A brief update regarding the Standards of Ethical Behaviour and Code of Conduct

In February, a communication was sent to the church about the LCA’s new Standards of Ethical Behaviour and Code of Conduct. The College of Bishops and General Church Board acknowledge that some people have engaged with this process, while others have experienced significant anxiety or had genuine concerns regarding aspects of the document and its implementation.

We are grateful to those who have taken the time to share feedback, ask questions and raise their concerns. Thank you for doing this so thoughtfully and honestly. Your feedback has been heard and is appreciated.

In light of this feedback, we acknowledge that information about these churchwide requirements could have been better communicated with our church members and leaders, and we apologise for any anxiety this has caused.

We are committed to doing better in this space. We, in collaboration with the Districts, are taking time to carefully reflect on what has been shared with us. We recognise there are areas where clearer communication, better timing and additional explanation were needed or would have been helpful.

We are continuing to review the feedback we have received and considering how best to respond. We will come back to you in due course with further information about the next steps, including any changes to the implementation.

Whether you have already signed this code of conduct or not, there is no further action required from you at this time.

Thank you for your patience, engagement and ongoing commitment to ensuring our church is a safe place for all.

Pastor Stephen Schultz
Acting Bishop, Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand
On behalf of the College of Bishops and General Church Board