by Jenn Clark

In a first for the Anglican Church in Australia, a new chaplain has been appointed to the Diocese of Sydney’s Professional Standards Unit (PSU) to work alongside the victims of sexual misconduct.

Jenni Woodhouse, who took up the newly created role last month, sees the position as a vital development that will allow the Diocese to provide the necessary support and help for victims. “[PSU director] Phillip [Gerber] can’t follow up all the victims. The archbishop would also love to have the time to meet with the victims and see what the church can do to help out, so I’ve been appointed on their behalf,” she said.

Having become a Christian at the age of 18, Jenni has been attending St Matthias’, Centennial Park since 1982. She has served as one PSU’s six contact persons since 1996, and it was through that work that Jenni heard about the position of chaplain.

As circumstances for each victim are different, Jenni’s specific role is likely to vary in each case. “My priority is to contact the victims, support them and get alongside them, see what they think their needs are and try to meet those needs,” she says.

“Some people need a new place to live, some need a new church family, some need legal aid, some people need someone to talk to three times a week.

“When victims have been abused inside a system, then that system has to do everything it can to help.”

At its core, Jenni says, it is about an abuse of trust. “It’s a problem that’s always been there and it’s a problem that will always be there because human beings are sinful. I can’t see it going away.”

Jenni says that ultimately her role as chaplain, and the role of the PSU, is about ‘the importance of protecting God’s word and people’s trust in it’. “It’s important to respond to hearing about someone abusing someone’s trust in them or abusing their trust in God because there’s not much worse you can do than that,” she says.

“You can go around teaching wrong theology, but this is just as bad because [sexual abusers] are totally contradicting the Bible that they are teaching,” Jenni says.

Jenni believes the instigation of the sexual misconduct protocol in 1996, the creation of the PSU and the expansion into the chaplain role shows that the church is beginning to find a way to approach this area and deal with its ramifications.

“Ideally, there’d be five chaplains doing the work that I’m doing. There’s so much more you could do. There’s also a need for more training within churches and within Bible colleges.”

Jenni says that ultimately her role as chaplain is about ‘the importance of protecting God’s word and people’s trust in it’.

“You can go around teaching wrong theology, but [sexual abusers] are totally contradicting the Bible that they are teaching.”

Jenni believes the instigation of the sexual misconduct protocol in 1996, the creation of the PSU and the new chaplaincy role shows that the church is beginning to find a way to deal with sex abuse appropriately.

“Ideally, there’d be five chaplains doing the work that I’m doing. There’s so much more you could do. There’s also a need for more training within churches and within Bible colleges.”