Many churches DO background checks on anyone who works with youth, both paid and volunteer. the good thing is that just letting people know that there will be a background check often makes people who are targeting a church for access to kids to drop the matter and not join/volunteer etc.
I wonder if this has anything to do with all those rumors about the fat kid from 'Head Of The Class' , Dan Schneider? He's a producer for Nickelodeon now & supposedly has sex with underage actresses. Of course this is according to blind items on gossip blogs but some of the stories are pretty sick.
I don't know if you could actually get away with legally requiring background checks on youth pastors, or pastors in general.
However, I think you could probably get away with a law requiring disclosure about whether such a check was done or not, which would have the practical effect of encouraging them without actually requiring them. Each church would have the right to explain just why they weren't doing them.
You're missing the point entirely, they do that for LAYPERSONS, never the clergy.
However, I think you could probably get away with a law requiring disclosure about whether such a check was done or not, which would have the practical effect of encouraging them without actually requiring them. Each church would have the right to explain just why they weren't doing them.