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Church as a safe place

Safety and accountability?

CHURCH AS A SAFE PLACE
A handbook confronting, resolving and minimizing abuse in the church
By Peter R. Holmes & Susan B. Williams
Authentic Media. 332 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978-1-86024-603-6

‘It’s not finding a safe place, but being safe people, like Jesus.’ Co-authors Holmes & Williams writing in dialogue show how this statement on the front cover of their book is being worked out amongst their own church community.

The world we live in is ravaged by abuse and, sadly, the church is not exempt. Our brokenness means we can’t be in community without abusing or hurting one another somewhere down the line. And none of us can say we are exempt, although we might not like to admit to it! Holmes & Williams write from personal experience as well as extensive research to show how the church has not only become a victim of behaviour patterns found outside its doors but tragically and all too often is manifesting its own brand of abuse from within.

Not feeling amused

The writers say the ‘qualification’ of a safe place is not just where someone is not being abused but where that person will not feel abused in any way, at any level. Only as believers become more Christ-like will they create an environment where others feel safe, and where judgment is replaced by love. In terms of examining the hidden attitude of the heart towards anyone found within the local church — the challenge is clear. At the other end of the scale how aware are we of the potential for all types of abuse to be happening under our noses?

Divided into seven parts this handbook outlines the five main types of abuse (verbal, emotional, physical, sexual and spiritual) and shows how great the need is to create a safe place for those around us, with a particular focus on church leadership and pastoral care. 19 short chapters cover specific themes illustrated with case studies, some of them tragically shocking! Bullet-point guidelines offer advice on handling specific issues. Each chapter is summarised in a short paragraph with ‘Questions to ponder’, which could also be used in a group setting.

Reservations

This is certainly an ‘out of the box’ book! As a handbook I commend it, but with an element of reservation. It left me with question marks over the danger of elevating subjective experiences over and above the objective truths of God’s word. One of the marks of a true church is the exercise of church discipline. Therefore I would have liked more emphasis to have been placed on the church being a place of safety through accountability, with repentance leading to growth through obedience to the word of God.

Kath Paterson,
Kensington Baptist Church, Bristol