Maine District Church of the Nazarene

Why do a background check? Can You Afford Not to?

Failure to perform background screening could destroy everything a church has worked hard to build.  Background checks are a must in today's cultural climate, because it is your church's responsibility to know the employee/volunteer.  Employee/volunteer fraud and theft can weaken or destroy a church.  An employee with a history of violence, drug, or alcohol abuse could cause irreparable damage to a church's reputation.
Based on the doctrine of "Negligent Hiring", churches may face liability issues.  The church may be liable for damages if the court determines that the church "knew or should have know" negative facts of an employee's/volunteer's background that should have disqualified that employee/volunteer from serving. This includes pastoral changes and church board positions, as well as those who work with children in the church.

For example, an employee with a bad driving record should not be allowed to drive a church vehicle, and an employee with a sexual assault conviction should probably not be allowed to work with children. It is the church's responsibility to know the employee/volunteer. Remember: Background screening is a necessary research tool; it is not an invasion of privacy.  The types of information common to a background check are available to the public under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If a person resists allowing a screening to be done, it should raise red flags.

While most employees/volunteers are productive people contributing to a church's success, background screening is meant to keep out the occasional problem worker who may have negative incidents in his or her past history. In the long run, it is less expensive to do a background check than deal with the disruptions, liability issues, and potential financial loss that may result from using the wrong person. Many churches hurry through the hiring process, because they need someone in a position.  Yet, hiring without the proper background screening could result in serious problems that cost more time, trouble, and money.

That's why we've set up this system: (1) to retrieve the information you need in order to make an informed decision; (2) to help our local churches and district organizations protect themselves in an increasingly antagonistic culture; (3) to maintain a central database in order to hold down costs by avoiding duplicate searches.