by Joseph Smith
Controversial new guidelines that will keep known sex offenders within church congregations were revealed by Sydney Diocese’s Professional Standards Unit Director, Philip Gerber, at a meeting hosted by the NSW Provincial Media Commission last month.
A report called ‘Making our church safe: a program for action’ calls for the pastoral support and supervision of known abusers. It is hope that it will be universally accepted at General Synod in Perth in October.
“People who abuse, like all other sinners, belong in the church,” Mr Gerber said. “People might say ‘that is too kind to them’, but I think the Child Protection Committee would want to press the position that kindness is something the church might be on about.”
“We won’t do it with our eyes closed,” Mr Gerber clarified. “Yes, they should be in the church, but you need to deal with it by making sure they are supported, supervised and accountable, and that vulnerable people are protected.”
Under recommendation 11 of the 116-page report, General Synod representatives will consider adopting a ‘Faithfulness in Service’ code of conduct, which includes the national code for sexual conduct and practices of pastoral ministry by clergy and church workers. The code also calls for professional standards committees in each state and territory, rather than diocesan bishops, to be responsible for the whole process of complaints handling.
Mr Gerber said General Synod would adopt the recommendations of the Child Protection Committee, but added that it is up to each of the 23 dioceses to adopt them. “Each diocese is responsible for their own clergy,” Mr Gerber said. “Every diocese should implement something consistent with that. Hopefully that will get some consistency throughout the country.”
Professional Standards Unit directors across Australia have already agreed to share information about abusers. However, Mr Gerber admitted that keeping a register of all church workers is a difficult task due to the high proportion of volunteer workers. “Given we’re working with a primarily volunteer workforce – something like 7000 volunteers versus 800 paid – the group you have no leverage over is much larger than the paid people who you do have leverage over,” he said.
Mr Gerber said the Committee also encourages churches to adopt a culture of running backgrounds checks on all new ministry workers. “If someone breezes in, enquire where they have been before. If all 23 dioceses can make the enquiry to where a church worker has been before, that’s the best guarantee.”
General Secretary of General Synod, the Rev Dr Bruce Kaye, spoke on human sexuality and gender relations. Dr Kaye believed one of the key issues for Synod debate was the relationship of the Anglican Church of Australia with those dioceses that have blessed committed same sex relationships and those that have ordained people in same sex relationships. Also of significance was the nature of marriage in Australia in light of possible changes to Commonwealth law.
Wayne Brighton, researcher for the General Synod Office, spoke on the presentation on Mission Shaped Church that will occur at General Synod, lead by Archbishop Peter Jensen, Bishop of Bendigo, Andrew Curnow and himself.
Mr Brighton cited figures indicating that 40 per cent of people were de-churched, meaning they were once baptised or married in an Anglican church, but have since drifted, and another 40 per cent were non-churched, for whom the church culture was completely foreign. He stressed a need for the church to ‘go to them’, rather than simply ‘inviting them to join us’.
The restructuring of the primacy was also discussed. Margaret Rodgers, the Archbishop of Sydney’s Media Officer, put forward current Australian Primate and the Archbishop of Perth, Peter Carnley’s opinion that 60 per cent of his time was spent on the role of Primate, making him feel at times little more than a ‘titular bishop’ of his own diocese. Dr Carnley believes the international expectations of all Primates have increased exponentially in recent years.
With the retirement of General Secretary, Rev Bruce Kaye at the end of the year, the Standing Committee is carefully considering both national leadership roles. Other than maintaining the status quo, Ms Rodgers said other options are being considered, including having a full time ‘detached’ primacy. This would give the Primate one major focus instead of two.
The 13th General Synod will take place from the 2 to 8 October at Notre Dame University, Fremantle.
