Depending on the nature of the crisis, there are various levels of communication necessary.

  1. Determine the facts of the precipitating event. Be accurate and report just the facts. Note if someone has been arrested but do not assign guilt—that is for the courts to determine. In cases of child molestation, protect the anonymity of the victims. With embezzlement, the loss may grow as you conduct the investigation. The major facts of a story need to be shared while some details can be left confidential. For example, the fact of embezzlement should be shared but not necessarily the methods. You will want to state in a press release only the facts and no conjecture.
  2. Know your church’s policies, procedures and training systems. Have a list of when staff and volunteers were trained.
  3. Consider your church’s reputation. Churches often hide or cover up a crisis, thinking that the community will lose confidence in them if the case is known. However, the community will lose greater confidence when the story is leaked or shared by the church in a piecemeal fashion. Tell the whole story.
  4. Work with law enforcement. If a crisis is discovered, ask the police to discretely begin an investigation. When they are ready for an arrest, then be prepared with a well-crafted public statement.
  5. Work with your insurance carrier before a public announcement is made. Your press release could contain information or claims of church guilt that will adversely affect your insurance claim or future court case.
  6. Appoint one person as the spokesperson for the church. Strictly prohibit all other staff from commenting on the case, either to a reporter or on social media. Clearly publicize who the church spokesperson is with their name, email address and phone number.
  7. Carefully plan what the senior pastor should say before, during or after the sermon. The pastor will need coaching on legal issues and how to phrase discussion of a difficult issue.
  8. If a church prayer meeting is held, consider who should lead it and the format. Avoid public microphones where anyone can comment. Reporters may be present who will site what is said in a public meeting.
  9. Unless the perpetrator has confessed to the crime, do not assign guilt in your public statement. This could open your church to a case of libel. If the person has been arrested, report the fact, but go no further.
  10. Do not minimize the crisis. Avoid saying that systems, finances or people were not unduly hurt by the crime. Accept the crisis for what it is and report the facts.
  11. As needed, bring in outside professionals to improve your church’s policies, procedures and training systems. Announce that competent outsiders are giving professional guidance to make your church more secure.
  12. Craft a carefully worded press release about the crisis. Often churches will say one thing in public and have a private letter for the congregation. This is a poor practice. Private letters are often shared with reporters and others in the community. Consider that any publicized information will appear on the front page of a local or national newspaper or internet page.
  13. Monitor social media after the crisis. Consider having a media consultant or well-trained staff person graciously respond to posts on social media.
  14. Prepare to weather the storm. There will be those in your community and around the nation who will sharply criticize your church.

This Tool is from XPastor’s course Predators in the Church.

To learn more about preventing financial fraud, child sexual abuse and physical security issues at your church, see the Predators course.