Cameron Haig, Safe Church Program

Cameron is the National Coordinator of the Safe Church Program. His role sees him overseeing the Safe Church Agreement. The program provides Standards and Framework for Churches across Australia to train their Pastors, Clergy and Volunteers to create safe environments for all people, in particular children, young people and vulnerable adults.

One of the duties of Cameron’s role is to engage with various Government departments that relate to Vulnerable Adult and Child safety, protection and care matters, sharing relevant information to assist them as well as churches. Cameron also assists in the planning and running of the Safe as Churches? Conference, the next conference being on 16 & 17 May this year in Melbourne.

In his role, Cameron supports churches to be able to prevent and respond to issues of safety within their communities. To ensure that the Standards not only meet Legislative requirements across Australia, but also are Best Practice. To do this he must communicate relevant changes to churches to ensure that they are compliant.

Cameron was intrigued to work with NCCA as it works with a broad range of church traditions. The Safe Church Program in particular is very ecumenical, with churches working together, and extends not only to NCCA member Churches but nonmembers as well. The Safe Church Program is seen as a Peak Body by Government and other organisations, and that involvement has also been an encouragement for Cameron.

Cameron is a member of a Baptist church in Melbourne and previously worked as a minister in that tradition with a particular focus on Youth and Young Adults. He brings to his role his experience with and passion for young people. He states that aside from his family and father his greatest inspiration is the work done by Martin Luther King Jnr in relation to Civil Rights in America, non-violent protesting and his response to all the obstacles that he faced.