“Ominous mood” around safeguarding as General Synod members prepare for this weekend’s meeting
The Church of England’s parliament, the General Synod, meets two weeks after the Archbishops’ Council sacked the Independent Safeguarding Board, in a decision which has led to acrimony and alarm. The agenda includes a presentation on an explanatory paper followed by a question-and-answer session, but this is being challenged.
Gavin Drake, a member of synod and Director for Communications for the Anglican Communion Office, is tabling a proposal to debate the sacking and the referral to the charity commission for this “serious incident”, as well as the impact on survivors and victims. Setting out his proposal in his blog, he said many people have expressed concern, anger, shock and outrage over the Archbishops’ Council’s decision to sack the members of the new Independent Safeguarding Board. But he added that “many members of General Synod were equally angered that we were being denied a debate on this important matter”.
Previewing the general synod meeting, Rosie Dawson reports members are in an ominous mood at the “hot, dark, shocked and sinister” events of the last fortnight. In an article for Living Church, she says that confidence in safeguarding is at an all-time low, with recent stories of the sacking, multiple claims of inappropriate behaviour against Mike Pilavachi, founder of the Soul Survivor church network, and suspension of the former Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, from active ministry over handling of a safeguarding issue. Read her report here.
Understanding the CofE safeguarding story – read our explainer and timeline
This weekend’s Synod manoeuvrings follow 35 years of changing responses to the safeguarding process within the CofE, as shocking sex abuse cases continued to be revealed. Read our explainer and timeline by Tim Wyatt, condensing the many initiatives and headlining the worst sex abuse offences since 1988, into a chronological list.
Pope Francis condemns the burning of the Quran in Sweden
Pope Francis has told journalists that he felt “indignant and disgusted” by the burning of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm. In an interview with the United Arab Emirate’s daily Al-Ittihad, Pope Francis said: “Any book considered sacred by its authors must be respected out of respect for its believers, and freedom of expression must never be used as an excuse to despise others”. Meanwhile the Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has called on the Swedish government to extradite the man who burned a copy of the Quran so he can stand trial in Iraq, his country of origin. He said it was a grave offence which provoked Muslims’ feelings worldwide. Burning the Quran, he said, was not within the context of freedom of expression, but rather an incitement for violence and sowing hatred.
Government will take action against banks which close accounts because of beliefs
A Treasury source has been quoted saying that the government will take action within weeks on banks which shut down accounts because they disagree with someone’s beliefs. It follows the story that Yorkshire Building Society closed the account of a former vicar now an evangelical pastor, after he challenged it for “pushing transgender ideology”; and Nigel Farage had his personal and business bank accounts closed without warning. Lucy Frazer, the culture secretary, said banks must not close people’s accounts for political reasons and regulators should take action against those that do.
Pastor at centre of Vineyard church dispute is accused of spiritual abuse
A report into historic safeguarding allegations against Alan Scott, a Scottish pastor who led the mother church of the global Vineyard church movement into independence, has alleged he showed patterns of behaviour including “manipulation, inappropriate comments, narcissistic behaviour and certain occurrences of public shaming” as well as “spiritual abuse”. The report was commissioned by Vineyard churches in the UK and Ireland, after an investigative journalist published allegations from church members around finance. Alan Scott worked at a church in Northern Ireland until 2017, when he took over as leader of the Vineyard’s mother church, Vineyard Anaheim in California. But his decision last year to lead the group to independence, now known as “The Dwelling Place”, provoked anger and legal action. The Vineyard church commissioned report says its allegations have been put to Alan Scott but he did not respond. The church has apologised for failing to see warning signs. The Vineyard church movement is charismatic evangelical and was founded by evangelist John Wimber in 1982. Explainer on the Vineyard Church dispute is here
Two US Baptist megachurches leave the Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Elevation Church, a megachurch in Charlotte, north Carolina, has left the Southern Baptist Convention – the second megachurch to do so after disagreements on women ministers. Elevation church gave no reasons for its withdrawal and made no mention of women’s ministry, but the Religion News Service explains that Holly Furtick, wife of Elevation pastor Steven Furtick, is a church co-founder and preaches on a regular basis. RNS says Elevation averages 10,185 attendees each week and had $103 million in donations for 2021. Last month, the Southern Baptist Convention voted by an overwhelming majority to affirm that only men could be a pastor or elder “as qualified by Scripture”. The same convention voted to evict Saddleback church, a mega church in California with a weekly attendance of 23,500, which ordained three women pastors in 2021. Southern Baptists are the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States with an estimated 13 million members.
US African American church due $1m damages from the Proud Boys
The Telegraph reports that the far-right Proud Boys have been ordered to pay the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington DC more than $1 million (£787,000) for vandalising a Black Lives Matter sign. The church sued saying the Proud Boys had damaged the sign and left threatening messages on its voicemail in December 2020. Judge Neal Kravitz ruled their action was a highly orchestrated set of events based on white supremacy and violence. Judge Kravitz said that replacing the sign and protecting the church cost around $36k but there was extraordinary emotional trauma suffered by the church and its congregation. None of the defendants were in court and a further court hearing will be held next month.
76 schools in Coventry diocese take part in “Alive Praise” worship
Nine thousand primary school children and parents from 76 schools in the Coventry diocese took part in a large worship event at Stoneleigh Park conference centre. Titled “The Alive Praise Party”, four worship concerts led by iSingPOP Praise, Chip Kendall and Shell Perris focussed on the theme of World Changers “teaching children to work together to build a better world”. Alive Praise is run by the Imagine Ministries charity, which produces resources for family worship, with singing and dancing. This event was organised by the Diocese of Coventry and was on the theme “world changers”, encouraging the children to work for a world of peace, kindness and justice.
Muslim Hikers take to Wales Coastal Path in diversity initiative
150 Muslim Hikers have joined a walk along the Wales Coastal Path from Mumbles, west of Swansea, to Caswell Bay in the Gower. The initiative was organised by Haroon Mota, from Coventry, who wanted to encourage more people to enjoy the outdoor life. He said groups usually hike in mountainous areas in north Wales, so this route was new. He told Wales Online: “We tackle underrepresentation which I experienced first-hand for the many years I’ve been involved in hiking or running. I didn’t see the same kind of diversity in rural areas that I see in my home city. I wanted to do more to tackle and address these issues but also to inspire communities and empower them. We’re now seeing how our community has flourished.”
