply
View Profile History	Background Checks... Posted : 17 Feb, 2011 09:57 AM What do you suppose the apostle Paul's would look like? Post Reply
Gourd00 View Profile History	Background Checks... Posted : 17 Feb, 2011 11:12 AM I'm fine with background checks. Just because someone has committed crimes in their past and you have the record of it doesn't mean that person hasn't changed today. It also doesn't mean they have to deny the person a pastorship just because that person had a past. It's called using one's best judgment and praying and getting to know the person before choosing to hire them as a pastor. And then if even after all that something goes wrong, you can deal with it then. God doesn't count our sins against us any more after we have repented; why should we hold sins against our brothers and sisters? Post Reply
View Profile History	Background Checks... Posted : 17 Feb, 2011 11:41 AM Moses and paul were involved in a case of murder. It also depends on when they accepted Jesus. Some harden criminals accept jesus in prison and become the most devout followers. It is an issue between them and God. God is no respecter of persons. A true believer will reveal there past when appling for the job. Post Reply
View Profile History	Background Checks... Posted : 18 Feb, 2011 11:42 AM All of your responses are as mine. Jude made a good comment, background checks for pastors is of the world. It doesn't stop SIN! And that's whats ging on in the churches when it comes to hiring or firing pastor after background checks, no one is consdering SIN. I think what should be done is to have a character check of their past churches, and references to see what the people think, becasue many of these sins the people at these past churches know all about them. Churches are becoming like the world, and no background check is reporting SIN in these pastor's lives nor the lifestyle in which they live. I have been working with a Methodist church, and they have now started requiring pastors and pastoral staff to undergo background checks. But what has it proven? Not one thing! But hwat it has proven is that they are hindering God's work, becasue there are ministers who left the church based on principles of the thought of getting a background check. As you guys point out, if we start with Moses ... NO, lets start with God Himself, God smote many to death, He wouldn't be able to pass a background check. And if we go all the way through the Old to the New Testament, not many God called into ministry would be able to pass a background check today. And Paul nor Peter are any of the disciples sure wouldn't pass a background check because of their prison records and crimes BEFORE God changed them.... and according to the imprisonment of Jesus, He wouldn't even pass a background check because of His prison record. Its a sad day in the churches becasue they are not talking counseling about SIN, nor restoration of those who have SINNED in the past. But many churches are beginning to follow the patterns of the world, in an effort to stop crimes by pastors in the church, and are disqualifying men and women of God whom the Lord has changed. And the churches are refusing to allow them to teach or preach God's word, because of their past, thus the church is forsaking the requirements and qualifications of the man or woman of God, God has called into ministry and restored. Its very sad... Post Reply