Protecting Children Is a Duty, Not an Option

Child protection is rooted in the dignity of the child as the image of God, not in an external requirement imposed on religious organizations by the secular world. God created mankind in his own image, male and female he created them (Gen 1:27). That dignity belongs fully to children as well, and it demands serious, structured, and ongoing care from every church or Christian organization.

In any ministry context, four forms of abuse can threaten a child: physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual. For this reason, the principle of the child's best interest must take precedence over the growth of a ministry or the preservation of an organization's public image.

Prevention begins before any activity even takes place. It is necessary to carefully screen those who will have direct contact with children, establish written protocols, maintain transparent environments, and provide ongoing training. In practice, these measures protect far more than good intentions alone, without any structure behind them. Even a seemingly simple situation, such as an adult being left alone with a child in a closed space with no outside visibility, needs to be corrected immediately. All too often, though, this is overlooked out of embarrassment or excessive trust in personal relationships.

Responsibility for child protection also needs to be clearly organized within the church or agency. Every step of the process should have a defined person responsible for it, rather than depending on whoever happens to be available at the moment. Faced with a suspicion or a case of abuse, the institutional response must follow three priorities: ensure the child's immediate safety, notify the competent authorities, and provide real, ongoing support to the victim over time. Placing the institution's reputation above the pursuit of justice is one of the gravest failures a Christian organization can commit and, unfortunately, one of the most recurrent in the recent history of many churches and mission agencies.

Children in situations of extreme vulnerability, such as orphans, victims of human trafficking, and children affected by war or forced displacement, are also part of the church's missionary calling. They are not merely a distant social problem, unrelated to its vocation. James states that pure and undefiled religion before God is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (Jas 1:27). In these contexts, a stable bond and long-term presence protect far more than quick, isolated solutions. Rebuilding broken trust is a slow process, and taking on this care is a biblical duty, not an optional favor granted out of generosity.

Check today whether your church or organization has a written child protection protocol that is actually known by everyone involved, and not merely filed away in some forgotten document. Talk with a properly trained person in charge to learn how to recognize warning signs in a child and how to respond to something concerning. Also ask whether a long-term psychological and pastoral support plan for a possible victim already exists, before that question ever has to be faced under the pressure of an actual crisis.