Pew Sheet, Sunday, November 17th 2024, Kingdom Season 3, Safeguarding Sunday.
Many of you will have been following the distressing news which broke the week before last in respect of the findings of the Independent Inquiry into the Church of England’s handling of the abuse perpetrated by John Smyth QC on more than a hundred young men and boys over many decades at the Iwerne Trust holiday camps in Dorset, Winchester College; and other places, including Zambia and South Africa. Events took a decisive turn on Tuesday, when Justin Welby finally resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury because of his personal failings in the management of the reported abuses perpetrated by someone he regarded as a trusted and personal friend; as well as the institutional failures which allowed Mr Smyth’s crimes to go unreported for far too long by the Church authorities once they knew about them.
It was my view that the archbishop should have resigned as soon as the extent of those failings were made public on release of Keith Makin’s report – if not before, and the fact that he failed to do so immediately did neither himself nor the Church of England any credit. This is why, in common with many other people, I signed a petition calling on Justin Welby to resign from his post on Monday last week. The fact that the archbishop has now resigned brings little pleasure to me however, because it should not have been necessary. Our churches – or to be more accurate in this case, any places where individuals profess to care, teach, support, and minister to others in the name of Christ should be safe places in which sexual, psychological, spiritual and physical abuse should never happen. It is even more saddening therefore, that other alleged cases of abuse by those who call themselves church leaders have yet to be resolved, including those pertaining to the founder of Soul Survivor, Mike Pilavachi.
Many people within the Church, and a great many people beyond it, will have found their faith damaged by the revelations of recent weeks or felt justified in their suspicion of, and opposition towards, the Christian Gospel, though it is to his credit that Justin Welby, together with the Archbishop of York, were the ones to commission both the Makin Report, and Professor Alexis Jay’s Review into the Church’s existing safeguarding mechanisms and procedures, though it is clear that some still see no need for such reviews.
Earlier this year, I sat watching the debate on Professor Alexis Jay’s proposal that the safeguarding processes of the Church of England be taken out of the hands of individual bishops and diocese’s at the Church’s General Synod, and was shocked and dismayed that her proposals that these functions should be carried out by independent professionals external to the Church’s hierarchy and infrastructure were voted down by General Synod members.
I was struck by the complacency of many who still evidently felt that the risk of such abuses had been overstated, or that the Church was still capable of ‘marking its own homework’ when things go gone wrong, even though this is patently not the case. Yes, great progress has been made, but we are foolish if we assume that no more remains to be done. There can be no room for complacency where the health and wellbeing of individuals is concerned, and it is crucial that we all take our safeguarding responsibilities – which are the responsibility of us all, seriously because that is the only way that we can have confidence that our churches are safe spaces for all, including vulnerable adults as well as children.
It is ironic that Sunday the 17th of November had already been designated as “Safeguarding Sunday” by the church authorities this year, as this date could not be more apposite or timely. Let us pray, that we may all learn the lessons of the past, and ensure that together, we can make our churches as safe as they can possibly be, by reporting any concerns to our parish safeguarding officers, by promoting openness and transparency, and by ensuring that we familiarise ourselves with the different kinds of abuse which may, from time to time present themselves both within and without the Church, including: serious physical harm, sexual harm and exploitation, psychological, spiritual, and emotional harm, neglect, discrimination, or financial harm we might experience or be aware of. In the meantime, please do pray for Justin and his family, for all our bishops as they discern what needs to be done now to restore the trust of those badly affected, and above all, for all victims of abuse no matter who the perpetrators are, or where the offences take place.
Collect
Heavenly Lord,
you long for the world’s salvation:
stir us from apathy,
restrain us from excess
and revive in us new hope
that all creation will one day be healed
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 16:4-end
The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Mark 13:1-18
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
Monday (Elizabeth of Hungary, Princess of Thuringia, Philanthropist, 1231)
Bell ringing at 7.30pm in St Laurence. Contact Jan on 07835 461361. Tuesday (Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680)
Zoom Morning Prayer at 9am ID: 748 9970 4493 Password: Trinity or contact Didier on [email protected]
Daytime Bible Study Group (2nd and 4th Tuesdays), contact Paula on 07803 942 687 for more information.
Evening House-group contact Jo on 07803 942 687 for more information.
Wednesday (Edmund, King of the East Angles, Martyr, 870; Priscilla Lydia Sellon, Restorer of the Religious Life in England, 1876)
Morning Coffee from 10.00-11.45 in the St Laurence Rooms.
Midweek Holy Communion at 12.00 noon, St Laurence Church.
Thursday
Daytime Homegroup, contact Jo on 07803 942 687 for more information.
Friday (Cecilia, Martyr at Rome, c230)
Junior Choir at 6.30pm, followed by full Choir Practice at 7.30pm.
Pastoral Care: Call 07305 271148 or email [email protected]
Advance Notice
Sunday 1st December
- Advent Carol Service, 6pm at St Laurence.
Sunday 15th December
- Family Nativity Service, 09.30am at St Laurence.
- Nine Lessons and Carols, 5pm at St Mary’s Addington.
Sunday 22nd December
- Nine Lessons and Carols, 6pm at St Laurence.
- Nine Lessons and Carols, 6pm at St James’.
Tuesday 24th December
- Candlelit Nativity Service with Christingles, 3pm at St Laurence.
- Candlelit Nativity Service with Christingles, 4.30pm at St James’.
- Benefice Midnight Mass, 11pm at St Laurence.
Wednesday 25th December
- Holy Communion, 9.30am, St Laurence.
- Holy Communion, 11.00am at St James’.
Reminder
Please don’t forget to bring your bottles, prizes, or donations for the stalls at
the Christmas Fayre and Christmas Bazaar in both Winslow and St Laurence to
church in the next few weeks. Thank you!