Around 1992, attorney Richard Hammar, who founded Church Law & Tax, published one of the first child and youth protection resources for churches: Reducing the Risk. This abuse prevention material was based on research that Hammar had conducted starting in the 1980s determining that sexual abuse was one of the top legal issues for churches and ministries. Hammar started reading thousands of cases involving churches, religious organizations and educational institutions for the purpose of providing analysis, education and solutions to serve Christian ministries.
Informed by his tireless research, Church Law & Tax now publishes its Top Five Reasons Churches End Up In Court. The top five list includes property and insurance disputes, zoning issues and personal injury as well as a consistent top issue: sexual abuse of a minor. This research continues to guide Church Law & Tax’s important work to serve the Church even today.
In an interview with World News Group in 2015, Hammar said this research was based on approximately 1,000 court cases that he reads every month – 12,000 annually. He said that the stand-out topic has been consistent year over year.
“Now I can tell you that 19 of the last 20 years, the issue of child abuse was the No. 1 reason churches found themselves in court. In fact, it’s not even close. In 2014, the last year I’ve examined, it was 11.7 percent of all cases involving churches. No. 2 was personal injuries, at 7.2 percent. So as you can see – and this is true every year – there’s a substantial gulf between first and second place.”
With the release of Reducing the Risk, Hammar and his team provided a resource that was one of the first of its kind, designed to safeguard the church and to protect the vulnerable from abuse. This pivotal material called for screening, training, waiting periods and appropriate levels of supervision which establish the foundation for abuse prevention principles to keep kids safe.
This past November, I was able to sit down with Rich and Chris Hammar along with Matt Branaugh who leads Church Law & Tax today to learn more about this history which has become a legacy to Christian ministries. Hammar shared how he, an atheist at the time, came to Christ through the power of the Gospel. He said he regularly shares this story with students to inspire and encourage them in their faith.
“Don’t ever doubt the power of God, especially if it is consistent with His will,” Hammar said.
After graduating from Harvard Law School, Hammar served as a Department of Defense attorney before leaving to go into full-time ministry. In addition to his professional experience, Hammar served most every weekend for several decades in children’s ministry by teaching Sunday School for fourth and fifth graders at Central Assembly in Springfield, Mo. In more recent years, Hammar has mentored numerous teenagers and young adults. This work provided real world experience in serving the very kids he sought to protect and to create a sort of living laboratory where risk management and prevention measures could be put to the test.
Today in retirement, Rich is enjoying a quiet life focused on astronomy, his wife Chris and his grandchildren.
Church Law & Tax continues to serve the Church and Christian ministries as a legacy to this day. Branaugh recently shared about how Rich’s work continues to impact today’s ministry landscape.
“Rich truly pioneered the critical issue of protecting children and youth in the American Church. For many years, he was often a lone voice crying out for leaders to pay attention and take action,” Branaugh said. “While abuse allegations remain a top problem confronting churches, the American church owes a great deal to Rich. His passion and persistence have ensured that abuse prevention now receives the high prioritization it deserves. And the best practices he developed set a high – and vitally important – standard for how leaders must protect the most vulnerable in our care today.”
Southern Baptists, and all Christians, are a force for good in this Genesis 3 world. Rich has led with courage, tenacity and innovation to strengthen Christ’s Church through these important safeguards. The impact of his legacy will not fully be realized until glory, but countless kids have been able to safely attend church programs, hear the Gospel and grow in discipleship free from abuse thanks to Rich’s work. Southern Baptists stand in appreciation of his service.
The work continues – sexual abuse continues to be, as SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg would call it, a “pernicious evil” that needs to be addressed proactively. Inspired by Rich and building on this vital foundation, abuse prevention efforts continue to adapt and expand based on a shifting landscape of laws, safeguards and new threats. Many Christian leaders have stepped into this space to support the Great Commission work of abuse prevention through education and innovation in this area.
We are grateful for the work of Rich Hammar and will present him with the Forces for Good Award presented at the Forces for Good Summit Feb. 25 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Join us for this significant milestone as we express deep appreciation for his pioneering work to safeguard the next generation. Thank you, Rich Hammar – praise God!
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