Churches were challenged to place safety, understanding and dependable relationships at the heart of disciple-making as nearly 300 participants gathered for the British Union Conference (BUC) Evangelism Summit at the Leonardo Hotel Hinckley from 30 October to 1 November 2026.
Under the theme ‘Reimagining Discipleship’, the weekend examined how trauma and early childhood experiences can affect people’s ability to trust others, feel a sense of belonging and develop a relationship with God. Moving beyond questions of what churches teach to consider how that teaching is heard by people carrying very different life experiences was key to the presentations.
Welcoming delegates, BUC Evangelism Director, Dr Augustus Lawrence introduced a weekend focused on the relationship between personal history and spiritual growth. Contributions from Dr Kristina Freed, Adjunct Professor of Discipleship, Dr Petr Cincala, Head of the Institute of Church Ministry, Dr René Drumm, Senior Research Professor of Sociology, all from Andrews University and Dr Robert Kennedy, retired pastor and church leader from Allegheny East Conference, explored the implications for congregational life and pastoral care.
Understanding the experiences behind behaviour
In her presentation, Divine Attachment: Image and Likeness, Freed explored how early relationships can shape people’s understanding of God and others. She outlined four attachment patterns – secure, anxious, avoidant and disorganised – and considered how these may influence a person’s experience of God’s love, church relationships and discipleship.
Her challenge was to look beyond behaviour and seek to understand the experiences behind it. Churches, she said, should become “safe people in safe places, providing safe experiences.”
Cincala and Drumm invited delegates to reflect on their own spiritual journeys and consider whether programmes, events and baptismal numbers sometimes receive greater attention than meaningful relationships. Consistent friendship, community and long-term commitment, they emphasised, are essential to nurturing faith beyond an initial decision.
Recognising harm and responding with care
The discussion also addressed painful experiences within religious communities. Research involving more than 1,000 former Adventists highlighted reasons for leaving the church, including changes in belief, negative encounters with members and restrictive religious expectations.
A survivor’s testimony about domestic abuse within Adventist relationships challenged assumptions about forgiveness and submission. It brought into focus the danger of responses that minimise harm or deepen a person’s distress, and the need to place safety at the centre of pastoral care.
The sessions connected welcome with responsibility: a congregation’s invitation to belong must be matched by its willingness to listen carefully and respond appropriately when someone discloses harm.
Four priorities for trauma-informed discipleship
Practical teaching identified four priorities for congregations seeking to put these principles into practice:
Establish safety: Create physically, emotionally and spiritually safe environments.
Ask appropriate questions: Seek to understand people’s experiences before judging their behaviour.
Build trust: Demonstrate authenticity, consistency and dependable care.
Continue learning: Make trauma awareness an ongoing part of ministry development.
Freed emphasised that healing has no fixed timetable. Churches should respect each person’s pace and recognise when professional therapeutic support is needed, rather than assuming that a programme or spiritual milestone brings recovery to a close.
Connection beyond programmes
“Connectivity is not connection,” Kennedy reminded delegates, drawing a distinction between communication and the personal relationships through which people experience pastoral care. Programmes and online contact, he emphasised, cannot replace dependable human support.
In his closing presentation, Cincala encouraged participants to find their identity in God’s love rather than allowing painful experiences to define them. The weekend concluded with reflection and prayer, returning the focus to compassion, patience and understanding.
For congregations, the challenge was to carry that approach into everyday church life: to listen before making assumptions, honour the pace of healing and sustain relationships beyond organised events. The summit’s call was not simply for more activity, but for church communities in which faithful teaching is accompanied by safety, belonging and trustworthy care.