Following the conclusion of yesterday’s Special General Assembly, a recording of the Service of Worship and the business session, which includes the debates, discussion and decisions taken, is now available on this website.
In the wake of the Presbyterian Church’s public announcement last month of significant failings in the central administration of its safeguarding processes, the all-Ireland denomination held a one-day Special General Assembly on yesterday, at which the Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray apologised to those who had been hurt or harmed as a result of the Church’s failings, saying to those it let down, “we are deeply ashamed and sorry.”
You can watch the recordings here on this page.
During the meeting, which was attended by over 700 of the Church’s ministers and elders, it passed the following resolutions that seek to:
- Elevate the significantly the position of safeguarding in PCI through the establishment of a new Safeguarding Department with new direct line management and external oversight through a Safeguarding Supervision Panel. Two senior level posts – a Head of Safeguarding; and a Safeguarding Lead - will be created with appropriate professional social work and administrative support. At an appropriate time, a full, independent, external review of PCI Safeguarding at all levels will be conducted
- The Special Assembly agreed to separate PCI’s obligations under the Protection of Adults at Risk of Harm from those of Child Protection, which are different, and among other recommendations, that all appropriate measures to support and foster a safer environment for Adults at Risk of Harm be adopted
- It established a task group ‘to inquire into issues of governance, culture and integrity’ within PCI, with the aim of improving the proper functioning of the Church
- And agreed that the necessity of establishing a Survivor Redress Scheme would be assessed. This Scheme would offer a formal apology to survivors of abuse occurring within the church, together with any necessary compensation and access to forms of support needed.
- Existing safeguarding guidance and Church-wide awareness of safeguarding processes would be substantially increased in the immediate short term.
- Members agreed to establish a task group to revise the recruitment process for the post or posts of Clerk Designate of the General Assembly and General Secretary Designate of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and to look at the role and job specification and possible separation of the roles
- It agreed to give consideration to the ceremonial aspects and role of the Moderator in light of the position the Church finds itself as a result of its central safeguarding failures
- With regards to the standing down of a minister, elder, or a person in senior leadership around safeguarding concerns, a protocol in relation to this would be reviewed
- All aspects of the use of compromise agreements -which include the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements – would be reviewed by a task Group.
You can watch the Service of Worship, during which the Moderator preached on the theme of ‘God’s word for a time of penitence’ from Psalm 6, and in a separate video, you can follow the reports and resolutions and the debate that accompanied them. You can watch both videos here.
