Jump directly to the Content

Protecting Churches from Porn

Helpful tips for guarding church employees and equipment.

The pervasive nature of pornography, sadly, has opened doors to temptation during business hours (or after hours with an organization's equipment). And the church office isn't immune from the problem, especially as technology increasingly becomes mobile, offering opportunities to connect online via mobile phones and laptops. In 2001, Leadership surveyed pastors and found that 4 in 10 struggled with online pornography.

Leaders must be aware of how church-owned equipment is used, not only to help protect the moral and spiritual well-being of pastors and staff, but also to minimize the potential for a sexual misconduct claim. Here are five precautions that can help protect church leaders using church-owned equipment:

  • Install filtering services and accountability software (which tracks website activity and generates reports), such as Covenant Eyes, Internet Safety Inc.'s Ethershield, or XXXChurch.com, on computers, laptops, and mobile devices issued by the church;
  • Set up passwords and other identification requirements on every computer and laptop. This limits accessibility and provides another way to track web activity by individuals;
March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Put an End to Trading Season
Put an End to Trading Season
What it takes to make your ministry a true contender.
From the Magazine
The Evil Ideas Behind October 7
The Evil Ideas Behind October 7
The Hamas attacks in Israel have a grotesque ideological history and deserve unflinching moral judgment.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close