At Adventist Risk Management, Inc., we want to lead the conversation on creating and sustaining safer ministries. We recently spoke to Damien Johnson, pastor of the Seabrook Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lanham, Maryland about a recent missing child incident and what churches can do to lead the way on child protection.
Jourdain Smith: We understand that your church recently experienced a missing child incident. Can you briefly share a little bit about the situation? What happened?Damien Johnson: We were wrapping up our weekly worship service. It was about, maybe about 1:00 PM on Saturday. Someone indicated to me that we have a missing person situation. She said her parents are unable to find her in the church, looked everywhere, have had others looking for her, and can't find her. They asked if we could make an announcement to see if we can get help.
JS: That is not a situation any parent wishes to go through. What steps did the church take to resolve the situation and what was the most significant lesson you personally took from this experience?
DJ: We gave a description of the young lady, what she was wearing, and asked people to just be on the lookout for her. We also told them to let one of the deacons or myself know if there is any information. I was here at the church talking with people for a little while afterwards, greeting people. And I'd say maybe 20 minutes after that announcement, someone came, found me and said “listen, one of our musicians who was here was going home and spotted a young lady who fit the description, wearing the same color clothes we described.” He called back to the church to say that they found her. She was in the area walking along the main road on the sidewalk. And so, her family was able to get to her and things ended happily. Thank God for that.
JS: Teamwork was critical. At the time, how prepared do you feel the church was to handle the situation? And in, in hindsight, what do you think could have made the process smoother or more effective?
DJ: I don't know that we were prepared for that situation, but we should know that these kinds of emergencies can happen. I think probably the most significant lesson is being observant. I think a pastor or worship leader needs to be receptive and able to recognize when there's something you need to give attention to from the pulpit.
And this was one of those cases where families bring their children to church. They're trusting this is a safe environment. So that already implies this spirit of trust and well-meaning. It is a sacred trust for us as believers, particularly adult believers, to ensure that children are safe in every way.
JS: I think the word “sacred trust” is a beautiful way of describing our duty. What do you think is the biblical principle behind better child protection practices?
DJ: Our faith is in God, our faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who welcomed the children and provided a safe space for them. They felt safe coming to Him and He projected that safety. They knew that they could trust Him and their families trusted Him. And so I think following that model of Christ, we need to create that environment of safety where people feel they can come and trust us.
And we do know that bad things can happen to children in church. It's not something that we should push under the rug. And I think that we must be vigilant, very vigilant, diligent to make sure that our children are safe and protected.
JS: Exactly! Vigilance is how we are good stewards of what God entrust us with. So, what is your hope for the future of child protections for not only Seabrook Church, but churches in general?
DJ: I'd like us to have a more intentional, deliberate plan for ensuring the safety of children. Like the situation we just mentioned, what are the steps you take if a child goes missing? Who do you contact? I would like to see that.
I think a lot of times we do melt into that image of “the church is a family” and wonder what harm could possibly happen in this family environment. But things do happen. And I think taking child safety more seriously and implementing measures and steps for responding to issues that affect children's safety is critical.
I'd say be knowledgeable, avail yourself of the tools or resources that are out there, ensuring the safety of children and your members. Use the resources, establish a safety team. Get your deacons, your safety officers, your ushers, your greeters, even nurses in the church involved in a concentrated effort to ensure the safety of our children.
