All Safeguarding articles
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OpinionThe CofE cannot mark its own homework when it comes to safeguarding
To the bewilderment of many, the General Synod has voted against transferring oversight of its safeguarding to an independent body, a decision that George Pitcher says has shown it is well past time to purge the CofE of its hypocrisy
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Opinion‘It’s time to step aside’ - an open letter to the Archbishop of York
If the Church of England is to see real change, it needs leaders to be accountable for when things go wrong, says Rev Dr Ian Paul in an open letter to Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
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News AnalysisEvangelical activist or failed reformer? The triumphs and trials of Justin Welby
He brought down predatory payday lenders, turbocharged evangelism and even welcomed refugees to live with him at Lambeth Palace. But unresolved issues of sexuality and safeguarding dogged Welby throughout his tenure. Tim Wyatt looks at the highs and lows of Justin Welby’s time as Archbishop of Canterbury
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News AnalysisJustin Welby has resigned. What happened?
The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned after a week of mounting pressure following a report into a prolific child abuser that accused the Church of England of a cover-up. Tim Wyatt takes us through the events that led to Justin Welby’s decision to step down
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Regular ColumnistsShould your church be a ‘safe space’?
Navigating the delicate balance between protection and exposure, Lucy Peppiatt makes the case for embracing discomfort and adopting ‘brave spaces’, where our Christian beliefs can be respectfully challenged
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News Analysis‘Hiding in plain sight’ As the Mike Pilavachi report alleges abuse, here are the lessons to learn
Soul Survivor founder Mike Pilavachi manipulated, controlled, and mistreated young people under his spiritual care, a new independent report has stated. Fiona Scolding’s report confirms the findings of previous investigations. It also contains many potential lessons for the wider Church, reports Heather Tomlinson
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News Analysis‘It’s just Gerald being Gerald’ – safeguarding inquiry into Pioneer founder concludes
Gerald Coates, the founder of a network of charismatic churches, has been found to have engaged in behaviour with under 18s that was inappropriate, according to a recent safeguarding review. Here’s what we know so far
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OpinionThe CofE has lost the trust of church abuse survivors
Following the furore caused by the CofE’s decision to disband the Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) this summer, a review into what went wrong has now been published. But until the Church accepts that it has lost the trust of survivors and victims, there can be no moving forward, says Gavin Drake
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News AnalysisInvestigation finds Mike Pilavachi 'used spiritual authority to control people'. What happens now?
The Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team has said Mike Pilavachi used his spiritual authority to “control” people, and this led to inappropriate relationships, including “massaging of young male interns”. But questions remain, and more investigations are set to take place. Megan Cornwell reports on what’s likely to happen next
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News AnalysisUpdate: CofE substantiates allegations in Mike Pilavachi investigation
The Church of England's National Safeguarding Team has released its initial findings into allegations against Mike Pilavachi
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OpinionHow you can discern good leaders from vicious wolves
The New Testament warns that savage wolves will attempt to deceive us and do damage to the Church. How can we be on guard against such deception? Marcus Honeysett, who has authored a book on “when church leadership goes wrong”, shares his insights
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OpinionThe Church of England is not a safe place. That’s why I’ve quit
Gavin Drake, who has long campaigned on behalf of abuse survivors and whose late wife Jill Saward became the first rape survivor in Britain to waive her right to anonymity, has resigned his position on the Church of England’s governing body. He explains what has led to the decision
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Opinion‘The Church of England is not survivor focused when it comes to safeguarding’
Jasvinder Sanghera CBE was sacked last week from her role as survivor advocate on the Church of England’s Independent Safeguarding Board amid claims of a breakdown in relationships. In this interview, she sets the record straight
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OpinionUCCF investigation: Can Christian orgs be trusted to mark their own homework?
Two directors have been suspended from the organisation that oversees Christian Unions in the UK. Having read the statements, Tanya Marlow is concerned that UCCF's investigation may not be as independent as has been suggested. She believes a change of approach is needed
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News AnalysisThe Church of England's safeguarding crisis explained
Survivors are losing trust in the Church of England's ability to do justice in cases of abuse, while a leading bishop says his name has been unfairly “besmirched”. Rosie Dawson has the full story
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OpinionPoor reporting on Soul Survivor is damaging for everyone - alleged victims included
Media coverage of Mike Pilavachi and Soul Survivor has lumped serious safeguarding allegations together with vague and nonsensical claims about the festival in general. It distracts from the allegations and does any potential victims no favours, says Tim Wyatt
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Magazine FeaturesRavi Zacharias’ sins of sexual abuse went undetected for years. Here are the lessons the Church needs to learn
As an explosive new report into Ravi Zacharias International Ministries reveals the toxic culture that enabled an abuser to go undetected for years, Megan Cornwell looks at the lessons for the Church
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News AnalysisShould church leaders be forced to break confidentiality and report abuse?
If the Government brings in mandatory reporting, church leaders would be legally bound to disclose any instances of abuse they hear about during Confession. Would the move bring necessary reform to protect society’s most vulnerable, or constitute unjust interference with religious freedom? Tim Wyatt speaks to those on both sides of the debate
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TestimoniesFrom breakdown to born again
When a series of challenging situations led to a breakdown, it was a friend’s invitation to church that finally put Tom Stevens on the long road to recovery
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OpinionChild Q: A mother’s worst nightmare
After a black pupil was strip searched by police at her east London school, protests erupted. A safeguarding report found the search of the 15-year-old girl, known as Child Q, was unjustified and racism was “likely” to have been a factor. Christian barrister, Arlene Small, who attended one of the recent protests, responds
