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Working draft · November 7, 2026 · Planning note only. It does not approve any use, admission, appointment, renovation or delegation of authority.
It fills in the Mercy Pathway from the Pastoral Diagnostic for Oikos in Geylang at the Family, Nations and Seminary Gate and the boundary rules from House Church & Church House — One Seminary Programme, Distinct Governance and Multi-site Permissions.
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| Step | What it answers | Owner | Stop rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Receive | Is this person safe in the next ten minutes? Food, shelter tonight, one call back. | Receiving person on duty | No unaccompanied arrival after hours. |
| 2 Assess | Can we lawfully and safely hold this case? Consent, privacy, vulnerability, capacity, what we can and cannot offer — written at intake. | Case lead | Any concern about a minor or vulnerable adult halts intake until the safeguarding lead has ruled. No admission beyond verified capacity. |
| 3 Refer | What needs a professional: immigration and protection advice, medical, trauma, legal. | Case lead with safeguarding lead | Nothing is promised that a qualified professional has not confirmed. |
| 4 Host | The period of care: room, food, routines, house rules, privacy, handover on arrival. | Duty manager with host support | No activity runs in a space whose permitted use is unconfirmed. If no duty manager is named, the space does not open. |
| 5 Follow-up | Onward arrangement, records closed, after-action review, near-misses logged. | Case lead | An open critical corrective action blocks a repeat of that activity. |
One case at a time within verified capacity is the working assumption. Where a case exceeds the premises or the team, arrange a specialist referral rather than admit beyond safe capacity.
| Decision | Church (Oikos) | Seminary (Seminary Gate) | Separate authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admit a mercy case into the House | Decides, through the case lead accountable to the Committee | Consulted only | — |
| Pastoral care, discipline, covering of residents, hosts and volunteers | Decides | — | Bishop’s Charge ministers; does not govern |
| Clinical, trauma or legal judgement | Refers out | Refers out | Qualified professional decides |
| Academic admission, assessment, credit and awards | Not a party | Decides | — |
| Whether a case may be used for teaching or reflection | Consent gate | Proposes | Anonymised only; identifiable material needs ethics approval and separate voluntary consent |
| Student placement in a mercy setting | Owns placement conditions and duty of care | Owns academic supervision | — |
| Restricted case funds and sponsor reporting | Decides through Church finance | — | Sponsors fund; no case histories, no power over residents |
| Ordination and commissioning (DAVT) | Not conferred by church office | Not conferred by programme completion | Bishop’s Charge and the responsible DAVT authority |
| Premises use, works and tenancy | Committee | — | Board and Committee as the constitution defines |
| Halting an activity | Any named duty manager or safeguarding lead | Any named duty manager or safeguarding lead | No further permission needed |
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The Seminary is the frame; the Church is the moving panels. Different agendas are workable. Merged decision rights are not.
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