Notifications of child abuse nationwide have grown from about 63,000 in 2006 to more than 150,000 in 2011. Substantiated cases of child abuse have jumped from almost 14,000 in 2006 to more than 22,000 last year.

These are statistics Lyn Campbell cites in her article, in this issue, about the need to make submissions on the Government’s Green Paper for Vulnerable Children. The problem with a monthly magazine such as this is the long lead-in times, so by the time you read Lyn’s article the submissions will have closed.

But we’ve printed it anyway, because she makes some important points about the Church’s attitude to what, in my view (and probably Lyn’s), is the number one social problem facing our nation today.

I was struck by one word near the end of Lyn’s article. She says it is our responsibility to be “activists.” My computer’s dictionary defines “activist” as “using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.”

The problem is, I fear, that too many people in our churches are “theorists,” which the computer’s dictionary defines as “a person concerned with the theoretical aspects of a subject.”

I’m not sure if the letters to the editor in the NZ Baptist is an accurate guage of what is happening in the pews of our churches across the nation, but I am struck at how many letters we have received over the past 10 years about issues of theology, doctrine, exegesis, music and so on.

I can’t recall the last time we received a letter about poverty, injustice or inequality. I don’t think we’ve ever received one about child abuse – yet the pages of secular newspapers are full of letters raging with concern. (Although we have had letters about our supposed right to smack our children!)

This is not to denigrate the amazing work being done by Baptist ministries, Baptist churches and individual Baptist church members across the country – and especially those at the coal face in communities where poverty, disease, unemployment, lack of education and lack of opportunity are an every day reality.

But as a movement of churches we need to place these issues front and centre of our Christian life, just as Jesus did. Reading the gospels, I am always surprised at how much time the Son of God spent dealing with every day reality – feeding people, curing illness and diseases, discussing personal circumstances, talking with children.

Once I again I quote from Lyn’s article: “The Government needs to recognise that it alone can’t bring the type of change that’s needed. Communities themselves usually have the assets, strengths and capacities to build the type of neighbourhood connectedness that brings a safer environment for their children.”

It starts with us. We need to build relationships with people in our communities, especially those we probably don’t feel comfortable being around. We shouldn’t need the adverts on TV to tell us that we need to put our arms around the woman we believe may be being abused, or the child who is always covered in bruises.

When I stand before Jesus at the Pearly Gates, I wonder if he will ask me: “Did you believe in a seven day Creation? Were you an advocate of Intelligent Design?” I suspect not. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he asks me: “What did you do for the solo mother who went to your church and couldn’t afford to buy breakfast for her children?”

– Duncan Pardon