Child Protection - 1

Movers Blake, G.

The General Synod:
(a) receives the report of the Child Protection Committee:
(b) adopts as the Church’s Safe Ministry Policy Statement:
“The Anglican Church of Australia is committed to the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety of all people, particularly within its own community. The Church will:
carefully recruit and train its clergy and church workers;
adopt and encourage safe ministry practices by its clergy and lay church workers;
respond promptly to each concern raised about the behaviour of its clergy and lay church workers;
offer pastoral support to any person who has suffered abuse; and
provide pastoral support to and supervision of any person known to have abused a child or another vulnerable person.”
(c) adopts the Safe Ministry Check in the Report of the Child Protections Committee as the national applicant and referee questionnaires for the selection of ordination candidates and for the screening of clergy and church workers who have contact with children in their ministry;
(d) authorises the revision of the Safe Ministry Check by the Standing Committee;
(e) adopts Faithfulness in Service in the Report of the Child Protection Committee as the national code for personal behaviour and the practice of pastoral ministry by clergy and lay church workers; and
(f) authorises the revision of Faithfulness in Service by the Standing Committee.

Garth Blake – 4 Oct 04

Resolution year: 2004
Resolution number: 33/04