Evangelicals too often talk past each other on safeguarding. Listen to fictional evangelicals, Mr Sceptical and Mrs Governance, challenge each other directly. A friend told me he regularly has a similar conversation going on in his head!
Mrs G: Safeguarding in this church needs a higher profile.
Mr S: Really? We’ve got policies, pictures of safeguarding officers, DBS checks – what more do we need?
Mrs G: To go beyond box ticking. We need everyone in the church fully aware and onboard with a safeguarding culture.
Mr S: Isn’t this OTT? We don’t have a public school culture with its untouchable elites like the Anglican camp networks. We don’t have the chastity vows of the Catholics that have always been a recipe for disaster. We don’t have the personality cults of charismatics like Pilivachi.
Mrs G: You sound like the Pharisee – ‘Lord, I thank you that we’re not like other churches.’ Are you aware of nonconformity’s peculiar vulnerabilities like its mantra of the independence of the local church?
Mr S: Our biblical belief.
Mrs G: But one that can be an excuse not to do safeguarding properly.
Mr S: Each church can do it properly. We have our policy; we do DBS checks.
Mrs G: Not alone. DBS only flags those who’ve already done something. What about those who’ve never been caught? What about sharing information, nagging doubts about people who move on? Do our safeguarding officers know their opposite numbers?
Mr S: You’ll be setting up a new church officer. The Bible has elder and deacon. You added trustee and now safeguarding officer.
Mrs G: I’m not saying they’re church officers, just that safeguarding officers are important and should be able to talk independently.
Mr S: That’s a licence of gossip. Guilty until proven innocent. Challenge the person and bring it before the church if necessary.
