Pastor, I made an appointment to see you because I’d like to start attending your church,” a prospective attender told a young minister.

“Unfortunately, I am a registered sex offender,” he went on to say. “I have to provide law enforcement information about where I live and what I do for work. There are other restrictions, too, but I don’t know how those apply to attending a church.”

The young pastor was thankful for this man’s openness. The conversation made him more eager to disciple the man. How could I turn a spiritual seeker away? the pastor thought to himself. Can a church even forbid someone from attending?

But then he thought of other questions: Do I have to tell church members that a registered sex offender attends here? What if they found out some other way? What if he reoffends? What if he is falsely accused of reoffending?

His thoughts were torn between the opportunity to minister to a lost soul and the responsibility to protect his congregation.

Registered sex offenders have been convicted of a sex-related crime against an adult or a minor. Depending on the jurisdiction, these crimes can include rape, sexual abuse, child pornography, prostitution, trafficking, indecent exposure, and the like.

The church needs to protect staff, volunteers, and attenders, especially minors, from potential victimization.

Protection is needed because of the danger of recidivism. Many offenders do not reoffend after serving a sentence. However, some do. A U.S. Department of Justice report concluded, “Sexual recidivism rates range from 5 percent after three years to 24 percent after 15 years.”

The church needs to protect staff, volunteers, and at- tenders, especially minors, from potential victimization. At the same time, in some instances it needs to offer genuinely repentant sex offenders a structured environment where they can hear and experience the Gospel that does not offer them an opportunity to reoffend.

So, what should Assemblies of God ministers and churches do when a registered sex offender wants to attend church or participate in ministry?

The General Council of The Assemblies of God has long recommended that church boards formulate a policy pro-actively, that is, before the kind of scenario described above arises. Doing so heightens awareness of the issue without implying that the policy was adopted because of a specific person.

A “Sample Conditional Attendance Agreement for Sex Offenders” is available at GeneralSecretary.AG.org in both English and Spanish. Offenders voluntarily agree to follow provisions such as:

• I will provide my probation officer’s contact information (if applicable), so the Church can verify that I may law-fully attend Church.
• The Church will designate one or more adult Church leaders to accompany me at all times while at the Church Property or an offsite Church function, and I will remain with the Church designee(s) at all times while on the Church Property or at an offsite Church function.
• I will not drive or ride in a Church-owned vehicle to or from Church Property or to or from an offsite Church function.
• I will not associate or fraternize with any unrelated minor who attends the Church in any manner off of Church Property.
• I will not communicate with any unrelated minor who attends the Church by means of phone, text, email, social media or similar communication medium.
• I will not work in a volunteer or paid capacity in any program or activity on Church Property or at an offsite Church function, that involves contact with minors.
• I will not attend any service or activity on Church Property or other offsite Church function designed primarily for minors including, but not limited to, youth group or a youth outreach event.
• I will not transport in my vehicle or any other vehicle, an unrelated minor to or from any religious service or activity at the Church Property or at an offsite Church function.
• I will not sit with an unrelated minor in any service or activity on Church Property or at an offsite Church function.
• I will not speak with any unrelated minor on Church Property or at any offsite Church function unless other adults are present.
• I will not invite an unrelated minor of the Church to my home under any circumstances.

AG churches and ministers should consult local legal counsel as well as their insurance carriers to review their current policy or to assist drafting a new policy. State and local law varies, and insurance carriers may require additional restrictions, exclusions, and exceptions. Remember, the church always has the right to deny attendance completely.