Presbyterian Church in Ireland safeguarding scandal Special General Assembly: Young minister asked moderator if he should resign
A distressed young Presbyterian minister has approached the Moderator to ask if he should resign from the ministry in light of the safeguarding scandal in the church.
Moderator Rev Richard Murrary was speaking at the opening of the special General Assembly at Church House in Belfast today, which comes after the church announced significant failings in central safeguarding functions.
Former Presbyterian moderator Rev Trevor Gribben stood down last month after an internal review found “serious and significant failings” in central safeguarding functions from 2009 to 2022.
Rev Richard Murray resumed the office of Moderator and called a special General Assembly, a rare event for the church, to discuss and vote on proposals on the way ahead.
In his opening comments, he told delegates: “You are all aware that the reason the previous moderator resigned was because of serious safeguarding failings that had been uncovered and hence we are hear today just over a month later in this special assembly.”
"Our first responsibility is to worship God. Jesus said the first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength but he also said the second commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself.
"Today before God we gather to grieve and lament that we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves, our children and vulnerable adults ni our care have been hurt and harmed.
"So we are turning to God today to repent of our sin, to grieve and to lament before him, to pray that he would have mercy upon us, and guide us in how we might rectify our behaviour so that these things might not happen again."
He told the delegates that when the senior investigating police officer addressed the General Council of the church about the situation, she said that she would go wherever the evidence took her.
Asked how long it would take, she replied: "It will take as long as it takes."
He recounted that a distressed young Presbyterian minister recently called into his manse and asked him if he should resign from the ministry.
The young minister said to him: "Will I go on? Should I give up?"
Rev Murray only knew about the news that broke about the scandal 48 hours in advance.
Since then has “gone into rooms and seen grown men weeping" he said.
He asked himself: "What if it had been my child? My vulnerable adult sister, brother, friend?"
Delegates were chided that despite an invitation going to them to come to a prayer meeting before proceedings began, only around 50 turned up.
Ministers and one representative elder were invited from 450 plus congregations across the island of Ireland.
Resolving the crisis is going to cost a lot of money, he said, but will be necessary to restore trust and credibility in the church, urging delegates to give the church's General Council freedom to spend the necessary money on reforms.
He said he was fearful going forward in light of investigations by the PSNI and Charity Commission.
"But I am more afraid of God,” he added.
He challenged delegates: "Will you commit to bringing your congregations through this time?”
The morning session of worship and pastoral exhortation runs from 11am to lunch at 12:30pm.
The official report on the situation and proposals on the way ahead will be discussed and voted on from 1:30pm.