The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) discussed a report this afternoon that gave the background to the ongoing PSNI criminal investigation and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s (CCNI) statutory inquiry, and other matters that stemmed from the central safeguarding failures that the Church announced in November of last year.
Contained in the General Council’s third report to the Assembly, which was meeting for its third day in Belfast, the reports were from two Task Groups that had been established as a result of decisions taken the December ‘25 and February ’26 Special Assemblies. The reports were from the General Assembly Governance, Culture and Integrity Task Group, and the Statutory Investigations Advisory Task Group.
Speaking as the Convener of the Statutory Investigations Advisory Task Group, Rev Jonathan Boyd said,
“We have committed as a Church to co-operate fully with statutory bodies as they carry out investigations and inquiries.”
He told the General Assembly that there were many good reasons for doing that,
“Of foremost importance is providing justice for victims of the Church’s failings, it is part of our Christian duty to be honest and to submit to the governing authorities who God has raised up, it is [also] part of our Reformed conviction that God can use the civil authorities to address problems in the Church.”
Rev Jonathan Boyd, Convener of the Statutory Investigations Advisory Task Group
Mr Boyd, explained that the Twenty-Third Chapter of the Westminster Confession was very clear about this subject, “and we should thank God for the work he does through the civil authorities to correct and purify the Church. Ultimately, it is important for the health of the Church that this is all done well. If we learn from this and make good changes then we will be a healthier church…”
The minister of Killyleagh Presbyterian, who on Tuesday had been appointed Clerk of the General Assembly, also paid tribute to the former Moderator, Dr Richard Murray for his role in supporting the investigation and inquiry.
“A lot of the parameters for our engagement with the Police and the Charity Commission have been set by those bodies and consequently Dr Murray shouldered a fairly significant burden this year – while still being a parish minister – and as a church we owe him a deep debt of gratitude for his service and example of sombre lament and serious commitment to doing this right.”
Mr Boyd also explained that the General Council, acting as trustees of the church, recognised that Dr Murray was being asked by the statutory bodies to do much more than what a Moderator normally does, or should do. The Task Group was therefore set up to assist Dr Murray and ensure the full and effective co-operation of the Church with the statutory authorities.
“Much of the work of the Task Group is necessarily confidential. To protect the integrity of the police investigation there is relatively little we can say about it at this stage, but there is more that we can say about the inquiry being carried out by the Charity Commission.”
Mr Boyd told the Assembly that,
“INEQE Safeguarding Group has commenced the independent external review of governance and safeguarding and the Church has already committed to publishing the findings of the review, and all learning that comes from them, except where this would compromise the integrity of the review process, or contradict legal obligations regarding data protection.
“We recognise the importance of transparency and honesty in all this. Those are important values in of themselves and they are vital for restoring confidence in the governance and safeguarding arrangements of the Church.
“That review is progressing well and INEQE will soon begin gathering information from congregations and individuals. Co-operating with the review, and with the PSNI investigation, has created a lot of additional work for staff – important work that has been prioritised.”
The Convener of the Task Group concluded by saying, “I think we need to be thankful for the hard work that has been done on behalf of the Church to resource and co-operate with these investigations. We can also be thankful that some progress has already been made with improving our arrangements for safeguarding and governance, and we trust that the review from INEQE will help us to make further improvements.”
Talking about the General Assembly Governance, Culture and Integrity Task Group, the General Assembly’s Deputy Clerk, Rev Peter Gamble, said that it was established by the Special General Assembly of December 2025, and was an interim report to this year’s General Assembly.
Proposing the General Council’s report, Mr Gamble, said that the remit of the interim report of the Task Group, is “to improve ‘the proper functioning of our Presbyterian form of church government according to principles regarding the same to be provided by the Doctrine Committee’.” He also explained that the Church’s Doctrine Committee provided the principles to the Task Group, which was then able to commence its work in earnest.
“The Task Group is very aware that governance, culture and integrity are integral to proper church life. At the same time, the Task Group is carrying out its work at the same time as the General Assembly Structures and Resources Review Panel, a live criminal investigation by the PSNI, and an external review of safeguarding and governance to be forwarded to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland…The Task Group believes that this will assist that Panel in its deliberations.”
Rev Peter Gamble Deputy Clerk of the General Assembly.
In an amended resolution passed by the General Assembly, it was agreed that the interim report of the Task Group be passed to the General Assembly Structures and Resources Review Panel, to PCI’s regional presbyteries and to Councils and Commissions of the Assembly, to assist with the proposals for denominational restructuring. That Panel’s report will be discussed during Friday’s business.
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