Governing Body meeting November 3-4
Ensuring church is a safe and supportive place for all people is at the heart of a revised policy on safeguarding which will be launched at the next meeting of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales.
The revised policy makes it clear that safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone and all those who work for the church are expected to adhere to it.
Governing Body members will meet online on November 3-4 to continue their meeting which began in September but had to be postponed due to technical problems.
They will be asked to recognise the importance of promoting safer practice for children and adults in our churches and communities and to adopt the revised policy.
The policy says, “The Church in Wales wants to provide a safe, happy and supportive environment of mission and ministry in which all God’s people can grow and develop in their Christian commitment.
“Those who work for and support the church, both lay and ordained and whether volunteers or paid, are crucial to ensuring that all people are treated with dignity and respect and valued at all times, whether they be children, adults at risk, adults who are vulnerable in the Church context[i], survivors of abuse or offenders.
“The Church in Wales has a responsibility to ensure that all church members, including those who work in the church, are cared for and protected by providing effective training and appropriate support. To this end the Church in Wales is committed to being a Safe Church.”
The Governing Body is meeting online, due to COVID-19 restrictions, for essential church business. Its 144 members, which include the diocesan bishops and elected clergy and lay people from across Wales, will take part in the three remaining sessions over the two days which will be live-streamed. Usually held twice a year, the Governing Body’s last meeting, scheduled for April, had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.
Other items on the agenda include:
- A homily from the President, the Archbishop of Wales
- Two Bills to amend the Constitution in relation to tribunals
- The annual reports from the Representative Body and St Padarn’s Institute
- A report from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David
- A report on ministry statistics
- A report on the Overseas Mission Fund
The meeting will be live-streamed via a link on the Church in Wales website.