When a church’s honesty is a liability

When officials at a Presbyterian church in Virginia decided to
acknowledge the church's failures in handling reports of sexual abuse by
a youth ministries director, they thought it might upset some in the
congregation.

What surprised leaders at Vienna Presbyterian Church
was the admonishment they got from the church's insurance company. On
March 23, a lawyer hired by GuideOne Insurance sent a warning to church
officials:

"Do not make any statements, orally, in writing or in
any manner, to acknowledge, admit to or apologize for anything that may
be evidence of or interpreted as [a suggestion that] the actions of
Vienna Presbyterian Church . . . caused or contributed to any damages
arising from the intentional acts/abuse/misconduct" by the youth
director.