\n<\/p>\n
One of the most influential leaders in British evangelicalism used his spiritual authority to control people, exhibiting \u201ccoercive behavior\u201d that led to inappropriate relationships, wrestling, and massages, the Church of England has concluded.<\/p>\n
The church\u2019s investigation<\/a> into allegations of harmful behavior by Mike Pilavachi, the founder of the Soul Survivor youth festival and an ordained minister, was first announced<\/a> in April.<\/p>\n Although the details were never made public either by Soul Survivor or the Church of England, in recent months national newspapers have published accounts by men who had served as staff members and interns at Soul Survivor. The accounts include allegations that Pilavachi massaged, straddled, and wrestled with the men and others as teens.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, the Church of England media team said that the investigation, carried out by the National Safeguarding Team, had concluded that these concerns were \u201csubstantiated\u201d and spanned four decades: from Pilavachi\u2019s time as a youth leader at St. Andrew\u2019s Church in Chorleywood to the present day.<\/p>\n \u201cThe overall substantiated concerns are described as an abuse of power relating to his ministry, and spiritual abuse,\u201d the statement read. \u201cIt was concluded that he used his spiritual authority to control people and that his coercive and controlling behaviour led to inappropriate relationships, the physical wrestling of youths and massaging of young male interns.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement quoted the definition of spiritual abuse<\/a> that has been adopted by the House of Bishops (the senior leadership of the Church of England): \u201ca form of emotional and psychological abuse characterised by a systematic pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour in a religious context.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The extent of Pilavachi\u2019s influence has meant that the allegations have had a significant impact<\/a> on British evangelicals. It is now 30 years since Pilavachi founded both the Soul Survivor festival\u2014an annual gathering attended by up to 30,000 young people and youth leaders\u2014and the Soul Survivor church in Watford, a town north of London. Many people have taken to the internet to process either their personal experiences of Soul Survivor or their feelings about the revelations.<\/p>\n Gavin Calver, the CEO of the UK\u2019s Evangelical Alliance, shared<\/a> a statement on X (formerly Twitter), offering prayers for all affected by Pilavachi\u2019s abuse.<\/p>\n \u201cThe longevity and the consistency of the accounts is heart-breaking,\u201d he said, \u201cand like many of you, I\u2019m left with uncomfortable questions as I wrestle through the conflicting realities of the lives transformed by Jesus through Soul Survivor, paired simultaneously with the long-term effects of trauma and pain caused by abuse in the same space.\u201d<\/p>\n Among those who have come forward with allegations is David Gate, a former worship leader. In May, he told<\/a> the Sunday Times<\/em> that Pilavachi had singled him out as a 16-year-old and told him he was \u201cgoing to do amazing things for God.\u201d<\/p>\n Wrestling, he said, \u201cwas a sign that he liked you\u2014you were one of \u2018Mike\u2019s boys\u2019 \u2026 Looking back, it must have appeared strange, a 45-year-old, well-built man wrestling on the floor with a 16-year-old boy.\u201d<\/p>\n Pilavachi had \u201cthe power to break your career,\u201d he said. \u201cThe only doors that would open for you were the ones that he opened for you to go through. For a teenager, it was emotionally devastating.\u201d Like others, he described how Pilavachi related to him in a cycle of praise and attention followed by inattention and indifference.<\/p>\n The conclusion of the investigation isn\u2019t the end of the process for Pilavachi. The National Safeguarding Team is also bringing a complaint against him under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM)\u2014the means by which the Church of England handles allegations of serious misconduct.<\/p>\n Pilavachi already resigned<\/a> as senior pastor of Soul Survivor in July, seeking forgiveness \u201cfrom any whom I have hurt during the course of my ministry,\u201d and returned his license to the Bishop of St. Albans, meaning that he cannot currently minister in the Church of England.<\/p>\n The most severe sanction that can be imposed by the CDM is prohibition for life from exercising ministry. The Church of England has said that it is \u201ccommitted to ensuring that relevant safeguarding information is passed on if he were to minister elsewhere both in this country and abroad.\u201d To date, Pilavachi has enjoyed an international ministry, traveling the world to preach at evangelical gatherings.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Soul Survivor Watford announced that it had commissioned a senior litigator, Fiona Scolding, to lead a \u201cfull and independent review\u201d of what had occurred. Some have claimed that top leaders at the church were aware of concerns about Pilavachi as early as 2004.<\/p>\n Soul Survivor Watford confirmed that the church\u2019s senior pastor, Andy Croft, remained suspended. But the suspension of assistant pastor Ali Martin had been lifted, as concerns raised about her had not been substantiated. Both pastors were suspended in June in relation to \u201cconcerns over the handling of allegations.\u201d<\/p>\n In its statement, the church said:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n There has been a systematic pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. We are saddened that these behaviours happened in a context that should have provided safety and spiritual support.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n We are committed to learning lessons from what has happened and to put in place further practices and procedures that will seek to ensure this kind of behaviour does not happen in the future.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In recent years, spiritual abuse has received more attention in the Church of England, drawing on research by experts including Lisa Oakley, a psychologist who is currently professor of safeguarding and knowledge exchange at the University of Chester.<\/p>\n In 2017, she worked with Justin Humphreys, chief executive of the safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight, on an online survey seeking to measure the prevalence of spiritual abuse<\/a>: 1,002 of the 1,591 Christians who replied said that they had personal experience of it.<\/p>\n In 2018, a former vicar in Oxfordshire, Timothy Davis, was convicted<\/a> by a church tribunal of spiritual abuse against a teenage boy. It was thought to be the first judgment of its kind. Over a period of 18 months, Davis held private Bible study sessions in the victim\u2019s bedroom, putting the victim under what was judged as \u201cunacceptable pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n Evangelicals are starting to take preventative action, although some have raised concerns<\/a> about the term spiritual abuse<\/em> and its definition. Next year, an evangelical umbrella organization, Affinity, is due to publish<\/a> a resource book for churches, Challenging Leaders: Preventing and Investigating Allegations of Pastoral Malpractice<\/em>.<\/p>\n