Rationale

Casey City Church asked five external pastors, Revs. Graeme Cann, Peter McHugh, Allan Meyer, Jeremy Rensford and Johnny Scroggins to serve as interim elders. They were to examine both the concern that many persons who had left the church had experienced emotional, psychological and spiritual harm, and an attempt made by certain church leaders to respond. These elders later invited Rev Judith Wilkie to join them on an Advisory Panel as they examined statements of alleged harm.

The Panel concluded that harm of this nature appeared to have occurred. The interim elders agreed to facilitate the request of Pastor Kevin Manning for a trust fund to be established from the funds of Casey City Church to financially assist such persons to receive professional therapeutic care for related emotional, psychological or spiritual needs. The Casey Trust Fund was established with Revs Peter McHugh, Jeremy Rensford and Judith Wilkie as its Trustees. Funding required a Deed of Gift to be agreed between Casey City Church and the Trustees. The Fund will exist for up to three years from the time the Deed of Gift was executed, late May 2024. It will terminate by having distributed all funds according to the Trust purpose or finally by donation to relevant charity.

Purpose of Trust

The Trust is established to support psychological and spiritual recovery with the help of suitably qualified practitioners. The goal is to assist as many as possible of the persons who believe that they have been affected to move in the direction of functional living, wellbeing and the ability to relate positively to God and to a Christian community. The assumption is that healing and transformation is for everyone a lifetime process involving many personal choices and types of relationships. The hope is that professional assistance will help fund recipients find a life-giving way forward.

Professional mental health care includes many types of practitioners. The person who desires help is free to choose the helper desired, such as for example a psychologist, counsellor, marriage and family therapist, mental health social worker, spiritual director or chaplain. In order to qualify for fund assistance, the practitioner must be accredited by a recognised body in their area of practice and must do therapeutic work beyond prescribing medications or life coaching alone. Given the context of alleged harm, it is advised where possible that help be sought from persons who are able to assist with factors that pertain to the settings and nature of Christian faith and ministries.

Procedures for Assistance

If you would like to apply, please fill out the prescribed application. You will be asked to provide a contact that can confirm that you once had a relationship with Casey City Church (CCC).

Applications from persons who verifiably once had a relationship with CCC and allege related harm are likely to be approved. Maximum funding assistance is set for an individual or for a household for the first year, in order to make it possible for as many as possible who could be assisted to benefit. Limits will be reviewed after the first year of the trust.

If you already are seeing a qualified practitioner for this need, you will be welcome to continue with that person but asked to provide them with awareness of factors that pertain to Christian faith settings as noted above. If you have not yet identified a suitable and available helper, the counselling advisor of the trust will attempt to assist your search.

Casey Trust Fund InformationRationale, Purpose and Procedures 22 May 2024 Following approval, funds will be paid following each verified professional session. Verification will be by a professional invoice submitted by the practitioner or by a receipt for services paid for by the recipient. Procedures will be explained to recipients. No more will be paid after the limit is reached.

A charitable trust fund has been established to assist those who allege that they have been injured or harmed in association with their participation in Casey City Church ministries (this term includes the church and its other ministries/businesses). This limited assistance is strictly for professional therapeutic help in addressing alleged emotional, psychological or spiritual harm. It is available only to persons who no longer are members or participants in Casey City Church ministries. Approval for trust funds does not constitute confirmation of harm or have any legal implications. It is a charitable gift for persons who allege harm, with hope that such limited assistance may be
beneficial. Casey City Church has no involvement in the administration of the trust.

This application replaces all previous versions, whether documents or online. We appreciate that this application requires courage, and assure you that applicant identity is confidential. It is kept within the trustees and requirements for administration of the trust.

If seeking help for any child individually, please give the following details:

• Name of the child,
• Age of the child,
• What specifically pertains to the child, distinguished from what pertains to the adult completing the application.

Please respond to the following questions using a few words or a few sentences.

In case the Trust needs to validate that an application is from someone historically associated with Casey City Church ministries, please nominate a person who historically (not currently) was associated with Casey City Church ministries who knew about your involvement. Please contact the person you nominate to obtain their permission and then give their name and contact details here.

Applicants will have one interview face to face with the counselling coordinator of the trust, Dr. Judith Wilkie, to try to understand what is needed, to facilitate the decision making of the Trust and to provide initial assistance for identifying suitable help.

We appreciate your courage to write about difficult experiences here, to people not yet known to you personally. We hold your efforts in high regard. Finding words and courage is a positive step.

If completing this as an electronic form, submission goes to Dr. Judith Wilkie. If you prefer another means, you can send a completed paper document to jwilkie@chryscare.com.au or by post to Chrysalis Care and Counselling Network, PO Box 359 Mooroolbark, VIC 3138. If you send the form by post, please email Dr. Wilkie to watch for it as the box is rarely checked. Thank you.