Many families have found that abusers don’t often look like an abuser.   Unfortunately, the abuser may look more like the good guy/girl than the good guys do.  The typical abuser is the person you would be least likely to suspect as someone who would do anything to harm a vulnerable person. 

The management instructions of The Special Gathering of Indian River make it clear that everyone who is considered a person with authority must have a security clearance.  This is provided through a contracted company working with our insurance provider, Guide One.  In addition, our paid staff must become a medicaid provider in order to obtain an FBI clearance.  The Special Gathering is a ministry within the mentally challenged community.  We do classic ministry, evangelism and discipleship. 

At SpG we are innately cautious because the personality of most people who are intellectually delayed makes them ripe for exploitation.  This is a generalization but by and large, people who are developmentally disabled can be termed as compliant and ”people pleasers.”  Almost by nature, they want to please people they believe are “in authority.”  

Two incidents that happened on Sunday during SpG prove my point.  Ansley refused to come into the gym where we have our worship time.   She was crying and saying she wouldn’t go into the gymnasium.  “Can you help?”  a volunteer asked.  I walked outside the gym over to Ansley’s wheel chair.  She was still sobbing from her mini-temper episode.  I smiled as her, asked if I could give her a hug.  She agreed.  As I was hugging her, I asked, “May I push you into the gym?”  She wiped her eyes and said, “Yes, please.” 

As I was positioning Ansley into the back of the room, another volunteer came over.  “Saul has decided that he doesn’t want to sit with the other members.  He wants to sit in the back of the room.”  Saul was mumbling to himself and sitting on a bench about 50 yards from the rest of the group. 

“I don’t think so,”  I said. Saul is autistic but he is able to mix and mingle with the other members.  For some reason he had decided to try something new.  I walked over to Saul, took his hand, which he extended to me.  “Let’s go sit down so we can start the service.”  Saul smiled, stood up and moved with me to his usual seat.

My volunteer asked, “How did you do that?”  All I know is that there is an authority that accompanies leadership and our members are especially sensitive to it.  The scriptures often speak of that authority.  The same is true with abusers.  Only their “authority” is evil and it doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit. 

That is the reason that anyone in ministry within the mentally challenged community must be proactive in regard to abuse.  An abuser often sees the church as an place where they can have easy access to prey.  By nature, we are accepting and loving.  Yet, it is because of our love for our members that we must be sure that our members are protected.  Our motto at SpG is that we trust NO ONE. 

If you are interested in ministry within the mentally challenged community, don’t be offended if the ministry you want to become involved with requires a security check.  In fact, you might be alarmed if they don’t.  Are you working toward beginning a ministry within this vulnerable population, be proactive in regard to abuse.  If you have a specialize ministry and you don’t have a security system in place, what are you waiting for?