Church background checks: Protect your congregation with volunteer screening
Table of Contents
- What is a church background check?
- What does a church background check show?
- Why is it important to conduct background checks for churches?
- How often should churches do background checks?
- How long do background checks for churches take?
- How far back do church background checks go?
- Get a church background check from Checkr
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Churches and other religious organizations rely on both employees and volunteers to fulfill their missions. Conducting church background checks can be an important step in protecting your congregation, maintaining your organization’s reputation, and finding individuals who are the right fit for a particular role. In this article, we’ll explain why church background checks are important, what background screenings a church may want to perform, and how to develop an effective church background check policy.
Key takeaways
- Background checks protect vulnerable populations and are often required by insurance providers and state laws
- Effective checks include criminal history, sex offender registries, MVRs, and employment and education verification
- Some state laws mandate fingerprinting and abuse clearances for staff working with minors
- Industry experts recommend conducting updated background checks every two to five years
- Using a consumer reporting agency (CRA) helps you comply with the FCRA and is often faster than manual searches
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What is a church background check?
A church background check is a screening process that verifies a job candidate's or volunteer's identity, criminal history, and qualifications before they begin serving with a religious organization. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples use these checks to protect their congregations and reduce legal liability.
Churches typically look for criminal history, verify credentials, and confirm employment records.
Your religious organization's governing body or legal counsel may also have guidelines or requirements regarding the types of background checks needed for employees and volunteers.
What does a church background check show?
The results of a church background check will depend on the type and scope of searches required by the organization, which may vary. A comprehensive background screening may include several searches, depending on what an organization orders:
- Criminal background checks for church volunteers and employees may search national and state criminal databases, sex offender registries, and county courthouse records. The criminal history check typically shows felony and misdemeanor convictions, and may also show lesser infractions, but this can vary based on state and local laws.
- Education verification confirms the dates the candidate attended school and the degrees they earned.
- Employment verification confirms prior employment and may also show past job titles and employment dates.
- Motor vehicle records (MVRs) show a person’s driving history. This typically includes the status of the driver’s license, the class of license held, and traffic violations. It may also include DUI convictions depending on the jurisdiction.
- Reference checks contact professional references to ask questions about a candidate’s character, job performance, and strengths and weaknesses.
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Why is it important to conduct background checks for churches?
Background checks for church workers and volunteers help safeguard your faith community’s members from potential threats and help you receive the coverage you need. Key reasons to screen employees and volunteers include:
- Congregational safety: Background screening can identify individuals who may pose risks to your members.
- Legal protection: Organizations that implement consistent background checks demonstrate due diligence in their hiring and volunteer selection.
- Insurance needs: Many carriers require background screening as a condition for sexual conduct liability insurance, directors' and officers' coverage, and commercial auto policies.
- License or education verification: For certain roles, candidates may need to have specific credentials, like licenses.
Legal requirements for church background checks vary by state, the duties of the role, and whether the person is an employee or a volunteer. Examples of laws include:
- California: Requires youth service groups to obtain fingerprints and background checks for child abuse records.
- Pennsylvania: Requires child abuse clearance, state criminal checks, and FBI fingerprinting for those working with children.
- Adult Protective Services (APS): Many states require registry checks for those serving seniors or adults with disabilities.
Additionally, under federal law, all states and territories must ensure that employees and volunteers of licensed childcare programs undergo state and federal criminal background checks. These screenings must include:
- A search of the National Sex Offender Registry
- A national FBI criminal history check, including fingerprints
- A search of the state criminal registry or repository, state sex offender registry or repository, and state-based child abuse and neglect registry and database where the individual lives, as well as any states where they have lived in the past five years.
Churches should conduct background checks even when it’s not legally required. The potential harm that can come from not screening far outweighs the cost. Background checks can help protect both your leadership and members of the congregation.
How often should churches do background checks?
Experts recommend rescreening church employees and volunteers every two to five years. While no federal or state laws require periodic rescreening, certain positions involving children or elderly populations may have ongoing compliance requirements. Check your organization's internal guidelines as well. Generally, conducting background checks and running abuse training courses every two years for staff and volunteers is a good rule.
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How long do background checks for churches take?
Turnaround times for church background checks vary depending on the location, scope of the search and how many screenings you’re conducting. For example, online background checks for churches are generally faster than background checks that require calling an employer or visiting a courthouse.
Here's how long common types of church background checks may take when performed by a consumer reporting agency:
Background screening | Average turnaround time |
Criminal records checks | One to five business days, depending on the number of checks requested and the availability of records |
Employment verifications | One to five business days |
Education verifications | These online checks can usually be completed immediately through the National Student Clearinghouse database |
Reference checks | Two to five business days |
MVR checks | Generally available the same day unless the state records aren't available online |
Drug testing | Same day for tests performed on-site at your church; typically two to five business days for tests performed at an outside lab. |
Checkr uses machine learning to provide estimated completion at the county level to keep you, your candidates, and your potential volunteers updated.
Handling background checks internally can prolong your screening process and pull your staff away from ministry work. DIY criminal searches require courthouse research, permission applications, and sometimes in-person visits. You might spend weeks contacting employers, schools, and references, when you could spend that time onboarding new volunteers instead.
Consumer reporting agencies, like Checkr, can save you time because they have access to multiple databases, experience navigating courthouses, and extensive knowledge of the laws that regulate background checks.
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How far back do church background checks go?
In general, there are no laws restricting how far back ministry background checks can go. Lookback periods for church background checks depend on the type and scope of search, whether you're using a CRA to conduct the search or searching on your own, and any applicable federal or state laws.
Here are the typical lookback periods under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Record type | FCRA lookback limit |
Criminal convictions | No limit (indefinite) |
Arrests, civil judgments tax liens | Seven years |
Bankruptcies | 10 years |
Employment and education history | No limit |
Get a church background check from Checkr
Performing background checks for job candidates and volunteers can help protect church members, your staff, and the public from potential harm. But churches operating with tight budgets and lean staff often lack the time and expertise required to conduct ministry background checks, review the results, and keep up with ever-changing and safety employment laws. Working with an experienced CRA, like Checkr, can save you time, money, and effort.
Checkr provides the comprehensive background screenings religious organizations need, from criminal background checks to reference checks and more. Our modern platform delivers fast, accurate results, while volunteers and candidates will also appreciate our easy-to-use, mobile-optimized candidate portal. With Checkr, you can spend less time dealing with paperwork and more time ministering to your congregation. Get started today.
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Disclaimer
The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.
About the author
Karen Axelton writes about business topics and best practices. She has written hundreds of articles on business subjects, including background screening, hiring and employment trends, human resource management, and the use of technology in the workplace. Her work includes educational articles, e-books, white papers, and case studies.
