Churches 'foolish' to ignore background checks

By Norman Jameson

BR Editor

Roger Self, an investigator who has solved 5,000 cases, including church embezzlements, recommends background checks on everyone.

Photo by Norman Jameson

Biblical Recorder

A church is "foolish" not to conduct background checks on employees and children's workers according to a Baptist investigator and former police officer.

Roger Self, 53, has been in church for 30 years and in law enforcement for longer and has become aware of "more criminal activity in the church" than ever before.

With sex crimes surfacing almost weekly in North Carolina schools and churches not immune, Self, a member of Hardin Baptist Church in Dallas, N.C., said churches and schools must do everything they can to protect themselves. His first case as a licensed investigator involved theft by the daughter of a Baptist pastor.

"The days when nobody would sue a church are over," Self said.

After a brief career as a police officer, Self worked in loss prevention for Belk department stores. After he spoke on the topic at a civic group, participants flooded him with requests for help. In 1989 he started a business and one of his first major clients owned nine fast food restaurants, one of which just wasn't making the money it should.

Self secured a confession from the manager who had been deleting orders from the computer.

That owner told his business friends and soon Self was swamped. Today eight staff members at Southeastern Loss Management Inc. and Prevent Losses support his work, and he is not looking for more business.

It became impossible for Self to help all potential businesses on site so since 2003 he has developed an extensive background check process. He has learned enough to warn churches to exercise similar care.

Self became involved with churches when a Baptist restaurant owner told him he suspected someone in the church office was taking money. Listing of gifts did not match the envelopes, and they suspected the person counting the money was posting gifts but keeping the cash.

Self interviewed the long-time secretary who confessed. This led to solving several embezzlement cases in churches.

"The sad thing is that a lot of people I was catching in restaurants and other businesses were active church people," said Self, a trustee at Hardin Baptist. "It's been troubling for me personally. I can't tell you how many I've caught."

If an incident occurs at church, if a child is abused or a teen is accosted, a concerned parent can report that incident to the pastor, deacons, police or an attorney. An attorney will do an immediate background check on the adult being accused and if that check reveals a negative behavior history, or worse, that the person is a registered sex offender in another state, "that church has opened itself to huge liability," Self said.

Because of what he's seen, Self knows churches "more than ever" need to conduct background checks. Simple background checks are easy and inexpensive. Even national checks that cover both criminal and credit histories can start as low as $10. A church needs the subject's permission to check credit.

Self emphasized a credit check is essential when considering a pastoral candidate. He said he would not even consider a candidate who declined to grant permission for a credit check.

"I recommend that any church conduct checks on everyone, paid staff and volunteers, who works with children, infant through high school," Self said.

"Run background on everyone, new people or old people," he said. "Include granny and her children."

Offenders move easily and often in a mobile, transient society. Self, in a fast growing church, says he could once give the first and last name of everyone in attendance. Today, he said, he could not necessarily offer that information for the persons on any given row.

He recommends a "full blown criminal and credit check." A deeper level would provide addresses for the subject's past 25 years, any tax liens or judgments, registered vehicles and other property.

Self said 46 states now cooperate in a common database to research criminal charges and convictions. North Carolina, which Self says has "the best background reporting of any state," shows even dismissed charges.

"If you're getting ready to hire a youth pastor and he has two breaking and entering charges and drug charges that were dismissed, do you want to know that?" Self said. "Dismissed doesn't mean not guilty. Maybe witnesses didn't show or the parents in a small town know the district attorney, etc."

All states but Nevada report sexual offenders, he said. Information is often free if you have the time to go to each state's web site. Paying a small fee to a company that specializes in the work is much quicker and probably more cost effective.

Churches should exercise caution in handling their funds, as well. Many churches have weekly receipts equal to a significant business. Of course, Self said, churches should be incorporated. The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina similarly encourages churches to incorporate.

Money received at Hardin is escorted by two or more ushers and dropped into a secure container. A minimum two people are involved in every step of the process and no staff member handles money. Offerings are secured in a locked deposit bag and taken to the bank that day.

All checks require two signatures, neither of which is a staff member. The church has an annual, independent audit.

The department head must approve requests for reimbursement before the church financial secretary can write a check, he said.

Self has discovered that about 25 percent of the people about to be hired for a job by one of his clients - people who have passed the interview muster and are just waiting for the background check - will have had "serious criminal histories."

Three sites which offer background checks are:

www.netdetective.com, a Consumer Guide Top Pick

www.firstpointresources.com, the preference of the Baptist State Convention

www.preventlosses.com, Roger Self's company