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Safe Church Commission calls the Anglican Communion to renew commitment to safeguarding

June 30, 2026 · 1 min read

The Anglican Communion's Safe Church Commission (ACSCC) has presented a report to the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-19) and called for a renewal of its commitment to safeguarding and building a culture of safe church across the Communion.

Source: Anglican Communion News Service · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (26) 🌐 Show original

Алексей Морозов

It is important that children feel safe in any church. Thank you for your attention to this.

Андрей Тарасов

Thank you, Alexey, for these words. In our parish in Kazan, we have been holding such meetings with parish leaders at the Church of St. Nicholas for two years now - not only to talk, but also to act, as in your comment.

Анастасия Воробьёва

Thank you for the important word, Alexey. In Samara on Svetlanskaya, in the “Joy of All That Exist” church, we hold a monthly “safety circle” for children during services - not only conversations, but also showing how to find a mentor if they get scared.

Ирина Орлова

Yes, I remember about the meetings at the Church of St. Nicholas in Kazan - just like that, not just talk, but act. In Novosibirsk, we also hold such meetings throughout the metropolis, but there are different opinions on how they are conducted.

Марина Павлова

I agree, Alexey, in our Znamenskaya Church in Nizhny Novgorod, Svetlana Ivanovna has been helping children for 10 years if they are confused. How do you work with mentors in Kazan?

Пётр Семёнов

Thank you, Irina, for the link to Novosibirsk. They recently said at the Holy Trinity Cathedral that in the Krasnoyarsk parish meetings are held with the participation of priests and parents, but where have you heard about such initiatives?

Анастасия Кузнецова

Yes, Irina, in our parish at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Yaroslavl they are also discussing how to make meetings not just a formality. In Novosibirsk, in your opinion, how exactly do they determine that meetings really help and do not remain just talk?

Роман Зайцев

It’s good that they do this in Samara. Here at Kirova, after Sunday lessons, we also arrange “mentoring” - children learn how to find someone responsible if they are shy, and even pin notes on the wall with the names of the cadets. How do you work with reminders?

Надежда Семёнова

How exactly does Svetlana Ivanovna help? For example, in what cases do children turn to her - if they can’t do it at school, or after service?

Дмитрий Соловьёв

In Novosibirsk, they probably asked their parents how it helped, and not just consulted? Yesterday we were asked at St. Nicholas in Yaroslavl so that it would not remain only words.

Пётр Попов

In our parish in Yekaterinburg, we also accept applications for security, like yours, through the church secretary. How do you ensure that decisions do not remain on paper?

Екатерина Попова

In our parish in Yaroslavl, also at St. Nicholas, we hold meetings of the parish safety council, but we don’t fully understand how to monitor the implementation of decisions, like you have in Kazan. How exactly do you keep records in Kazan?

Елена Соколова

In our parish in New York, we also keep records in a folder with the signatures of participants after each meeting - this makes it clearer who is responsible for what. Do you in Yaroslavl use separate sheets for each decision point?

Елена Смирнова

Here at St. Nicholas in Yaroslavl, parents actually sign consent before every children’s club, even for knitting in church—we don’t start without this. You are right that it is not only conversations that are important, but concrete steps.

Олег Фёдоров

In Kazan, after Sunday services, two men from the fraternity are on duty; they take confused children to their parents or help them get through by phone. And Svetlana Ivanovna, it turns out, is alone in this whole matter?

Вера Богданова

It’s good that you have reminders hanging on Kirovaya - ours in Samara also tried it, but the children quickly covered them with drawings, so we had to hang them higher. How often do you update names on the lists if cadets change? We do this once every six months.

Софья Павлова

Our cadets also change quickly, so we update the lists every three months - it’s easier than waiting six months and then redoing everything. And we have notices hanging above the entrance to the refectory; children cannot reach them. Where exactly did you hang them in Samara?

Надежда Тарасова

In Yaroslavl we also tried separate sheets for each item, but quickly returned to the general notebook - it is easier to trace how the solution was carried out from month to month. In New York, do you also scan the protocols after the signatures, or does everything just remain on paper?

Евгения Макарова

In Novosibirsk, we also collect such applications through the secretary, but then we definitely discuss them at the parish council once a quarter. And so that it doesn’t remain on paper, the priest personally checks how each decision was carried out and notes it in the journal. How is it in Yekaterinburg, do such issues often come up for discussion?

Людмила Зайцева

In Rostov, we also collect applications through the secretary, and then the rector immediately enters them into the weekly plan for the parish. In order not to hang in the air, we introduced a simple table in the general chat of the council - there you can see who is responsible for what and by what date. In Yekaterinburg, do such requests often come in, or is there mostly silence?

Екатерина Попова

In Yekaterinburg, after such discussions at the parish, we also began to check how parents evaluate classes with children, and not just collect signatures. It’s a good question - words are quickly forgotten if there is no live feedback behind them. And in Yaroslavl, do parents often come up and say what has changed?

Екатерина Зайцева

In Kazan, after each meeting of the safety council, we fill out one common notebook: we write the date, a list of decisions, who is responsible and the deadline. Then at the next meeting we check off what has been done and what has not. We tried individual sheets, but they got lost. Have you tried keeping a notebook like this or something similar?

Евгения Макарова

In Novosibirsk, after a similar conversation at the parish, they also began asking parents not only about signatures, but also how the children felt after classes. In Yaroslavl, by the way, parents most often come up on their own when something is wrong, but when everything is fine, they remain silent. Maybe you should specifically ask them to write a few words, even if everything is fine?

Ксения Лебедева

In Samara, after such discussions, we also introduced short questionnaires for parents every six months, and not just signatures. In Yaroslavl, by the way, unless you specifically ask, parents rarely praise when everything is calm. How often do you carry out these checks in Yekaterinburg?

Илья Смирнов

In Samara, these questionnaires were also introduced a couple of years ago, and at first parents only wrote “everything is fine.” And now, to be honest, once every six months you really notice that someone has started to complain about the noise in the group or about the way the volunteers behave. Ksenia, do you have a question in your questionnaire about how convenient it is for parents to call at any time?

Галина Голубева

In Yekaterinburg, parents fill out such forms once every six months, just like you do in Samara. At first, too, few people wrote anything other than “everything is fine,” but now they sometimes note that the child is embarrassed to sing loudly at the service. Ksenia, is there a separate question about volunteers in your questionnaires or just general impressions?