MEMORANDUM No. 01/2022
London, January 20, 2022
Dear Brethren,
The Peace of God. Amen.
RE: SAFEGUARDING OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AT CCUK
According to the laws of the United Kingdom, all organisations that work with or come into direct or indirect contact with children are responsible for their physical, emotional, and psychological safety and well-being. Whenever their safety or well-being are in jeopardy, the Christian Congregation in the UK has a legal obligation to contact the local authorities. As Christians, it is our duty to obey the law of the land.
It is written in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, in chapter 13:1-2, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”
As such, the Ministry is very concerned with the children as they are the future of the Work of God in this country. Therefore, we beseech all of you to act vigilantly and not allow your children to elude supervision under any circumstances.
As such, we kindly ask the brethren to do the following:
1-Accompany your children to the toilet, to have a drink of water, etc., which could prevent them from being exposed to any dangers or accidents that could occur within our midst. It is the parent’s responsibility to care for their children during the services, not the Doorkeepers.
2-We advise the parents to keep their children inside the church whilst a service is taking place, as this is where they will learn about the word of God and His teachings, which are paramount for the formation of their Christian character.
3- It is the responsibility of the parents to care for your children after the holy services as well, including the Children and Young People’s Meetings, always being aware of where their children are, and with whom they are gathering. By doing this, we impede the enemy of our souls from doing anything harmful to the spiritual, physical, or psychological development of our children.
4- Parents should not leave children unsupervised or being supervised by other children during the holy services, including the Children and Young People’s Meetings. If a child is found unsupervised by a relevant authority, the parents as well as the Christian Congregation in the UK could be legally penalised.
5- Additionally, we ask the brethren to act prudently, and avoid being left alone with children that are not your own, whether that be in bathrooms, kitchens, car parks or other areas. By being prudent, we will be protecting not only our children, but we will be protecting ourselves as well.
6- We would like to inform the brethren that upon the return of the Music Study Groups, children under the age of 12 will only be allowed to participate when accompanied by a parent or a responsible adult with the authorisation of their parents.
7- The Christian Congregation in the United Kingdom is not responsible for extra-curricular activities that occur outside of the halls in which we have the Holy Services, the Children and Young People’s Meetings, and Music Study Groups.
Finally, the brethren should not hesitate to contact the Ministry with any concerns related to the security of their children. All cases will be analysed by the ministry as well as the Safeguarding team of the CCUK, and, if necessary, will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities to take the necessary measures.
For the benefit of the brethren, the Safeguarding Policy for the CCUK is published on our website (www.christiancongregation.org.uk).
May God bless you all.
Greetings,
The Elders and Administrative Committee