Presbyterian Church in Ireland safeguarding: General Assembly told of betrayal and fear

Meanwhile, the Moderator Rev Richard Murray offered a public apology for the grave failings by the church, and a raft of immediate safeguarding actions were approved.

Former Presbyterian moderator Rev Trevor Gribben resigned last month after an internal review found “serious and significant failings” in central safeguarding functions for children and vulnerable adults from 2009 to 2022.

Rev Murray resumed the office of moderator and called a special general assembly, a rare event for the church.

The PSNI and Charity Commission have launched investigations.

Ministers and one elder from all the church’s congregations were invited to discuss the issues today at the church headquarters, Church House in Belfast.

Retired Armagh minister Rev Tony Davidson said that individual and corporate justice are important.

“But we need to be careful here,” he said. “I think of all the congregational designated persons and safeguarding trainers who have kept meticulously to the letter and spirit of the law regarding safeguarding; who received training, who attended refresher courses, who provided training, who kept records, they passed on cases as instructed – and now feel betrayed by headquarters who it would appear were not keeping their own rules. This is an injustice.”

A number of ministers also expressed concern about “secret protocols” which had been introduced and used to “stand down” at least two ministers in the past month.

Rev Richie Cronin from Trinity Church, Cork said the new protocol means that the new PCI Safeguarding Team can recommend standing down a minister or elder if an allegation is made against them – bypassing the local presbytery and the general assembly itself.

“Even the minister being stood down is not given the reason for the actions,” he said.

Rev David Clawson of West Kirk Church on the Shankill Road in Belfast added that he had only become aware of the protocols this week.

“I do not accept what I feel are secret protocols,” he said.

Other denominations which brought in such protocols have seen “lives broken, reputations destroyed and in some cases lives lost” he added.

Adam McAdam, a church elder from Monaghan, PCI trustee and management consultant, affirmed calls for the protocol to be made public.

He supported the call in the interests of “more democratic decision making in this matter”.

Echoing a common theme, he also expressed concern about centralised control and lack of transparency in the denomination.

“The centralised nature of decision making that currently exists, in my belief, is at odds with the principles on which our denomination is founded,” he said.

And he pressed for “changes to ensure that a small number of individuals within our denomination do not have a disproportionate role or responsibility”.

Acting church clerk Rev David Allen responded that two protocols had been passed by the church's general council in November 2024 and another this month.

The first should have been published and wasn't, and they were due for discussion at the June 2026 general assembly, he said.

However he agreed to circulate them to ministers and elders “as soon as is possible” in advance of the summer assembly.

In subsequent business the assembly agreed to elevate significantly the position of safeguarding within the church and establish a new Safeguarding Department.

In addition, elders and ministers agreed to the effective resourcing of safeguarding, and at an appropriate time, a full, independent external review of safeguarding within the denomination.

In his opening address earlier, Dr Murray apologised to those who had been hurt or harmed as a result of the church’s safeguarding failings, saying to those it let down, “we are deeply ashamed and sorry”.

Speaking to the general assembly, Very Rev Dr David Bruce, convener of the church’s general council said: “Our starting point was and remains a profound concern for those who have been harmed, or impacted by our institutional failings. We have described this as ‘shameful’ because it is.”

The special general assembly agreed to:

:: Create a new Safeguarding Department. In order to ensure its independence, it will not be part of the responsibilities of the clerk of the general assembly and general secretary. Rather, direct line-management should sit with the current financial secretary;

:: The new department would have external oversight through a Safeguarding Supervision Panel. This would consist of the department’s line manager, the convener of the general council, and three independent safeguarding practitioners appointed externally to PCI, one of whom will chair the panel;

:: The appointment of two senior level posts – a Head of Safeguarding, and a Safeguarding Lead, at an appropriate level of seniority within PCI, with appropriate professional social work and administrative support. Both roles will require social work qualifications, or other alternative qualifications, and safeguarding experience;

:: The Safeguarding Department being funded from congregations and that at an appropriate time, a full, independent external review of PCI safeguarding at all levels be conducted.

The assembly also approved a resolution brought by Rev Ivan Steen, of South Kirk Presbyterian Church on Belfast’s Great Victoria Street – he asked the church to create a Survivor Redress Scheme.

The assembly also agreed that existing safeguarding guidance be substantially increased. This also includes a safeguarding roadshow to begin next month.

Meanwhile, Rev William Moody from Ahoghill asked today who had taken the decision to announce the moderator's resignation to the media before informing grassroots ministers.

He also asked who the independent external assessor is that is using the Safeguarding Board of Northern Ireland (SBNI) audit template to review the church's current safeguarding competence.

(SBNI is an umbrella body for statutory bodies to work together in NI for child safeguarding).

Acting Clerk Rev David Allen replied that the resignation announcement to the media first was “an oversight in the midst of a very fast moving situation”.

He added: “I as acting clerk take responsibility for that and I apologise to the assembly for it.”

The independent assessor, he added, is Colin Reid, who has worked at a high level in safeguarding for the Education Authority and the NSPCC. He is now an independent consultant expert in policy and development, Rev Allen added.

In advance of the assembly, Rev Allen had noted that one proposal coming before delegates would be for “a full, independent external review of safeguarding in PCI” – at an appropriate time. He said this would be in addition to the SBNI audit process, he added.

Last month, convenor Rev David Bruce said that SBNI had been commissioned to carry out an external review of the church. However SBNI later said it was not conducting a review, but that its audit template was being used for it.