If anyone has doubts whether church safeguarding is firmly rooted in Scripture, today's Epistle reading from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer can dispel them, the Christian Today website reports today (April 15, 2025).
The passage is from the Apostle Paul's New Testament letter to the Christians in the First century Philippi:
"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Jesus Christ: Who, being in very nature God, did not onsider equality with God something to be used in His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death -- even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5 --11 NIV).
Shortly after the publication of her strongly critical report into Church of England safeguarding practices in February 2024, the former chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse, Professor Alexis Jay, addressed the General Synod by video.
She said: "Safeguarding in the Church today falls below the standard expected and set in secular organizations, which are required to follow statutory guidance."
She called on the Church to "challenge erroneous beliefs about safeguarding which continue to be held."
"For example, we heard from a number of people that safeguarding should be rooted in Scripture and that being a practicing Christian should be a prerequisite to holding a safeguarding role," she said.
The followers of Christ must take care to ensure that the inflated egos that led to abusive behaviors are not allowed to flourish in their hearts and in their churches, Safeguarding is every Christian's responsibility.
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