The Presbyterian Church of Ireland (PCI) has voted to continue using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), in “limited circumstances”, despite calls for the practice to be abandoned.
NDAs are confidentiality clauses preventing a party (usually a former employee) from disclosing sensitive and confidential information.
In June, the PCI’s General Assembly in Belfast voted to approve a draft policy on employee compromise agreements and NDAs. This draft policy was contained in a report of a task group set up to look at the use of employees’ compromise agreements and NDAs.
The report cited several Scriptures which it suggested could be used to argue both against, and for, confidentiality agreements. Mentioning Proverbs 17v9 it stated: “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends … [And] on numerous occasions Jesus specifically imposed confidentiality requirements on individuals and groups, including his own disciples.”
However, a former trainee PCI minister said the task group report was “blasphemous” and claimed it misused the Bible. According to the Belfast Telegraph, Tom Finnegan and his wife Renée, a former PCI communications assistant, signed NDAs as part of their settlements. Tom said: “The use of Scripture to support NDAs, and implying that Jesus would use them, is a twisted view.”
Ben Nicholson, who secured a release from an almost lifetime NDA by Tearfund, described the PCI’s theological arguments as “woefully inadequate”. He said: “Of particular concern, references that Jesus ‘specifically imposed confidentiality requirements on individuals and groups, including his own disciples’ (e.g. after miracles) are context-specific … not ethical instructions about handling wrongdoing or justice. Using these examples to justify NDAs is a category error, equating temporary discretion with enforced, legalised silence.
“The use of Proverbs 17v9 and 1 Peter 4v8 is misapplied. In the Biblical context, ‘covering sin’ refers to forgiveness within repentance and restored relationship, not institutional concealment.”
Referring to the policy, Nicholson added: “Notably, there is no clear prohibition on NDAs in serious misconduct cases. [One option] does list circumstances ‘in which it does not seem reasonable to include an NDA clause’ but there is no actual line drawn here. This effectively allows NDAs to remain widely deployable despite stated caution.”
The June General Assembly was the third in less than a year marked by safeguarding scandals, police investigations and an inquiry by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. By mid-February 2026, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it had received 101 referrals in its investigation into safeguarding concerns at the PCI.
