This is an issue all mega-churches and many smaller churches face, even though they might not know it.

Congregation grapples with sex offender in worship
GERALDA MILLER
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 3/3/2007
STORY CHAT(read or post comments)

Clergy and the congregation at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd have had their Christianity tested since a sex offender has asked to worship there.

The pastors and faith community are grappling with the ubiquitous question: What would Jesus do?

"I have thought for years that this would be the acid test of a group of Christians practicing what they preach," said the Rev. Carl Wilfrid, senior pastor. "Jesus makes it a priority to include people who mainstream society tends to push out: prostitutes, tax collectors, sinners, whatever. And so it's pretty clear that to be people of Christ you would work to include people."

The question is how should the faith community welcome 60-year-old Calvin Brugge, a tier three sex offender.

The emotions and opinions vary from loving support to outrage, the pastor said.

The Rev. Rebecca Schlatter, associate pastor, said it is simply a question of how to welcome Brugge. "Clearly, we are called to love," she said. "But is it safe to love this particular person up close?"

After several conversations with Brugge, his counselor, members of the congregation and other professionals, Wilfrid said the church has constructed a covenant with 17 conditions for Brugge, who said he will sign the covenant.

A group of people, called a support team, will meet with him regularly, and an accountability team will observe Brugge while he is on church property.

"This is a very strange welcome," Wilfrid said. "If you ever get welcomed to a group with a contract like that, you're in trouble."

Full disclosure

On an early Sunday morning in December, Brugge stood up when Wilfrid asked visitors to introduce themselves.

The pastor said Brugge identified himself as a client of Steve Ing's, a church member and counselor for male sex offenders.

"So that was code," Wilfrid said. "I knew who he was or what he was."

Brugge, who lives in Sun Valley, said Ing recommended his church.

...

Attending church, working with a counselor and group therapy, and having a support team and pastor from the faith community are valuable components that Brugge said he needs for rehabilitation.

...

[A church member] said she would like to participate in a forum at the church that includes someone from law enforcement to talk about recidivism as well as an expert on sex offenders who is not an advocate for Brugge.

...

Kibbie Ruth, executive director of Kyros Ministry in San Mateo, Calif., said she is working with an average of one congregation a month on issues of sexual abuse and prevention. She has not read Brugge's covenant but said it was based on samples she sent them. She said she applauds the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd's proactive steps and public discourse.

"If someone is fishing for children, they probably are not going to agree on limitation on their participation in the church," she said. Releasing information about a sex offender in the congregation is going to affect victims of abuse, she said.

[comment: If someone is NOT fishing for children they STILL may not agree to limitations on their participation - i.e. it's not a litmus test -d]

She said it is important to have a counselor at that meeting for discussions about a sex offender attending services and that such exchanges do not precipitate a drop in membership.

...

"Children are more at risk of abuse of in their congregation than any other institution other than their own family," Ruth said. "They are safer in schools, Boy Scouts, Little League. The offender knows that. Anybody fishing for kids knows that. Congregations tend to believe you can trust anybody who comes."
[more comment: Maybe before the recent Roman Catholic Priest scandal... -d]

Link below.

See AP Wire services version here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2007/mar/03/030310592.html

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