Resloution 15.09: Safe Church

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2012/9-november/news/world/acc-concludes-new-zealand-gathering

Resloution 15.09: Safe Church

recognising and affirming:

1. the witness of Scripture to God’s love for all members of the human family and the priority given in Jesus’ ministry to children and the vulnerable of society;
2. the resolution of the Lambeth Conference in 1998 that each member Church represented make an intentional effort to work toward eliminating abuses affecting women and children (Resolution 1.3);
3. the commitment of ACC-13 in 2005 to the highest standards of care for all young and vulnerable people, seeking to ensure their protection (ACC Resolution 13.50);
4. the testimony of the Lambeth Conference in 2008 to the many forms of abuse of power within society as well as the church from which women and children suffer disproportionately, and the challenge to reclaim the gospel truth of the dignity of the human person and to exercise power in ways that would always be life giving (Lambeth Indaba: Capturing Conversations and Reflections, paragraphs 47 to 50);
5. the call of ACC-14 in 2009 to member Churches to take appropriate steps to assist the healing of indigenous families, including the protection of women and children from violence and human trafficking (ACC Resolutions 14.19 and 14.33);
6. the statement of the Primates in 2011 that our churches must accept responsibility for our own part in perpetuating oppressive attitudes towards women, and in penitence and faith we must move forward in such a way that our churches truly become a living witness to our belief that both women and men are made in the image of God (Letter to the Churches of the Anglican Communion):

commits itself to promoting the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety of all people, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults, within the member churches of the Anglican Communion, and to this end calls upon all member churches to adopt and implement the following Charter for the Safety of People within the Churches of the Anglican Communion, and report to the next meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council as to steps taken to adopt and implement the Charter.
Charter for the Safety of People within the Churches of the Anglican Communion
Pastoral support where there is abuse

1. We will provide pastoral support for the abused, their families, and affected parishes and church organizations by:
   1. listening with patience and compassion to their experiences and concerns;
   2. offering spiritual assistance and other forms of pastoral care.

Effective responses to abuse

2. We will have and implement policies and procedures to respond properly to allegations of abuse against clergy and other church personnel that include:
   1. making known within churches the procedure for making complaints;
   2. arranging pastoral care for any person making a complaint of abuse;
   3. the impartial determination of allegations of abuse against clergy and other church personnel, and assessment of their suitability for future ministry;
   4. providing support for affected parishes and church organizations.

Practice of pastoral ministry

3. We will adopt and promote by education and training standards for the practice of pastoral ministry by clergy and other church personnel.

Suitability for ministry

4. We will have and implement policies and procedures to assess the suitability of persons for ordination as clergy or appointment to positions of responsibility in the church including checking their background.

Culture of safety

5. We will promote a culture of safety in parishes and church organizations by education and training to help clergy, other church personnel and participants prevent the occurrence of abuse.[9]

from:---

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/communion/acc/meetings/acc15/resolutions.cfm