Conviction led to safeguarding review at Presbyterian Church, assembly told

The conviction of a man in May prompted a series of reviews of safeguarding procedures at the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), a senior church figure has said.

Hundreds of Presbyterian ministers and elders attended a special general assembly in Belfast on Thursday to agree new measures on safeguarding.

Apologies were offered to those who had been hurt or harmed by the church’s safeguarding failings during the discussions.

David Bruce, a retired minister and Convener of the General Council, told the congregation that there was “understandable hunger for detailed information” about the circumstances that prompted the convening of the council.

He said questions around safeguarding at the church “became much more acute” earlier this year when a person was convicted of child sexual abuse offences and was imprisoned.

He said the PCI safeguarding team became aware of the case in March.

“Once this person was convicted on 12th of May, the PSNI gave the church permission to look into the matter internally, since it had become clear by then that this person had a connection with at least one of our congregations.”

He said the church appointed an ad hoc committee of four people to “look into how this man had apparently been missed in our own systems”.

The group met 12 times throughout the summer and autumn.

A report was compiled by the safeguarding department by July, looking at the PCI systems in place from 2009-2021.

The ad hoc committee recognised that there were “deep and concerning failings, systematic in nature, extending back through the period under investigation”.

Mr Bruce added: “The locus of our concerns about failings centred on the responsiveness of the church to requests for safeguarding help.

“Often these responses were slow and in some cases completely absent. It was clear that emails had not been opened or that phone calls had not been returned.”

He said that while this was not the “universal” response, and that many requests were dealt with professionally, “the overall picture was of significant failings”.

Former Presbyterian moderator, Reverend Trevor Gribben, stood down after the ad hoc committee submitted its final report in November, finding “serious and significant failings” in the functions from 2009 to 2022.

The Charity Commission announced this week that it has opened a statutory inquiry into the PCI governance and safeguarding practices, which will run alongside the PSNI’s active criminal investigation.

Dr Richard Murray resumed the office of moderator after Mr Gribben’s resignation and called a special general assembly – a rare event for the church, with just a handful called in recent decades.

On Thursday, up to 900 ministers and elders from the 540 congregations across the island of Ireland travelled to Belfast to take part in prayers and reflection at the headquarters of the church at Assembly Buildings.

Dr Murray said at the outset: “We are deeply ashamed and sorry.”

The acting clerk of the general assembly, Reverend David Allen, said the church family comes together as they find themselves “in a place of shame and humility as a result of our central safeguarding failings”.

Several ministers addressed the assembly to apologise, raise their concerns and suggestions, and in one case, suggest introducing a form of financial redress for victims.

In response to questions, Rev Allen said it was an “oversight in the midst of a very fast moving situation” that the media was informed of the safeguarding issues before ministers and that he accepted responsibility for it.

He said counseling has been offered to everyone who contacted its helpline disclosing a safeguarding concern.

He also said that the church had sought public relations advice externally and legal advice through the General Assembly solicitor.

“I think it is inconceivable to us, at this Assembly that the PCI for whatever reason, should be responsible for the hurt and harm of our children and young people, and that under our watch the vulnerable were not safe,” retired minister Trevor Morrow said.

“Of course, we want to know who is responsible for all this mess, and to know that action is taken. That is justice.”

In a section where proposals were made, Rev Richard Cronin asked that the protocol relating to removing ministers and other leaders from their charge, adopted weeks ago, be considered by the whole church.

Rev David Clawson said part of the reason they were meeting a week from Christmas was to address issues of governance, integrity and transparency.

He said he was not aware of these protocols enacted in relation to removing a minister, which does not help transparency.

“Friends of mine who work in the tech industry or civil service have been surprised at how little information I have been given.”

Rev Allen said the protocols should have been published with the 2025 reports, but were not due to an “oversight”.

He said they would be circulated “as soon as is possible” and would be brought to the General Assembly in June as the meeting in February “would simply not be feasible”.

Mr Bruce said he, Mr Allen and members of the ad hoc committee had sought to “do the right thing” in addressing safeguarding concerns.

“There would be no cover-up,” he said.

“We would follow the evidence in scorn of the consequences to us personally or to the institution of the PCI, because our first and final and absolute commitment was to those who have been harmed or otherwise affected by our failings as a church. So, to you in this hall, whose stomachs are churning and whose hearts are racing with stress because you are a victim who is surviving, I say, thank you.

“Thank you for having the courage to be here with us today. To walk into this building was no easy thing for you to do.

“On behalf of the church, I say to you, I am so very sorry that you have had to walk this road.”