Reflections by Fr Bruce Julian

on Safeguarding Sunday 2024

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"In the past week we have been confronted and rightly shamed by our institutional failure to follow Jesus’ calling to safeguard the most vulnerable. We have failed to protect the abused, we have inadequately called out sin, and we have not held abusers accountable for their actions. We have 
failed.  Lord, have mercy. 

"Our profound shortcomings as a church have caused deep wounds and has broken trust within our congregations, communities, and those whom we are called to serve."

 

These are words from a pastoral letter written by our bishop, Anderson, the day after the announcement of the resignation of Archbishop Justin in the light of the Makin report about Safeguarding in the church, and most specifically the atrocious crimes of abuse by the late John Smyth.

 

In the light of the events of this week, Michelle Burns, our Area Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser had to cancel being with us at the last moment - so may I begin by passing on her apologies. 

 

I would also like to share words that Bishop Sarah wrote on Wednesday, after the announcement from Lambeth Palace:

 

“Archbishop Justin’s decision today provides the urgent impetus we need to change the face of safeguarding in the Church of England.

“The crimes that John Smyth perpetrated were absolutely appalling. So too was the Church’s failure to act in response. At the heart of these events are people who were abused, and who are still being abused.

“The Church of England now needs a reset in how safeguarding is scrutinised. Archbishop Justin’s decision reflects a recognition of the standards to which we are all held. It also creates the necessary space to enable change. We need a genuinely survivor-focused approach, with independent scrutiny and mandatory reporting at its heart. From this moment, the Church must drive fundamental safeguarding reform."

 Safeguarding is the responsibility of us all in the church, and the creation of a culture within the church at large, and locally, is something we can all contribute to and support, and the importance of today, and the keeping of Safeguarding Sunday, is to make everyone more aware of the team who help that ministry in our own church.

Our Safeguarding Officer is Naomi Malone, and she and I are responsible for leading that culture here at Hornsey Parish Church.

We are supported in this at a number of levels. We have Children's Champions (Coral, Nina, Natasha and Naomi), there to remind us, and to help hold us to account, as regards our inclusivity of all ages, and to be a bridge of support for them, their families and friends. Annie  champions the issue of domestic abuse, encouraging and guiding us in ways we can be a sanctuary and depository of guidance and support.

Our evidence checkers (Annie and Lorraine) support our screening of volunteers to help keep our church safe, and I am grateful to them both for their supportive approach, helping people navigate the technology involved in these processes, and helping us to see that it is keeping all church members safe that should be uppermost in our minds, beyond any of the fear of procedures, or feelings of inconvenience, that these processes can sometimes elicit within us.

 

Our team meets termly, with the Ministry Team and members of the PCC, to discuss a realm of issues: ways to recruit to church roles safely; how to raise awareness of the importance of Safeguarding; making sure events are safe, especially those which involve people we know less well participating in church life; and seeking to assure that there is support for  individuals and families who have suffered the effects of abuse in the church.

 

And perhaps it is this that must be highlighted beyond anything else: the need for the safeguarding culture in churches and other institutions to be about supporting those effected by the abuse, rather than a protectionism on the part of institutions and their hierarchies which reports like that led by Judge Makin have called out.

 

Safeguarding is a ministry that we must celebrate as part of our priority to love our neighbour: our Safeguarding Team minister the love of christ in what they are doing, a love shown numerous times throughout the gospels when Jesus shows God's priority for those who are most vulnerable in the society in which he was ministering. And so it is with us, placing a particular value on the young and the older members of the church community.

 

Many of us will be asking how else we can respond. In every sphere of life – as family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues, volunteers, and as churchgoers – there are practical actions that we can take. These include: 

 

Being attentive to the needs of victims and survivors of abuse if they come forward, offering patient listening and deep care, signposting those who are in need to appropriate support, with prominently displayed information in all our buildings and on our websites. 

 

Responding well to any disclosures of abuse, setting aside our own biases to be able to recognize that abuse can happen in any church, any family, any culture or context; being aware that, as well as happening in the past, abuse may be happening now. 

 

Familiarizing ourselves with how to report concerns, for example to parish or diocesan safeguarding officers, as well as to the police or social services where appropriate; following carefully the policies set out by the Church and by organizations in which we work, study, or volunteer. • Ensuring that DBS checks are up to date; undertaking training in safeguarding willingly and wholeheartedly.

 

In our reflections today, given the context in which this Safeguarding Sunday is being kept, it is important that we reflect on the reverberations from the Makin report, but let’s also remember what Mother Clemency exhorted us to consider in her recent Curios. Much of what is reported deals with things that have gone wrong, this must not be shied away from. But much has been got right too, and today we are celebrating and giving thanks for the good work at Hornsey Parish Church to not only make our church safer, but in so doing to live the gospel values of love  that Jesus calls from us, and to share his priority for those who are most vulnerable. Be they young, and the older; male, female and other; LGBTQ+ identifying or not; able bodied and disabled alike; all, regardless of ethnicity and racial identity. Safeguarding and inclusion go hand in hand.

 

To conclude, more from Bishop Anderson's letter:

 

"As we observe Safeguarding Sunday, may we as a Church commit ourselves to a path of transparency, healing and true reconciliation. We must strive to create a culture of safety and accountability, where all are valued and protected. We will listen to the voices of the abused and work tirelessly to restore
their faith and trust.

"May we support each other in the journey of transformation. Together let us seek the light of Christ, which shines through our brokenness and from whom no sin is hidden, so that we can work with God to dispel the darkness of sin and despair.

May God's grace and mercy be upon us all."