To answer this question, I want to quote at length from a speech made by Archbishop Justin to the General Synod;
“The reality is that there will always be people who are dangerous and are part of the life of the Church. They may be members of the congregation; we hope and pray that they will not be in positions of responsibility, but the odds are that from time to time people will somehow conceal themselves sufficiently well in our churches.
……We are not doing all this, we are not seeking to say how devastatingly, appallingly, atrociously sorry we are for the great failures there have been, for our own sakes, for our own flourishing, for the protection of the Church. But we are doing it because we are called to live in the justice of God, and that we will each answer to Him for our failures in this area.
We cannot overestimate the importance of responding appropriately today. Sadly for many this comes far too late. History cannot be rewritten, but those who still suffer now as a result of abuse in the past deserve this at least, that we hear their voices and take action to ensure that today’s safeguarding policies and systems are as robust as they can be.”
St John’s and Safeguarding
Our Safeguarding Policy is available to all church members to read. It commits us to the prevention of abuse, through training, increased awareness and safer recruitment.
Jackie, our current Parish Safeguarding Officer, has stepped down from that role. We thank her for all she has done. However, it is of great importance that we find a new person for that role, ideally from the 11am congregation. The person appointed should be someone children will recognise.