Dear whānau in Christ,

Many of you will have seen the article in this weekend’s news in which a person spoke of their experience of abuse from a member of our church who was subsequently ordained.

We want to affirm how grateful we are to the complainant in sharing their story, and indeed to all who share their experience, and are committed to learning as much as we can from it. Nobody should have such a story to tell.

We are also grateful that they took their story to the Commission. It is crucial that we are part of a national process, alongside other churches and institutions, to improve process and practices.

We continue to welcome and fully support the Commission’s work, and reiterate that our churches should always be places where everyone feels safe; acknowledging that all are made in God’s image.

We echo the words of the Archbishops’ formal apology earlier this year and add our own voices to that unequivocal apology, and affirm that, in the words of the apology “we want to do all that we can to ensure that abuse never ever happens again”.

We encourage you as churches and individuals to continue to pray for the victims of abuse. We offer some prayers below.

In Christ

+Justin and +Eleanor

Loving God, strength for the vulnerable and defender of those in need. We confess that we are not who we claim to be. Help us to be real about our true condition as your people; we are wounded, broken and in need of healing. Unmask our deceptions and bring our darkness to light. Lead us to wholeness and renew our commitment to provide safe spaces for people of all ages to encounter you and your redeeming love. May our churches and schools be places of justice and peace where all can flourish and find newness of life. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

O God our peace, hear our cries as we agonize over the harm done to children, teens and adults through abuse by members of our church family. We want to be places of safety, in ourselves and in our churches. May our desire become concrete action. Breathe your wisdom into all we say and do to safeguard the most vulnerable in our midst. Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts, heal your people’s wounds and transform our brokenness. Grant us courage and wisdom, humility and grace, so that we may act with justice and care towards all. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.