Safe Ministry

As part of the Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney, St Paul’s Anglican church is committed to protecting and promoting the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety of all people – especially those within our own church community.

Smlogo astra

Who are vulnerable people?

In our church context, this may include:
•Children and youth
•People with a disability
•The elderly
•People who are experiencing illness
•A person who is in need of pastoral support due to adverse personal circumstances
•People from different linguistic, cultural or community circumstances
•People who have experienced abuse or neglect

Our leaders are trained in Safe Ministry

All of those working with vulnerable people at St Paul’s have a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and have completed the Safe Ministry Essentials Course. The Safe Ministry course is our Diocese’s best practice in equipping those working with children (and other vulnerable people) with the knowledge and understanding they need to build a culture of safe ministry.

The Anglican Diocese of Sydney requires all people working in ministry to children and youth, including ministers and assistant ministers, to complete Safe Ministry Essentials. Contents include:
•Identifying and appointing appropriate leaders for Christian ministry
•Safe practices to protect vulnerable people
•Recognising and reporting abuse
•Providing a safe environment for everyone

To find out more about the Safe Ministry Course you can visit the Safe Ministry websiteSafe Ministry Website

Our leaders stay up-to-date with their Safe Ministry Training

After completing the Safe Ministry Essentials training, our team must complete a Safe Ministry Refresher training every three years. If someone fails to complete a Refresher course within 30 days of their three-year expiry, they must do the Essentials course again.

Junior leaders are also trained in Safe Ministry

This training module educates junior leaders on what it means to lead and protect children and vulnerable people in a ministry setting.

We observe best practice in Safe Ministry

To ensure the safety of children and vulnerable people, the Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney, in conjunction with the Anglican Church of Australia, will:
•Carefully recruit and train its clergy and church workers
•Adopt and encourage safe ministry practices amongst its clergy and church workers
•Respond promptly to each concern raised about the behaviour of its clergy and church workers
•Offer pastoral support to any person who has suffered abuse

If you have any questions about safe ministry at St Paul’s Anglican church, please get in touch.

Email our Safe Ministry Rep

The Safe Ministry Blueprint Documents

The Safe Ministry Blueprint documents represent a holistic approach to safe ministry.

These documents are aimed at informing people across all levels of leadership and church engagement to help ensure greater awareness, transparency and accountability within our churches and to help foster a culture of safe ministry at all levels of the church.

Safe Ministry Blueprint

It's important to us that you have all the resources you need to feel safe at St Paul's

  • Get help now

    The Sydney Anglican Diocese Safe Ministry website has great resources for those in need of assistance, support or advice.

    Get help now
    Web square images (4)

  • Report abuse

    Please call the Abuse Report Line on 1800 774 945 or submit a report online

    Report abuse
    Web square images (5)

  • Tell Your Story

    An Information Booklet for survivors and reporters of abuse and misconduct

    Read it
    Web square images (3)
Untitled design (4)

Margaret

LAKEMBA

Since 2008, under the auspices of the Anglican Church and Evangelism & New Churches, Margaret been serving women and their families in South West Sydney by introducing them to the Lord Jesus Christ.

She does this by establishing a network of communities to which women from all faiths can belong, observe and experience Christian community, where they and their families can be introduced to the person of Jesus, and be discipled to be disciplers.

Support Margaret
Untitled design (3)

James and Charly

BATHURST

James, Charly, Elijah, Joshua & Hannah Boardman moved from Sydney to Bathurst in January 2023. James completed a Bachelor of Divinity at Moore College in 2022 and serves with BCA as a ministry trainee at the Cathedral Parish in the Diocese of Bathurst. James & Charly are excited to see the ways God grows them in maturity and what opportunities He will grant them to testify to His glory.

Support James and Charly
Untitled design (1)

Chris and Erin

SOUTH EAST ASIA

We share a deep affection for South East Asian people and long to see them fall in love with Jesus as we have. We’ve served as student ministers in churches in Sydney, where God grew our language and cultural understanding. In 2020 we visited South East Asia and met with Christian leaders and evangelists, as well as some of the beautiful children in Christian orphanages. God used this trip to convict us to serve the South East Asian people through cross-cultural mission there.

Many South East Asian Hindus are gripped by great spiritual fear and darkness. We hope to reach these people in evangelism, and train pastors and Christian leaders to do the same. Our aim is to encourage local believers to grow in their love for Jesus and their confidence to live out and share his gospel, to see a South East Asia that knows Jesus

Support Chris and Erin
Untitled design

John and Fiona

SOUTH ASIA

John, Fiona and their children are enjoying life in this chaotic, fun part of Asia. As Director, John oversees many projects working with vulnerable people. Together they care and set vision for a team of local and foreign SIM workers serving in the community. This is a complex role and requires leadership of 40+ SIM members and associates of the team and oversight of the 80+ national staff. The team has a clear vision of establishing healthy churches among the majority people and are accomplishing this through a variety of means. Both Fiona and John are also involved in teaching and discipleship of church leaders.

Support John and Fiona
Untitled design (2)

Tim and Lauren

GLASGOW

Glasgow is not the gospel city she used to be. Her streets used to rally around the motto “Lord let Glasgow flourish through the preaching of thy word and praising thy name.” Today, the motto is “People Make Glasgow” but the people who make the city are as devoid of Christ as their motto. Evangelical Christians now make up about 2% of the greater Glasgow area, with the East End an even more dire 0.3%. It is home to 276,000 people who desperately need Bible-teaching churches planted that will hold out the gospel of the Lord Jesus in a contextually appropriate way.

We are partnering with St Silas Episcopal Church to lead Glasgow’s first evangelical Anglican church plant for 150 years. The gospel generosity of St Silas and other evangelical churches from many denominations in Glasgow has been a huge encouragement to us, and we value your prayerful support for us on this venture.

Support Tim and Lauren