Since the early days of our podcasting work, we have been contacted by people who have been affected by issues such as physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, domestic violence and rape, all within a context of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The overwhelming feedback we receive is that existing Church policies, however well meaning, are at best insufficient and at worst damaging in terms of the lack of prevention and response to abuse.
Working with individuals and organisations who have experience in Safeguarding, 21st Century Saints have launched a campaign to help support The Church in improving and implementing practices to keep children and vulnerable adults safe from all forms of abuse.
The campaign focuses on 3 key areas.
1.Grass Roots activism.
We are contacting leaders at a local, stake and area level within The Church to ask that they implement background checks for all members who may come into contact with children and vulnerable adults.
We have template letters for people who would like to join us in contacting their own Church representatives.
We have a petition asking for Safeguarding to be implemented in The Church.
We have an Open Letter to The Church which has been co-signed by many interested groups and organisations. We continue to add new signatures each day.
2. Local and National decision makers
We are contacting elected representatives and decision makers to help us ensure that measures are put in place to Safeguard children and adults in The Church.
We have template letters for people to contact their own elected representatives.
3. Safeguarding Training & Advice
We are offering to work with The Church, area & local leaders and interested groups and individuals to implement best practices in Safeguarding.
Our Team
Jane Christie hosts the 21st Century Saints podcast and livestream. She joined the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a teenager and throughout her life has served in The Church in Scotland in callings including as Young Women’s President, Relief Society Counsellor, and Youth Sunday School teacher.
Jane’s interest in the lived experience of church members along with her caring role for her disabled son has led to her focus on the protection and inclusion of the vulnerable within faith communities.
Sara Elizabeth Delaney has a long-term professional background as Probation Officer and Social Worker working with adult and child victims and perpetrators of harm. She specialised for over 25 years in therapeutic support, risk assessment, risk management and treatment programmes, training and consultancy working in the voluntary sector; Rape Crisis, NSPCC family sexual abuse project working with child victims, adult abusers and non-abusing partners, and the statutory sector of Probation undertaking assessments and treatment programmes, youth offending and safeguarding teams.
Sara is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England serving in callings throughout her 40+ years of membership. She has served in callings in Primary, Relief Society, Young Womens, Sunday School and Seminary.
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