Serious misconduct consultation

Preamble

Leading up to and during our National Hui last November, one of the four ‘Big Bites’ on the table for discussion was: A mechanism to ensure our people and places are safe. The conversation together was centred around our faith communities (local churches) supporting the Baptist Union (representing all of us together) developing policy and procedures that might override aspects of our autonomy, in order to keep our people and places safe.

You can read the pre-Hui reading material, as well as a summary of the Hui session ‘Big Bite 3’ online here.

The mandate

At the National Hui, there was overwhelming support from the Assembly of delegates representing the churches, for the National Support Centre to develop a mechanism to help keep our people and places safe, starting with creation of a Working Group.

Work that has been done

In response to this mandate a working group was established. This group, having consulted with senior leadership, including Te Pouarataki mō te Hīkoi, and a focus group, has written a white paper that proposes a new mechanism, the Serious Misconduct Process. This proposed mechanism has been approved for consultation by our Assembly Council. This consultation will involve:

1. Facilitated discussion of the current problem and recommended solution, the Serious Misconduct Process, at regional and national hui, and regional cluster groups over three months: May – July.
2. An online hui for those unable to attend regional hui, especially elders and governance boards.
3. Opportunity for individual or group written submissions.

At the end of the consultation process, and based on feedback, a final recommendation will be given to the Assembly Council in August. If approved, this will be published in September ahead of a vote to be held at National Hui 7-9 November, at Rangiora Baptist Church, North Canterbury.

Serious Misconduct Process proposal and documentation

The Baptist Union of New Zealand Safety Ecosystem diagram shows the ways in which we as a union of churches are currently keeping our people safe:

While we are all responsible for the whole, the outworking of each is managed either locally or nationally. The proposed Serious Misconduct Process is located within #4, Baptist Whānau Conduct Review, alongside our existing Complaints Process.

Three further documents containing more detailed information of the proposed Serious Misconduct Process are available as password-protected PDFs – on 9 May church pastors and administrators were emailed the password for these documents. We invite and encourage anyone in New Zealand Baptist churches to participate in this consultation process, so please ask your pastors or administrators for the password:

• Baptist Union of New Zealand Keeping people safe diagram.pdf
• Flowchart & summary – Serious Misconduct Process.pdf
• White Paper – Proposed Serious Misconduct Process.pdf

Please access these documents to participate fully in the consultation process – please read these documents before engaging in the public processes listed below.

Episode 9 of the It’s All Admin podcast has a short conversation between Catharina Sirra and Karen Warner about this consultation process:

Ways to engage in this process

Public online meeting

The Working Group will be hosting a public forum on Tuesday 18 June, 7pm. Registration details available here. This is for anyone in Baptist churches who would like to engage in the consultation process.

Regional Hui

All mid-year Regional Association hui for church leaders will have programmed time to engage with this consultation process:

• Otago & Southland Baptist Association Regional Hui: 23-25 May
• Lower North Island Baptist Association Regional Hui: 13-15 June
• Waikato & Bay of Plenty Baptist Association Regional Hui: 19-20 June
• Upper South Baptist Association Regional Hui: 23-25 June
• Northern Baptist Association Regional Hui: 25-27 July

Pastors/leaders clusters

Various regular cluster meetings around the country will be dedicated to this consultation process – cluster and/or Regional Leaders will provide details on this.

Write submission/feedback

Please write to the Leadership Coordination Director at the Baptist National Support Centre – these can be individual or group submissions: [email protected]