A 104-page report on Mike Pilavachi, and the Soul Survivor movement that he led for decades, went public September 26.
Pilavachi stepped down from his leadership of Soul Survivor amid reports that beginning in the 1990s he wrestled with young men in his home, and sometimes massaged young men with oil as they lay on his bed, clad only in underwear. Pilavachi was clothed during these massages, and says he never intended them to be erotic experiences.
Soul Survivor commissioned the report, but the authors — barristers Fiona Scolding and Ben Fulbrook of Landmark Chambers — said their work was conducted independently of third parties, “including the Trustees of Soul Survivor, the Church of England, and any charity or person associated with them.”
The report says that, as damaging as the sexually charged encounters were, many people were more shaken by suddenly losing favor with Pilavahci.
“Mr. Pilavachi’s behaviour towards the young person would change, usually very quickly,” the report said. “The invitations and one-on-one time would dry up. Many people told us that Mr. Pilavachi would not speak to them at all for long periods or even acknowledge them in meetings. Some told us about ministry trips which they went on with Mr. Pilavachi in which Mr. Pilavachi would not say anything to them save to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to essential questions. This behaviour was described by several people as ‘ghosting.’”
The authors added: “A significant number of the people who spoke to us said that they felt deeply hurt and distressed by this behaviour. Some explained that it has had lasting effects on them. Having spoken to many of them directly, we can readily believe this. Their pain was palpable. In fact, we would go as far as to say that it was this behaviour, above any of the others described in this report, that appears to have been the most harmful.”
At one point, the barristers strive to explain the ministry of the late John Wimber, an American preacher who influenced key figures in the Church of England, including leaders of Holy Trinity Brompton.
“Soul Survivor emerged from the New Wine movement, which in turn was influenced by the work of John Wimber, who was a Charismatic American pastor. Wimber also published widely on the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit’s actions in performing miracles, signs and wonders. He founded something called the Vineyard movement which is present in the UK. John Wimber’s teaching sought to identify that all believers should have personal intimacy with God. He also emphasised the value of preaching, which used Jesus as the model for Christian believers, and also praying for and sometimes over individuals at every service.”
The authors also speculate that evangelical or charismatic theology about sexuality may have created a blind spot regarding Pilavachi’s behavior.
“There has perhaps been a tendency to assume (wrongly) that Evangelical clergy or church members will not or cannot be gay,” they write. “It is not for us to wade into theological debates, but we think that we can say with confidence that (at least historically) attempts to teach this message (which was also taught at least historically by Soul Survivor) have not been sufficiently nuanced and have led people (deliberately or inadvertently) to believe that homosexuality per se is sinful and has no place in the church. This has caused great pain for LGBT+ Christians. It is also likely to have led people to naively (and wrongly) assume that nobody in a position of authority in the Evangelical church would or could be LGBT+.”
The Diocese of St. Albans, Bishop Joanne Grenfell, who leads the Church of England’s safeguarding efforts, and Soul Survivor expressed their gratitude to the barristers, and pledged to act on its recommendations.
“This report, which makes stark reading, identifies lessons which must be learnt about culture, practice, governance, oversight, and safeguarding arrangements at both local and national levels,” Bishop Grenfell said in her statement. “The conclusions and recommendations point to the need for the whole Church to work harder at identifying, building, and supporting positive cultures in which unhealthy leadership and power dynamics can better be challenged. This must include fostering stronger scrutiny and accountability through training, supervision, and governance structures. We welcome the report’s analysis of the dangers of clericalism and what Fiona Scolding rightly calls the ‘misuse of clergy authority.’”
“We wish to underscore the seriousness of what has happened and the profound impact on those affected by Mike Pilavachi’s abusive behaviour. We deeply regret the pain and distress caused, and we offer our sincere apologies to all survivors and victims who have suffered as a result,” the Diocese of St. Albans said.
The diocese added: “We will now take the necessary time to consider the findings and recommendations the Review includes for us as a diocese. We aim to provide a full response within three months. This response will be shaped by careful deliberation by the Bishop’s Council and other relevant diocesan bodies, ensuring that we respond in a manner that is thorough, appropriate and representative of the Diocese as a whole.”
“We recognise that this has been a painful time for many in our church community. We are sorry you have been let down by these failures. We are fully committed to the ongoing process of changing the culture, restoring trust and bringing healing,” Soul Survivor said in a statement that emphasized its remorse.
“We also recognise the broader impact on the Church because of the wide-reaching and often formative nature of the Soul Survivor events in many people’s faith. We are so sorry you were let down by the failures of leadership identified in the report.”
