The Churches of God are committed to supporting parents and families and promoting the safety and welfare of children. Church activities aim to introduce children and vulnerable adults to a personal faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, and will provide an environment in which children and vulnerable adults can be safe from harm.
The Churches of God recognises that some children and vulnerable adults today may be the victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence, as set out in the UN Convention The Rights of the Child 1989 and it seeks to support all in the Church affected by abuse. The Church affirms its belief in the right of all children to be protected.
The Churches of God take the view that a definition of a child, means every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child the majority is attained earlier (UN). The definition of a vulnerable adult is a person who is over 18 years and may be unable to take care of themselves and unable to protect themselves from harm or exploitation by other people. It is our view that the protection of children and vulnerable adults is everybody’s responsibility. Each worker will follow agreed mandatory procedures to prevent and respond to allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence of those in their care.
In England and Wales, The Churches of God wish to operate under the auspices of Working together to Safeguard Children (July 2018).
It is the expectation that this policy statement will lead all other policies and procedures that promote children’s welfare and rights within the Churches of God.