Click here: 0210525_Pastoral Letter Redress

God binds together love for Him and love for people, such that one without the other is unthinkable. In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-40:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands."

Notice that final line: the whole Old Testament is summed up in these "two commands", which is like saying, they are inseparable.

This conviction lies at the heart of our Diocese's approach to providing redress to survivors of child sexual abuse, perpetrated by Anglican leaders and/or permitted by Anglican institutions. It would be the height of hypocrisy for a church to confess love for God with their lips, and withhold justice from vulnerable people. 

A large step in justice-making was taken several years ago, as surplus and under-utilised church assets were sold to supply enough funds for Redress payments. The recent Synod (Anglican parliament) made further decisions to fund updated costs, which Wellspring fully supports. You can read Bishop Richard explain it in the link above.