Families and Culture
The 2025 DVSUNDAY video can be downloaded here.
Domestic violence (DV) has no place in the kingdom of God, yet people of faith are not immune to the scourge of DV. We cannot stand by, and so we invite all Anglican churches to join us to mark this Sunday, May 4th as DVSUNDAY in your parish.
DV Sunday is an initiative of the Anglican Church’s Families and Culture Commission.
Anglican churches around Australia are encouraged to take part in three simple but meaningful ways:
- Highlight the issue: Domestic and family violence is present in our churches—some are living with it, others may be choosing it.
- Give thanks: That God sees and cares deeply for those impacted, and that we as a church are learning to see and care too.
- Invite generosity: Show our two-minute video and guide your congregation to make a one-off donation supporting the Church’s work in prevention, response, and healing. This will enable our national church to continue to develop initiatives and resources to prevent domestic violence and to respond well to those impacted by it in our church communities.
Ministry resources for marking DVSUNDAY in your parish can be found here.
Promoting violence-free families in the church and community
Access the New Families and Culture Commission Website: tencommitments.org.au
Families and Culture Commission
At the Eighteenth Session of General Synod a new reference Commission was ratified to continue the work of the Family Violence Working Group.
The functions of the Families and Culture Commission are:
(a) to examine questions that relate to family violence affecting members of the Church, the drivers of violence and the well-being of families and women referred to it by the Primate, the Standing Committee or the General Synod, and to report thereon to the referring party and to the Standing Committee, and
(b) to make recommendations to the Standing Committee on matters relating to family violence affecting members of the Church, violence prevention and the well-being of families and women.
Membership
The members of the Families and Culture Commission are:
- The Right Reverend Genieve Blackwell – Chair
- The Very Reverend Richard Humphrey
- The Reverend Scott Holmes
- The Venerable Kara Hartley
- Ms Ruth Holt
- Ms Naomi Johnson
- The Reverend Dr Matthew Wilcoxen
National Program Manager – The Reverend Tracy Lauersen
Contact Tracy here
Ten Commitments for Prevention and Response
Ten Commitments for Prevention and Response to Domestic and Family Violence in the Anglican Church of Australia were endorsed by the General Synod Standing Committee and circulated to dioceses for adoption and action.
Our dedicated Ten Commitments website
The Families and Culture Commission have developed a website with information, resources and links to our events
Click on the link to https://www.tencommitments.org.au/
National Gathering 2024
You can find the program, papers and photos of our 2024 conference here: https://www.tencommitments.org.au/conference
2024 Communication Campaign #1: 16 Days of activism against gender-based violence
https://www.tencommitments.org.au/16-days-of-activism-2024
2025 DV-Aware Sunday
https://www.tencommitments.org.au/
Family Violence Working Group
The Family Violence Working Group was established by the Standing Committee of General Synod at its meeting in December 2017 in response to Resolutions 20/17, 23/17, 49/17 and 50/17 passed at the Seventeenth Session of the General Synod:
The role of the Family Violence Working Group is to:
a) investigate a professionally designed, independent research study into the nature and prevalence of family violence within the Australian Anglican Church population
b) establish the nature and extent of current Family Violence policies, pastoral care frameworks and training modules across Dioceses.
c) develop a “best practice” model policy and pastoral care framework for responding well to situations involving family violence within our parishes and organisations
d) recommend curriculum content and/or guidelines to address unhealthy views about power or the marginalisation of women and other survivors of family violence.
National Anglican Family Violence Project
The Anglican Church of Australia has conducted Australia’s first known national research into family violence within faith communities.
The National Anglican Family Violence Project (NAFVP) investigated the prevalence, experience, and impact of family violence for those who identify as Anglicans in Australia. An announcement launching the project in June 2019 is available here.
Research Findings
In June 2021 top line results of the research were released
Top Line Research Results
Media Announcement 9 June 2021
In August 2021 the detailed research reports were released following presentation at the National Anglican Family Violence Project Working Conference. The objective of the conference was to share the research findings with diocesan representatives and to develop local and national initiatives in response.
The detailed NAFVP reports can be accessed here:
National Anglican Family Violence Research Report
NAFVP Prevalence Study Report
NAFVP Experience Study Report
NAFVP Clergy and Lay Leaders Report
Media Announcement 16 August 2021