Church to tackle bullying and harassment

The MethodistCouncil has pledged to tackle issues of bullying and harassmentwithin the Church. The move is a response to concerns raised aboutthe vulnerability of churches to destructive patterns of behaviourand affirms the desire for the Church to be a safe and inclusivecommunity for all.

"It is uncomfortable and difficult to admit that bullying andharassment do sometimes occur in our churches," said Tony Tidey,Connexional Wellbeing Adviser. "But the decision made today, andthe recommendations that will be made to the Conference in July,are something to be proud of. By clearly stating our commitment toaddressing this issue, we are calling everyone in our churches to astandard of behavior that should reflect our calling as Christiansto treat one another with dignity and respect at all times."

Council members affirmed that bullying and harassment were alwaysunacceptable and that dealing well with these issues in a churchcontext is vitally important.

The Council adopted a set of guidelines for promoting good workingrelationships and managing Conflict within the Church. It will makea number of recommendations to the Methodist Conference which, ifpassed in July, will see £140,000 earmarked for developing furtherwork on this matter. The recommendations include the promotion ofthe guidelines throughout the Church and the regular provision oftraining and support to District Reconciliation Groups to ensurethat they are well equipped to deal with bullying and harassmentissues.

The Council, met from 11 to 13 April at Woodland Grange Hotel inLeamington Spa. Other issues discussed included safeguarding, aconsultation document on the future of world church partnerships,the Connexional Central Services Budget and how the Church mightdevelop a strategic approach to releasing funds for mission throughthe sale and lease of property.