“Safeguarding is not just a responsibility – it is a reflection of our values and our faith in action.” These words of welcome from Pastor Eglan Brooks, President of the British Union Conference (BUC), set the tone for the next seven days of meaningful dialogue, the sharing of best practices, and the strengthening of the collective approach to safeguarding in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
From 21-27 February, over 130 participants and speakers gathered at Newbold College of Higher Education to pray, discuss, debate, listen and reflect on the challenging issues surrounding safeguarding in faith-based spaces.
The BUC Safeguarding Summit was for the benefit of the trustees (Friday to Sunday), field leaders (Monday and Tuesday), departmental directors and sponsors (Tuesday to Thursday) throughout the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This is the first time that those governing the Church and those strategically and operationally managing the organisation have collaborated in this way.
The Theology of Safeguarding
Kicking off the week was Lee Carmichael, part-time Helpline Practitioner for Thirtyone:eight, an independent Christian charity that seeks to protect vulnerable people whose topic was The Theology of Safeguarding: A Call to Protect the Vulnerable.
He presented a compelling theological case for safeguarding within the Church. Rooted in biblical teaching, safeguarding is not merely a legal or procedural obligation but a divine mandate reflecting God’s heart for society’s most vulnerable members.
Anette Williams, Safeguarding Advisor at the same organisation, followed this thread in her presentations during the week.
Hot on his heels was Dr Philip Baptiste, Departmental Director of Adventist-Laymen Services and Industries (ASI) for the North American Division (NAD), whose opening topic was, Somebody's got to do something and that somebody is you. Baptiste gave several easy acronyms throughout the week to help participants remember their safeguarding responsibilities. There were STEP IN – See the Crisis, Take Action, Embrace the Wounded. Proclaim Life & Hope, Involve the Community, Nurture Healing and CLEAR – Confront the issues with courage, Listen to the victims, and Empathise with the wounded. Act to protect and prevent, Restore trust and bring healing.
Challenges to Leaders
“…protecting an institution at the expense of the people it serves is not protection – it’s corruption!” These hard-hitting statements by Dr David DeFoe, founder of Imara Counselling Services and Relationship Ministries Director of the Allegheny East Conference, in his presentation, Power, Protection and the Price of Silence, provided a platform to tackle the challenging topics that would be presented for the remainder of the conference.
Colleagues from DRD Partnership, a strategic communications consultancy, provoked thought and discussion through their presentations, Trustees in Crisis, Accountability, Duty and Leadership, and delivered an engaging morning real-life safeguarding activity centred around Leadership, Crisis and Obligations. Dr Val Bernard Allan invited the participants to reflect on Gender and Intersectionality regarding safeguarding. David Anthony from the UNICEF Innocenti spoke about the necessity of ethical leadership, especially in a faith context.
Several key organisations in the UK provided speakers; these included Hourglass, the only UK-wide charity dedicated to ending the harm, abuse and exploitation of older people, AFRUCA – protecting children and families from ethnic community backgrounds, and the Social Care Institute for Excellence. Academics and practitioners included Dr Brenda Brown from Buckinghamshire New University, Diana Downer and Wilma King. Counselling support was provided by Dr Nestor Bruno, who is the board chair for PsySon, the world’s largest Christian online psychology platform and the director of MinistryCare.org, an organisation that provides support for over 4,800 families in 20 English-speaking countries, and directors and managers from the British Union Conference.
Several panel discussions were held throughout the week. The first was led by Joanna Daniels, a counsellor, international speaker, and author, and the second one by Dr Les Ackie, BUC Safeguarding Lead and Family, Children’s & Possibility Ministries Director. Reflecting on these discussions, Dr Ackie said, “This summit has further emphasised the enormous challenge and opportunity we have to take our safeguarding provisions to another level to fulfil our biblical mandate to protect the vulnerable.”
Voices of the Survivors
Central to the theme of safeguarding is the act of listening to the ‘voiceless’. On several occasions, the stories of victims and survivors were heard, all pre-recorded. These stories were heart-wrenching, and the stark reality of these narratives brought silence into the room and tears to the eyes.
Branding
Say it. Hear it. Say it. Stop it! Safeguarding my responsibility, your responsibility, our responsibility. This is the new branding around the safeguarding campaign, which will be rolled out over the coming months throughout the Union. Catherine Anthony Boldeau, BUC Stewardship Director, spoke about the importance of using consistent key messages that engender trust.
Safeguarding Charter
On Sabbath, 22 February, all six presidents serving within the Union territory signed a Safeguarding Charter: a commitment to safety, accountability and transformation. The seven commitments were 1) dismantling enabling structures, 2) creating safe spaces, 3) leadership accountability, 4) empowering survivors, 5) education and training, 6) policy implementation and 7) transparent communication.
Reflecting on the event, Abigail Wright-Stephenson, BUC Project Manager and convener of the event, said, “Moments like the BUC Safeguarding Summit allow us time to consider and reflect on the reality that we are faced with. Our choices beyond this point are what matter to those who choose to worship with us, our staff and the wider public.”