Scroll down to find information on the following:
- Introduction
- Safe Church Policy (including protection of children)
- Pastoral Code of Ethics
- Policy on the Accountability of Pastors
- Grievance Procedures & Contacts
Introduction
This church is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for everyone. We have adopted a Safe Church Policy which complies with current legislation and sets out our commitments to ensuring that our church is a safe place for all people, especially children and those who are most vulnerable to being overlooked or marginalised. We also have a policy on the Accountability of Pastors, which includes requirements for external supervision and ongoing professional development. Our pastors are also bound by the BUV’s Code of Ethics for Pastors. Our pastors and lay leaders all have Working with Children checks. Our pastors and Host Group periodically attend “Safe Church Awareness” training opportunities run by the BUV. We seek to ensure that all people in our church have easy access to information about how and where to report any concerns about ethical misconduct by people in positions of trust in the church.
Safe Church Policy
Click this link to view our Safe Church Policy which includes a code of ethics for adult interaction with children. In recent years, a number of laws have been passed by governments to ensure that institutions such as churches provide proper protection for children and vulnerable adults, and that they provide proper procedures for responding appropriately to allegations of abuse or misconduct. We believe that our policy meets and exceeds all such legislative requirements. Appended to the policy are a number of government produced fact sheets explaining the haute of various offences against children and the expected procedures for responding to such offences.
Pastoral Code of Ethics
Our pastors have signed and pledged to abide by the Baptist Union of Victoria’s Pastoral Code of Ethics which can be viewed by clicking the link.
Policy on the Accountability of Pastors
Click this link to view our Policy on the Accountability of Pastors, which includes requirements for annual reviews, external supervision, and ongoing professional development.
Grievance Procedures & Contacts
If you believe that a pastor or another leader or member of the church has behaved, towards you or anyone else, in a way that is inappropriate, unethical, abusive or criminal, we would urge you to report your concerns. Who you should go to depends on who your concerns are about and how grave the issues involved are. In most circumstances, your first option would be to speak to one of the pastors or a member of the Host Group. If the situation makes that seem inappropriate or unsafe, then you could contact one of the church’s Visiting Pastoral Overseers. They are Roslyn Wright and Chris Barnden, and their contact details are in the church Contact Directory.
In the case of serious misconduct by a church pastor or leader, you should consider contacting the Baptist Union of Victoria’s Professional Standards Worker, Brenda Williams, whose contact details can be found by clicking the link. The BUV has a Complaints Procedure to handle any issues raised by church members or members of the public about the conduct of leaders and/or pastors. Click here to view the Complaints Procedure.