Presbyterian Church in Ireland hit by ‘ecclesiastical earthquake’ over safeguarding

Dr Richard Murray addressing the congregation (PCI/PA)

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is experiencing an “ecclesiastical earthquake” as it deals with safeguarding failings, a congregation-wide meeting has heard.

The Moderator Dr Richard Murray told the congregation there are people who “failed” in their safeguarding duties, and were later given confirmation of reports that a member due to take up a leading role in that area had resigned.

The church has held its second gathering in Belfast to hear an update on failings in welfare and protection processes.

In 2025, the church announced that significant failings had been found in central safeguarding functions.

Former Presbyterian moderator Rev Trevor Gribben stood down last year after a review found “serious and significant failings” in the functions from 2009 to 2022.

Dr Trevor Gribben, left, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Rev Dr David Bruce, right (Liam McBurney/PA)

Members were to receive an update on safeguarding and progress regarding the General Council task groups that were set up as a result of decisions taken at December’s Special Assembly.

At that assembly, David Bruce, a retired minister and Convener of the General Council, said questions around safeguarding at the church “became much more acute” in 2025 when a person was convicted of child sexual abuse offences and imprisoned.

At the meeting on Wednesday, the Church’s Moderator Dr Richard Murray, said the Church was living through “an ecclesiastical earthquake” and encouraged ministers and elders gathered to refer to Psalm 46, a psalm for times of trouble and hope.

“Clearly the psalmist was living through times of cataclysmic change and it’s good to remind ourselves that such times have always been faced by God’s people, to a greater or lesser extent,” he said.

“We in PCI are living through such a time when there’s been an ecclesiastical earthquake and when safeguarding has, quite rightly, been moved centre stage.”

Dr Murray said there are those “who have faithfully and dutifully carried out their safeguarding duties, but others have failed us”.

“And, in their wake, we are acutely aware of people who have suffered and been left desolate, and then there are forces without and forces within that oppose us and sometimes we wonder what’s coming next,” he said.

He added: “We in PCI are in trouble, make no mistake about it, especially, again, and most necessarily we think of those hurt, harmed, traumatised by our failings and as David Bruce said away at the beginning, even one case is one too many.”

Rev Dr David Bruce (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Bruce confirmed that the church’s safeguarding lead Dermot Parson, who was the director of the Council for Social Witness, had resigned from his position and “active steps are being taken to recruit a successor”.

Mr Bruce said Mr Murray was being “asked to make commitments on behalf of the church which lie well outside the normal expectations of any moderator”, leading to the appointment of a small specialist advisory task group.

“In addition, the deputy clerk assists the moderator with some specific aspects of liaison with the police,” he said.

“Concerning evidence, the task group that I have mentioned can access independent legal advice as and when they need to.”

He added: “The church must be under no illusions that things will be said to us concerning our past and current practice in areas extending beyond safeguarding and I have absolutely no doubt that this will be challenging for us to hear.

“As a church, we will have an important job to do when these reports are completed.

“A job of referencing back to scripture, to the reformed and confessional heritage from which we have come, and also as we look forward to the implementation of best practice in the protection of vulnerable people and the implementation of models of good governance, which meet the requirements of the law of God and the law of the land.”