The appointment of Heather Baucher as Appeal Authority for the @churchofengland Redress Scheme has prompted my friend @seaofcomplicity to ask questions the Church must answer. He raises concerns about her previous work in insurance litigation, her endorsement of an Evangelical Alliance publication, and how spiritual abuse will be understood in the appeals process. These are matters for transparent explanation, not assumptions about how she will judge. His call for a meeting with survivor representatives deserves a serious response. But his challenge goes beyond one appointment. He describes survivors feeling unheard and increasingly disillusioned with a scheme intended to offer recognition and repair. Survivor involvement must mean more than a seat at a table where others retain all the power. “Independent” is a claim to be tested. Who sets the rules? How are conflicts of interest addressed? How can survivors challenge decisions? Who answers when the process itself causes harm? The Church has no right to demand trust. It must earn it through transparency, accountability and repair. Survivors should not have to exhaust themselves extracting what we have already promised. We proclaim a crucified Christ. We cannot make those we have wounded carry the cross of our institutional self-protection. Read Gilo’s article in @GuardintheFlock guardingtheflock.com/post/re…