Monthly Archives: July 2010

Church Volunteer Arrested

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EDMONDS — A volunteer magician and puppeteer who worked with the children’s ministry at Westgate Chapel in Edmonds is being accused of fondling a young parishioner during Sunday school and sneaking his camera up the skirts of unsuspecting girls and women.

On Tuesday morning Terry Jensen, 55, of Edmonds was charged with first-degree child molestation and two counts of attempted voyeurism. This is not the first time Jensen has faced such charges.

According to court papers filed this morning, in 2006 an 8-year-old girl reported that Jensen fondled her three times during Sunday school. At that time Jensen allegedly apologized to the girl, her mother, and the church’s leadership team according to Snohomish County deputy prosecutor, Adam Cornell. The report stated that Jensen “got down on one knee” and asked the girl for another chance.

Jensen was confronted again with allegations of sexual impropriety with parishioners this past January. Prosecutors allege that Jensen used a small camera to take pictures up the skirts of women and girls at church and on business trips. Jensen allegedly told Westgate Chapel officials he used the church’s camera to take pictures underneath the skirts of some of the teenage puppet workers behind the stage, Cornell wrote.

Edmonds police have seized two of Jensen’s computers but were unable to find any images related to the allegations against him. Jensen allegedly destroyed a third computer and threw it in the garbage. Investigators have been unable to locate that computer according to Cornell.

For more information on screening volunteers at your church click here.

What Motivates Volunteers?

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Volunteer Sign

People volunteer at churches for as many reasons as there are individual personalities. Hopefully most of the people will be selfless and have a heart that genuinely wants to serve. Others may feel a sense of obligation because they have a child or youth involved in that area of ministry. And with churches in desperate need of volunteers, some may even feel pressured into serving.

Some volunteers want to feel like a part of the community of believers. Newcomers to a city or town often want to meet people and make friends. A good way to do so is to volunteer in their new church. Those who live alone might be fighting a sense of loneliness or miss the days when they had children at home and in the children’s ministry. Volunteering is a good way to accomplish both goals.

Volunteer coordinators or ministry directors can help volunteers feel valued and like they are a part of the team by introducing them to staff or fellow volunteers who are like-minded. A volunteer looking for connection that is subsequently ignored and asked to serve alone will not stick around for long!

Retired professionals often volunteer to pass wisdom on to the next generation. Valuing and treating them with honor will ensure that they flourish in whatever capacity they serve.

Discovering your volunteers’ motivations will help you know them better, manage them better, and get more out of them! And motivating your volunteers can help you better meet their expectations, making their experience better—and their willingness to continue more likely.

For more information on screening your volunteers visit Protect My Ministry

Why do background checks for church volunteers?

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Many churches believe that having safety procedures on church grounds is an adequate substitute for a background screening process to protect their children and youth from predators. And while having cameras in the classroom, state of the art check-in systems, and 2 adults in every classroom is a valuable and recommended procedure, having a criminal background check is a vital part of any child protection policy.

Take the example of Stephen Greeley, a 40-year-old volunteer at a church in St. Petersburg, FL that was recently arrested for molesting and raping a boy under the age of 12. Greeley befriended the boy and his parents over the course of a year and babysat the victim on at least two occasions in his apartment. He is charged with Sexual Battery and Lewd and Lascivious Molestation of a Child under the age of 12.
While none of these charges occurred on church property or during church-sponsored events, this is an example of the limitations of having procedures in place solely on church property.

Volunteers working with minors often have extended amounts of time with the children they supervise out from under the watchful eyes of the church. It is critical that churches take every precaution to screen those responsible for the safety and well-being of their children.

For more information on how to protect your ministry and the children in your church please click here.