Make some hard decisions on what to say about the situation. Prepare an official statement for the press or community people who want to know what's going on. Make use of an internal prayer line or church hot line to inform church members of the crisis. You don't want them to hear about it from the press or a next-door neighbor. A good crisis plan will include a section on how to deal with the media.
Nothing can be potentially more destructive than an onslaught of unfavorable news stories.
This type of media exposure can influence community opinion of your church for a long time and interfere with your mission. Mark DeMoss advises churches to head off damaging stories by responding quickly to the media about a crisis. The first 24 hours are critical. You must reassure the public and the congregation, and restore trust in the church and its staff. Since most pastors and congregations are not accustomed to dealing with the media, they should get some training in how to do that.