Daphne Audsley, Assistant Provincial Safeguarding Officer at the Scottish Episcopal Church recently attended the first-ever Spanish-speaking regional conference of the Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission (ACSCC), of which she is a member.

The meeting was hosted by the Anglican Church of Mexico and the Anglican Church of the Central American region and was held in Mexico City. Participants from across Latin America, including representatives from Brazil, Bolivia, El Salvador were joined by representatives from other provinces, including the SEC.

The Anglican Communion News Service reported: “The gathering marks a significant step in ensuring that safeguarding training and collaboration are accessible in local languages and rooted in regional contexts. Previous regional conferences and Safe Church sessions have been held in English with Portuguese or French translation, most recently in Bulawayo in 2024, but this is the first time the programme has been delivered fully in Spanish.

“According to the Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission, the regional meetings aim to build the capacity of local clergy and lay leaders in safe church policy and practice. By equipping participants to develop and implement safeguarding procedures, the conferences strengthen efforts to make churches across the Communion safe places for all people, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults.”

Speaking after the conference, Ms Audsley said: “We received a wonderfully warm welcome, and the advance planning, care and support from the local team in Mexico ensured that the conference ran smoothly.

“The provinces represented are all at different stages in their Safe Church work, but all the delegates expressed a deep commitment to developing and improving safeguarding policies and processes.

“It was a full programme over the three days. The team of presenters shared guidelines and resources developed by the Safe Church Commission.  These resources, which are available in a number of languages on the Anglican Communion website, can be adapted to different contexts around the world.

“There is always something new to learn from hearing about safeguarding practices in other churches and I feel enriched and encouraged by the experience.  I think particularly of one delegate who said: ‘I leave here full of hope’.”

The Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission was set up to promote the safety of people within churches of the Anglican Communion, with a particular focus on children, young people and vulnerable adults.

You can read more about the Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission here.

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Main image: the Anglican Church of Mexico. Other images: Daphne Audsley

Group photo (L-R): Kim Barker (ACSCC), Fr Efren Velazquez (ACSCC), Robin Hammeal-Urban (ACSCC), Paulo Ueti (USPG), Daphne Audsley (ACSCC), Marcel Cesar Pereira (ACSCC), Bishop Sally Sue Hernández García.