The Presbyterian Church has been slammed as insincere over a "performative" public apology to historical abuse survivors it plans to make in Dunedin next week.
The other event will be held in Auckland the following Saturday.
Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-Based Institutions spokeswoman Liz Tonks said the group did not support the apology and would not be recommending any survivors attend.
The level of notice given was "ridiculous".
"We could only assume that they weren’t serious about wanting survivors to turn up.
"It appears to be a performative response without sincerity."
While an apology given at any time was still an apology, the "majority" of survivors the network dealt with were only interested in accountability through financial compensation, Ms Tonks said.
It seemed the church was "appeasing their conscience" by holding a public event, which could also retraumatise survivors, she said.
The church acknowledged it had given "very short notice" for the Dunedin meeting, which created challenges for those who wished to attend.
"We shared details as soon as all arrangements were confirmed and we, too, wish we could have provided more notice.
"We needed to make sure the right survivor supports were in place, including wellbeing staff, mana whenua partnership and survivor guidance for redress processes."
It was supporting travel needs on a case-by-case basis and would also make the apology accessible online.
Male Survivors Otago manager Michael Chamberlain said the level of notice was "atrocious" and the church’s explanation was "b.......".
It did not give survivors much time to make travel arrangements and the church should have given two months’ notice, Mr Chamberlain said.
"It’s all been designed around minimal impact and fallout for them.
"The way they’ve done it, I think they’re just trying to appease their current parishioners."
The church announced it would deliver a public apology in October last year.
That was in response to the findings contained in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care’s 3000-page final report, released about three months earlier.
The forthcoming apology had initially been scheduled for November last year.
The PCANZ said the apology was written in collaboration with survivors from the church’s Survivor Advisory Group of Experts (Sage), who advised the church it was important not to delay it again.
PCANZ council of assembly convener Katerina Solomona said the church acknowledged the announcement of an apology was "deeply unsettling for many people" and it could always do better.
Dunedin was "the birthplace" of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand and remained a spiritual and cultural centre for many Presbyterians.
"Dunedin is where many of the foundational institutions, leadership and early decisions took shape — including those that require reflection and accountability."
Since the public apology was announced last year, survivors had guided the church to make better-informed decisions, including around locations, venues, tikanga and engagement with mana whenua, Ms Solomona said.
The church decided to postpone the apology to ensure it could be informed by survivor advisers.
"We also wanted to get closer to developing a survivor-designed holistic redress system, as recommended by the royal commission, so this could also be announced at the time of the apology — something survivors told us needed to happen with urgency."
The church acknowledged and respected the "anger and disappointment" regarding the timing of the apology and the notice given.
"We wish we could have given more notice for those who want to attend in person, and we apologise for the short timeframe."
There were many moving parts that required direct survivor input and the church did not want to delay the apology any further once they were confirmed, Ms Solomona said.
"We accept that for some this will feel too late, and for others it may feel insufficient.
"The apology is our first step, and our focus now is on ensuring that survivors have access to a meaningful, survivor-designed pathway for redress and support."
