Feedback & Complaints

Our Commitment

Acts Churches is committed to fostering church communities that are safe, respectful, welcoming, and Christ-centred.

We welcome feedback and take concerns seriously. Feedback helps us improve, while our independent complaints process ensures concerns about serious misconduct or safeguarding are addressed fairly, appropriately, and with integrity.

We recognise that raising a concern or participating in a complaints process can be difficult. We are committed to treating everyone with respect, fairness, and courtesy, communicating clearly and promptly, and complying with New Zealand law throughout the process.

Local Church Feedback

We welcome feedback, suggestions, encouragement, and informal concerns about any Acts church, ministry, programme, event, leader, or volunteer.

Where possible, concerns should be raised promptly and directly with the relevant church or ministry leader, as many issues can be resolved quickly and constructively at the local level. For matters relating to a local church, please contact the church's leadership team in the first instance.

Alternatively, feedback and informal concerns may be submitted to feedback@actschurches.com, and the Acts National Office will forward your feedback on to the appropriate people for consideration.‍

Formal Complaints of Serious Misconduct

You are also able to make a formal complaint regarding the conduct of an ordained Acts Churches minister, church staff member, or volunteer leader, including concerns about:

  • Sexual relationships outside of their marriage.
  • Sexual, physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual abuse.
  • Misappropriation or mismanagement of church finances.
  • Bullying, harassment, discrimination, or victimisation.
  • Failure to act on reports or knowledge of abuse.
  • Conduct that may bring the church or the Acts movement into disrepute.

Formal complaints are received and administered by our independent investigator. Upon receiving a complaint, our independent investigator will acknowledge receipt within 5 working days, undertake an initial assessment, and determine the appropriate next steps. This may include seeking further information, meeting with relevant parties, undertaking a formal investigation, facilitating an informal resolution where appropriate, referring the matter to Acts Churches leadership or governance representatives, or notifying external agencies or authorities where required.

To assist with the assessment of your complaint, please provide, where possible:

  • A description of the concern.
  • Relevant dates, locations, and circumstances.
  • The names of those involved.
  • Details of any witnesses.
  • Any supporting documentation or evidence.

Formal complaints can be submitted to Manaia Legal who is our independent investigator.
actscomplaints@manaialegal.com

Acts Churches will carefully consider and respond to any recommendations arising from this process.

Acts Churches is committed to supporting the wellbeing of anyone raising a complaint. Our complaints policy includes a pastoral contact available to anyone going through the process, who can provide support and refer parties to professional services, including counselling where appropriate and welcomed. If you or a party does not wish to engage with anyone from the church directly, Manaia Legal is able to arrange such support.

Safeguarding Concerns

Acts Churches is committed to creating environments that are safe for children, young people, and vulnerable adults. A copy of our Child Safety & Wellbeing Policy can be found here.

Any concern relating to abuse, neglect, exploitation, grooming, inappropriate conduct, or risks to the safety of a child, young person, or vulnerable adult should be reported immediately.

If a child or vulnerable person is believed to be at immediate risk of harm, contact emergency services by calling 111 immediately.

Alternatively contact Oranga Tamariki on 0508 326 459 or visit https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz