Meeting in Assembly Buildings, Belfast today the Special General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) received updates on work concerning a raft of issues and related matters that stemmed from failings in the central administration of its safeguarding processes, which the Church announced in November of last year.
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PCI’s Special General Assembly receives update on progress
Ministers and a representative elder from each of the all-Ireland denomination’s 500-plus congregations were entitled to attend today’s meeting. During the course of the day, they received a broad update from the Convener of PCI’s General Council, Very Rev Dr David Bruce, and the Deputy Clerk of the General Assembly, Rev Peter Gamble on safeguarding and progress regarding the General Council task groups that were set up as a result of decisions taken at December’s Special Assembly.
In his opening remarks to propose the General Council’s report, Dr Bruce said that the Assembly had “…asked for several pieces of work to be commenced…and Peter Gamble in seconding this report will explain what has been done so far. In all of these responses, the needs of those who have been hurt and harmed remains paramount to us.”
Speaking to the Assembly, Mr Gamble said that, “…the fact that we are holding a second Special General Assembly only two months after the previous one is in itself an indication of the significance of the situation the denomination is in.” The Deputy Clerk went on to say, that the Church “…is seeking to learn from the past, recognising that past failings have damaged our witness for Christ, and caused hurt. This Assembly is but a stage on the way forward.”
Safeguarding
Speaking about safeguarding specifically, Mr Gamble informed Members of Assembly that the new Safeguarding Department had been set up.
“The staff are working very hard, and with great effectiveness. Policies and procedures are being updated, with documents being improved. Naturally, it will take time for matters to bed in, with appropriate staffing levels being addressed. Recruitment of a Head of Department and suitably equipped officers, including a Safeguarding Lead, is being progressed.”
Funding from the Department, as agreed at December’s Special General Assembly, will be paid for through congregational assessments. “The bottom line is, if we want to do safeguarding well, and we do, it will cost money,” Mr Gamble said.
The senior Presbyterian continued, “.…The preparation of Safeguarding materials, including policies and procedures for use in congregations, and the examination of the protocol for use in safeguarding cases, which involve ministers and leaders, are in progress. The latter will be reported to the Assembly in June 2026, following review by ministers and Kirk Sessions.”
The Deputy Clerk also said that support of measures regarding Adults at Risk of Harm, and an examination of the necessity for a Survivor Redress Scheme were all on the Safeguarding Development Committee’s current and future agendas.
Also speaking about safeguarding, Dr Bruce in his speech to the Special Assembly, paid tribute to PCI’s Safeguarding Lead, Jayne Bellingham and the team,
Dr Bruce said that they had “been travelling across the church delivering a series of roadshows seeking to help designated persons, designated liaison persons, ministers and other leaders to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.”
The Roadshow’s first tranche of nine information evenings took place across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, beginning in mid-January in Bangor, County Down. Attended by over 600 people to date, with two evenings remaining, the Roadshow will conclude next week in Lucan, County Dublin.
Without making further comment, Dr Bruce also informed Members of Assembly that effective from the end of January, the Secretary to the Council for Social Witness, Dermot Parsons, who was stepping into the role of Head of Safeguarding, had resigned. Dr Bruce did, however add that ‘active steps’ were being taken to recruit a successor for the post of Head of Safeguarding, “and to strengthen the staffing team in the new Safeguarding Department…”
PSNI investigation and External Review
Dr Bruce also updated the Special Assembly on the external review of governance and safeguarding required by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, saying that there was some crossover between this work, and PCI’s responses to the PSNI, whose criminal investigation is ongoing.
The General Council Convener said, “Dr Murray has been given the responsibility of being the main liaison person between the Police investigation and the Church, just as he does with the Charity Commission, which includes identifying a panel to conduct the external review to which we are committed.”
With regards to the Moderator’s role, Dr Bruce said that, “Dr Murray is being asked to make commitments on behalf of the Church which lie well outside the normal expectations of any Moderator. To assist him in this, a small specialist advisory Task Group has been appointed by the General Council, to which he can refer as needed. In addition, the Deputy Clerk assists the Moderator with specific aspects of police liaison. The Task Group I have mentioned can access independent legal advice as and when they need to.”
With regards to the appointment of the external review panel, Dr Bruce said that the Moderator, has progressed this, with the advice of the Task Group. “A firm proposal regarding a panel has been lodged with the Charity Commission for their approval. The Enquiry Panel’s remit will include an examination of both the governance and safeguarding dimensions of our work. If this receives approval, the work can commence as soon as next month.”
Addressing this further, the former Moderator said, “The Church must be under no illusions that things will be said to us concerning our past and current practice, in areas extending beyond safeguarding, and I have no doubt this will be challenging to hear.
“As a church, we will have an important job to do when this report is completed – in referencing back to Scripture, to the reformed confessional heritage from which we have come, and also as we look forward to the implementation of best practice in the protection of vulnerable people, and the implementation of models of governance which meet the requirements of the law of God and the law of the land…”
Governance, Culture and Integrity
In a resolution passed by December’s Special Assembly, it was agreed that a Task Group would be established to look at governance, culture and integrity in PCI. As part of his seconding speech to adopt the General Council’s Report, the Deputy Clerk, Rev Peter Gamble said, “A root and branch look at governance, culture and integrity, with principles provided by the Doctrine Committee was agreed in December.”
The Deputy Clerk continued, “Recognising that the inquiry instigated by the Charity Commission under powers given to it by statute, will include an examination of how we make decisions and manage our work, the Task Group has been appointed and will begin its work very soon. In addition, another Task Group has been appointed and is already beginning its work on the examination of the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements, as part of settlement arrangements for employees leaving the organisation.”
Following the update, which was part of the two senior Presbyterian’s proposal and seconding speeches to the General Council’s report and resolutions, the two principal pieces of business contained in the report will be discussed.
Members of Assembly will consider the ceremonial and reporting aspects of PCI’s General Assembly in June, and be asked to approve resolutions concerning the appointment process of a new Clerk of the General Assembly’, and a new senior leadership structure for the Church.
General Council
The General Council acts on behalf of the General Assembly between its meetings, as and when appropriate. It is the senior Council of the seven councils and commissions that undertake the work of the General Assembly. It co-ordinates the remit of the other Councils and nominations to them, orders the business for the General Assembly and in discussion with others prioritises the work of the General Assembly and Special Assemblies. The Clerk of the General Assembly acts as Secretary to the Council, which is usually chaired by the Moderator. The current convener is the Very Rev Dr David Bruce.
The Special General Assembly is open to the public to attend and livestreamed here where the reports and resolutions can also be found. You can read the text of Very Rev Dr Bruce’s speech here and the Rev Peter Gamble’s speech here.