The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) has said the denomination is going through “an ecclesiastical earthquake” and urged believers to look to God and Scripture as they weather a safeguarding crisis.
Last November the police said that they were launching a criminal investigation due to safeguarding concerns within the Church. Last week the police confirmed that they had received 101 referrals in their investigation, including reports from victims.
The PCI has said that it is cooperating fully with the police investigation.
The Rt Rev Dr Richard Murray, Moderator of the PCI, gave a sermon at a Special General Assembly about the scandal and its impact on the Church.
Referring to Psalm 46, Murray said, “Clearly the psalmist was living through times of cataclysmic change and it’s good to remind ourselves that such times have always been faced by God’s people, to a greater or lesser extent. We in PCI are living through such a time when there’s been an ecclesiastical earthquake and when safeguarding has (quite rightly) been moved centre stage.”
He said that the PCI was “in trouble” because “of those hurt, harmed, traumatised by our failings”.
Murray said, “We are a very imperfect church and on this side of eternity we will always be a very imperfect church because we are made up of very imperfect people – sinners saved by grace.”
He concluded, “Brothers and sisters, the Refuge is the Lord, the River of God is still flowing. Let’s Rest in God and do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God if we’re going to survive this crisis and emerge refined, humbler, holier.”
During the assembly the Church received a report which, among other points, assessed the current state of safeguarding within the PCI.
A part of the report called for an increase in safeguarding resourcing and staffing.
“It has become apparent that it is untenable for the function of Safeguarding to be included within the Council for Social Witness as both Care Services and Safeguarding are separate specialist areas. It is clear that Safeguarding has been under-resourced, and now needs increased resources and staff members who work exclusively in that area," the report said.
