Diocesan Synod, which met on Saturday 7 December, has backed a motion of ‘no confidence’ in the Archbishops’ Council’s oversight of safeguarding.
Brought by the Rev Nathan Ward, Vicar of St Margaret’s Rainham, the motion urged ‘the necessary reforms to be taken to restore trust, safeguard the vulnerable, and uphold the Church’s moral and legal responsibilities’.
Speaking to his motion, Nathan said that the Makin Review was just the latest in a series of reports that reveal profound failings in safeguarding across the Church.
“This motion does not call for resignations, nor does it prescribe specific solutions—those are not our roles as a Synod. Instead, it is a clear and humble statement that, based on the evidence before us, we have no confidence in the Archbishops’ Council’s oversight of safeguarding.”
He added:
“As a Synod, we face a stark choice: to reject the findings of these reports or to accept them. If we accept them, we must also acknowledge our moral responsibility to act. Silence or inaction would only perpetuate the very culture that these reports criticise.”
Read Nathan’s full speech here
A debate followed that included a range of views on the motion that had been set before Synod. Speaking during the discussion, Bishop Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Rochester, indicated he would be voting in favour of the motion.
The motion was carried as follows:
In favour: 51
Against: 5
Abstentions: 9
“That this Synod resolves to pass a vote of no confidence in the Archbishops’ Council’s oversight of safeguarding and urges for the necessary reforms to restore trust, safeguard the vulnerable, and uphold the Church’s moral and legal responsibilities.”
