To the ‘Team of 40,000’ Baptists (the Baptist Union) from our Assembly Council Chair, President, and National Leader:
Tēnā tātou all who are part of Baptist churches in Aotearoa New Zealand
Final report from the RCI Abuse in Care
Yesterday, the final Royal Commission of Inquiry report into abuse in state care and in the care of faith-based institutions was released. The report is called Whanaketia: through pain and trauma, from darkness to light. “This name reflects the journey that survivors have been on: from being isolated, unseen, and not listened to – to being heard, telling their experiences, and now looking to the light for healing and restoration.”[1]
The report says: “it is a national disgrace that hundreds of thousands of children, young people and adults were abused and neglected in the care of the State and faith-based institutions.”[2] We agree with the report: what a disgrace.
Survivors of abuse
Firstly, we acknowledge the survivors of abuse, their courage to participate in this inquiry, and the great personal toll this process has taken on them and their supporters. No abuse is acceptable. This report documents that there have been considerable injustices done to people while in the care of State and faith-based institutions, including in the Baptist church. We do not condone any form of abuse.
Whanaketia (Abuse in Care Report)
We acknowledge the recommendations of the report, especially the need for faith leaders to right the wrongs of the past (puretumu torowhānui) and the establishment of a National Care Safety Strategy. It will be a priority for us to work with our family of churches in regard to the implementation of the outcomes of this report. We will cooperate fully to ensure survivors, their whānau and support networks are made aware of the support options available to them.
Whanaketia (Abuse in Care Report) Baptist Review Group
This report is extremely comprehensive. To ensure it is fully engaged with in the Baptist context, we are establishing a Whanaketia (Abuse in Care Report) Baptist Review Group. The purpose of this Group is to provide recommendations to our Assembly Council and/or the National Support Centre regarding the steps we should take in response to the report. These steps will be our part, as the Baptist churches of New Zealand, responding to ensure that the abuses documented in the report do not reoccur, and that our churches are as free and safe from abuse as possible.
The Group will consist of qualified and experienced people from within the Baptist Union of New Zealand, as well as a representative from Assembly Council and the National Support Centre. We will keep you updated on the Group’s progress.
Safe churches
We strive for a church and world absent of abuse where there are no victims who need to show the bravery that those involved in the RCI Abuse in Care process have done.
We are appalled by what this inquiry has uncovered, and we grieve deeply for victims of abuse. As a national denomination, we work hard with our Baptist churches to keep people safe.
Our Assembly Council[3], in representing all of our churches, continues to express and affirm the following:
- We take all matters of abuse extremely seriously. We abhor such actions.
- We grieve deeply for the victims of any abuse.
- We seek nothing but justice for survivors. We do not tolerate sweeping things under the carpet.
- We exhort local Baptist churches to work with the authorities in any situation of abuse.
- Our National Support Centre has a clear Complaints Process (revised in 2022) and we encourage victims of abuse to reach out, confidentially, 24/7.
- Our National Support Centre, Regional and National leadership framework has resources and support for churches to ensure they are safe places. These resources continue to be under review:
– There is currently a Serious Misconduct Consultation taking place (May-July 2024) that we encourage people in Baptist Churches to participate in – we have asked all of our churches to let their people know about this.
– There is currently a review taking place of the Ethical Principles and Guidelines that our pastors, chaplains, kaiārahi Māori, and ministry and mission leaders follow and re-commit to each year if they are Registered Leaders.
– In 2022, a review of our voluntary Baptist Leaders’ Registration was concluded which raised the bar in the areas of purpose, scope, entry and benefits.
A uniqueness of our ecclesiology (the theology, structure and operation of Baptist churches locally and nationally) is the high degree of local church independence, including local church governance. With this we also acknowledge the following:
- A huge amount of concern is present, and considerable work has and continues to be done in local churches to ensure they are safe places.
- Alongside local Baptist churches making their own governance decisions, the National Support Centre provides resources to help create and maintain safety.
- All local churches are encouraged to have their pastors participate in the Baptist Registration process.
Reporting abuse
If you or someone you know has experienced abuse within a Baptist church context (youth group, kids or holiday programme, camp, from paid staff/leaders or volunteers…), we urge you to report this.
For criminal activity go straight to the police:
police.govt.nz/advice-services/how-report-crime-or-incident
For all other instances, please go to our webpage to see how to make a confidential complaint, or who to talk to – if you haven’t seen this webpage before please have a look to familiarise yourself with it:
Reach out for help
We are a collective of churches working together. Alongside Assembly Council, our Regional Association boards, Regional Leaders, and our National Support Centre all believe church safety is paramount. We are always available to help and support, and we draw in external expertise when needed.
We know you will join us in striving for and working toward a church and world absent of abuse.
Ngā mihi nui
Rod Robson
Chair, Assembly Council
Susan Osborne
President, Baptist Union of New Zealand
Charles Hewlett
Media, public communications and statements
Details here: baptist.nz/contact
Header image: Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry official logo.
Endnotes
[1] Whanaketia, Preliminaries: Acknowledgments. https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/whanaketia/preliminaries/acknowledgements/
[2] Whanaketia, Preliminaries: Executive summary. https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/whanaketia/preliminaries/executive-summary/
[3] Assembly Council is our primary expression of Baptist collective togetherness between our annual Assemblies (now called our annual National Hui) – this council is elected by and represents all of the churches in the Baptist Union of New Zealand.
