The Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath, has resigned after allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment against two women, one of whom is a bishop. Here is his statement published by the Diocese of Liverpool.
Having sought the permission of His Majesty the King, I have today taken the decision to retire from active ministry in the Church of England.
Earlier this week I was approached by Channel 4 news who informed me they would be broadcasting a story containing allegations of inappropriate behaviour by me against two different women.
Since those allegations were made I have consistently maintained that I have not done anything wrong and continue to do so. Since the claims were made in 2023 they have been investigated and considered by experts from the National Safeguarding Team and had found them unsubstantiated. The first allegation was also investigated by the Police resulting in no further action. Despite this, media reports have treated me as guilty on all charges and treated these allegations as fact.
Further it has been erroneously reported that prior to my appointment as Bishop of Liverpool I had failed the safeguarding assessment process. This is categorically not true. As the Church of England have made clear in their written statements over the past 48 hours responding to these false claims, the National Safeguarding Team found no concerns about my operational safeguarding experience and recommended some development work for me as I took on additional strategic safeguarding responsibilities – which is commonly the case for new diocesan bishops.
This rush to judgment and my trial by media (be that social or broadcast) has made my position untenable due to the impact it will have on the Diocese of Liverpool and the wider church whilst we await further reviews and next steps.
I do not wish this story to become a distraction for this incredible diocese and its people whom it has been an honour and joy to serve. This is not a resignation occasioned by fault or by any admission of liability. Rather it has become clear that stepping back from my ministry and waiting for the completion of further reviews would mean a long period of uncertainty for the Diocese and all those who serve it. I have taken this decision for my own well-being, my family and the best interests of the Diocese. The exact date when my role will formally end is not yet determined. There are protocols to observe that I will now be attending to.
But I step back from my ministry today. This means I will not be ministering in or leading the diocese with immediate effect. I informed the Archbishop of York of my decision and I understand he will put in place the necessary arrangements for episcopal oversight of the diocese for the remainder of my time here and during the vacancy.
A group of senior leaders in the Diocese of Liverpool, who had called on him to step aside while an investigation took place, has issued its response to the resignation:
Having received the news of the retirement of the Bishop of Liverpool, we acknowledge his decision in taking this step for the good of the Diocese of Liverpool. This is a deeply painful situation, and we hold all concerned in our prayers. We will be liaising with the Archbishop of York in the coming days to establish interim episcopal oversight for the diocese. We continue working hard to support all those who have been affected by this story; and to support our clergy, congregations and staff as their ministry continues.
Signed by: Debra Walker, Chair of the House of Laity; Peter Dawkin, Chair of the House of Clergy; Sue Jones, Dean of Liverpool; Pete Spiers, Archdeacon of Knowsley & Sefton; Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Archdeacon of Liverpool; Simon Fisher, Archdeacon of St Helens and Warrington
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who is acting as the interim leader of the Church of England at the moment following Justin Welby’s resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury, gave his own statement:
I acknowledge the decision made by the Rt. Revd. Dr. John Perumbalath to resign from active ministry in the Church of England. I respect his decision and thank him for his ministry. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those who have been affected by this situation. I am committed to ensuring stability during this time of transition and will be putting the necessary arrangements in place to provide episcopal oversight for the Diocese. An acting Bishop for the Diocese of Liverpool will be announced in the coming days.
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
The Bishop of Warrington, Bev Mason, has issued a statement revealing that she is the woman bishop who complained of sexual harrassment against the Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath. She raised her complaint in March 2023. Bishop Perambulath took up his role on 20 January 2023 and was enthroned in Liverpool on 22 April 2023.
The Crown Nominations Commission which appointed Perambuleth
Channel 4 news on Thursday obtained a written account of the committee which appointed Permabuleth in June 2022, describing a series of votes and an allegation that the Archbishop of York bullied members to change their mind.
The account of the meeting, which is meant to be secret, said there were safeguarding concerns, and it was suggested that the diocese and safeguarding team should support the bishop. The anonymous member said: “I was shocked by this attitude to safeguarding effectively that a candidate identified as a safeguarding risk is acceptable because Stephen Cottrell says so”. When the third vote was proposed, the member said: “I was shocked by this proposal that appeared to be bullying tactics to get a result. The result of the third vote was 10 to 4”.
The Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Oxford told Channel 4 they rejected any suggestion of coercion or bullying. The Ap of York said multiple rounds of voting are normal and the national safeguarding team found no concerns about John Parumbalath’s operational safeguarding.
In a statement given to the RMC, the CofE said: “The CNC process for Liverpool was concluded months before the allegation was first raised in January 2023, so Commission members could not have been aware of it. An individual’s competence in overseeing safeguarding is given careful scrutiny in multiple ways (formal checks, references, reports, interview questions) as part of the Commission’s discernment. All shortlisted candidates are interviewed by the National Safeguarding Team and a report is written for the CNC. Like all other candidates for this role, Bishop John Perumbalath was interviewed by the National Safeguarding Team who found no concerns about his operational safeguarding experience and recommended some development work for him as he took on additional strategic safeguarding responsibilities – which is commonly the case for new Diocesan Bishops.”
The voting members of the Crown Nominations Commission for a bishop’s vacancy are the two Archbishops (or a Diocesan Bishop acting on their behalf), six members elected from the Vacancy in See Committee of the Diocese and six ‘Central Members’ elected from the General Synod. The Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments and the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary are non-voting members of the Commission. The CofE publishes names of the commission for each bishop’s vacancy. Liverpool’s committee is listed here.
The working of the Crown Nominations Commission has come under scrutiny because it has been deadlocked on two occasions, leaving bishop vacancies in Carlisle and Ely vacant for more than a year. Plans for reform will be discussed at General Synod in February and include requiring 60 per cent in favour, giving the Archbishop present a casting vote, and removing the secret ballot. The commission’s members include those from polarised wings of the church, which have intractible differences over theology.
Channel 4 news links
Tuesday 28 January: Revealed two women had made complaint against Perumbalath, one of them a bishop. https://www.channel4.com/news/church-abuse-scandal-bishop-accuses-bishop-of-sexual-harassment
Wednesday 29 January: CofE leaders call for Perumbalath to step aside as his position is untenable. https://www.channel4.com/news/church-abuse-scandal-calls-for-bishop-of-liverpool-to-step-down
Thursday 30 January: Publishes leaked account of the appointments committee that chose Perumbalath in June 2022 and considers the role of the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell in the process https://www.channel4.com/news/bishop-of-liverpool-quits-amid-assault-allegations
