Wayne Schache is the Operations and Finance Director at the Baptist National Support Centre and is part of Titirangi Baptist Church in west Auckland.
On 24 July 2024, the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry (ACRCI) released its final report and recommendations. The ACRCI was conducted to listen to and learn from the experiences of people who were abused while in the care of the State or faith-based institutions from 1950–1999. Now, the challenge for churches across New Zealand is to bring about meaningful change in response to the findings of the ACRCI.
The Baptist Union of New Zealand (BUNZ) is committed to ensuring that Baptist churches who are part of our union are places where people are safe and treated with dignity and respect. We want to learn all we can from the ACRCI and make the changes we need to make in our context.
The BUNZ is establishing a ACRCI Response Group to ensure the action we take is thorough and well informed. This group will report to the National Council of the BUNZ. The Response Group will be facilitated by Charlotte Cummings, who is a consultant with specialist skills around the prevention of and response to abuse within churches.
We now call for Expressions of Interest from people who would like to be part of this ACRCI Response Group.
We want to bring together a diverse group and hope to hear from people with a range of backgrounds, such as those who:
- have lived experience of abuse or abuse in care.
- have a whānau member who experienced abuse in care.
- work for or lead social services, especially those with outreach to vulnerable people.
- have relevant academic experience.
- have other relevant professional skills.
The ACRCI Response Group will predominantly be made up of people who are current members of a Baptist church which is part of the BUNZ, though we are also open to including people who have historically been members of a Baptist church.
If you are interested in being part of this ACRCI Response Group, please send a brief outline of your relevant skills and experience to Charlotte Cummings: [email protected].
We will look to form a group of people with complimentary skills, and we are grateful to any individual putting themselves forward to potentially contribute to this group.
At this stage, it is intended that the group’s meetings will be conducted online. However, if the group wishes to gather in person at any time, this will be resourced by the BUNZ.
We will also explore how membership of this group will be acknowledged through a koha or remuneration, and we also have steps in place to ensure the wellbeing of those engaged in this work.
Our timeline is as follows:
December 2024
Expressions of Interest open.
21 January 2025
Expressions of Interest close.
February 2025
Group membership ratified by National Council.
Terms of Reference signed off by National Council.
Group convened.
July 2025
Circulation of a report detailing actions taken and actions planned in response to the ACRCI.
In July, we will conclude this first phase of the ACRCI, though there is an openness to whether the group may continue.
Please note that a Terms of Reference for the Response Group is currently under development and will be signed off by the National Council before the group commences its work.
We pray for God’s blessing on this initiative as we seek to honour God in our care for people in God’s name.
Wayne Schache
Operations and Finance Director, Baptist National Support Centre
Photo: Tī kōuka, Cabbage tree, by Mike Crudge.
