Background
National Hui 2023 gave the Assembly Council, through the National Support Centre, a mandate to develop a safety mechanism for dealing with serious misconduct by pastoral staff.
In December 2023 a group was established tasked with developing this mechanism, and ensuring it would fit within the current Baptist Union of New Zealand (BUNZ) safety ecosystem. The Serious Misconduct Process is the realisation of this work.
Consultation was undertaken and the final Serious Misconduct Process document was published in September 2024. This proposal was then accepted by the voting delegates at National Hui, November 2024.
Adopting the Serious Misconduct Process
Following the vote at National Hui, National Council have approved the following four year process for the adoption of the Serious Misconduct Process (SMP).
- 2025 – 2026
Churches can choose to adopt the SMP by including the suggested clauses in their church constitutions – the clauses are found in this document:
Proposed-clauses-for-Church-Constitutions.docx (269 KB)
The Model Constitution has been amended to included these clauses.
These churches then advise the National Support Centre and upload their amended constitutions via the church access My Place portal.
All newly constituted churches will be required to include the SMP in their constitution. - 2027
The BUNZ Constitution will be amended to include the SMP with a vote on this constitutional change to be held at National Hui 2027. - 2028
By the end of 2028 all churches will have updated their constitutions to include the SMP.
For further information please contact Karen Warner,
Leadership Coordination Director, Baptist National Support Centre.
Email: [email protected]
Ph: 0212790919
Article on Baptist Polity
Written by Martin Sutherland, Baptist Theologian and Pastor:
Baptist Polity and a Serious Misconduct Policy
The proposals redefine aspects of local church responsibility, but do not threaten it on any fundamental questions.
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