Have you or your kids been to Soul Survivor?

[Coffeeandcards]

You might want to read this if so:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/12/mike-pilavachi-soul-survivor-charity-watchdog/

Church statement here:
https://www.soulsurvivorwatford.co.uk/latestupdates

which ends:

If you have any safeguarding concerns relating to this then please contact Jeremy Hirst at the Diocesan Safeguarding Team at [email protected] or Ian Bowles or Anthony Clarke at the National Safeguarding Team at [email protected] who will listen to what you have to say. Please be assured that any safeguarding concerns raised will be treated with utmost sensitivity.

So sad to read this. There are no "winners" - whatever the outcome.

Do you have a share token?

If you use google you can find several other sources reporting this. But basically no details have been released except to say he has stepped back due to ‘historical safeguarding concerns’

^ article text

Sorry, my mistake, that’s an old version of the article. The Telegraph updated it on the 12th April as per below:

Youth festival founder accused of 'inappropriate massages' being looked into by charity watchdog
Rev Canon Mike Pilavachi has stepped back from Church of England ministry following the allegations
By
Gabriella Swerling,
SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS EDITOR12 April 2023 • 6:21pm

A Christian youth festival founder is being looked into by the charity watchdog after The Telegraph revealed allegations of “inappropriate massages”.
The Rev Canon Mike Pilavachi is best known for founding the Soul Survivor charity and hosting its namesake annual festival, which ran from 1993 to 2019, with an average attendance of 30,000 teenagers each summer.
However, last week it was revealed that the 65-year-old charismatic evangelist had stepped back from Church of England ministry following allegations including claims he took part in “inappropriate massages”.
The pastor is accused of having “inappropriate intimate relationships” with young people believed to be linked to the Soul61 scheme, a Christian gap year project which is part of Soul Survivor and trains young adults as disciples under Rev Pilavachi.
It was revealed on Tuesday that he had also resigned from the charity he founded on the same day that The Telegraph published details of the allegations against him, according to documents filed to Companies House.
Now it has also emerged that the Charity Commission is looking into Rev Pilavachi, who is known as a charismatic preacher and who was made an MBE for services to young people in 2019, after it received a serious incident report.
The charity watchdog has since asked trustees of Soul Survivor for “additional information”.

Mr Pilavachi is accused of having 'inappropriate intimate relationships' with young people CREDIT: tionMike Pilavachi
It is understood that the serious incident report was submitted on March 20, 2023 on behalf of Soul Survivor Watford and two other linked charities, Soul Survivor and Soul Survivor International.
It was announced during a recent Sunday service at Soul Survivor Watford, a Church of England place of worship where Rev Pilavachi is senior pastor, that he will take a break from ministry while “safeguarding” complaints are investigated.
The Church of England National Safeguarding Team (NST), the St Albans Diocese, and the Soul Survivor Watford trustees, have previously said that the situation was neither a “criminal investigation” nor a “clergy disciplinary matter”, and that the concerns related to “non-recent” matters.
They have been contacted for comment regarding the update from the Charity Commission.
A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: “In line with our guidance, Soul Survivor Watford reported concerns raised about one of its staff members to the Commission, via a serious incident report.
“We have asked the trustees for additional information about the matter, and will assess the information provided to determine what role, if any, there is for the Commission.”
A Church of England spokesperson said: “House of Bishops’ safeguarding guidance is clear about reporting to the Charity Commission which we can confirm has been done.”

Thanks for sharing.

As someone who was very involved in the evangelical movement as a teen I am sadly not surprised. Not I hasten to add because I have any knowledge of Soul Survivor (I never went) - but because of the way these organisations seem to promote the cult of the individual and operate in almost quasi-independence of the usual church structures. There was an almost hero-worship of those individuals. I remember a church trip to Chorleywood (where Soul Survivor came from) and it was like meeting The Beatles or similar. The excitement was about meeting those people. Looking back it doesn’t seem very healthy.

I pray that whatever did or didn’t happened here that the truth comes out, those affected can heal and the church can learn another painful lesson

Surely he should be suspended until the investigation is complete?

It is very sad. He is very inspiring to listen to and had done a lot of good with his life and helped a huge number of people on their faith journey. It says that whatever happened was not criminal which is why I assume he has not been suspended, so I assume it may be actions the church would not approve of and want to look into, but probably stuff that non church goers might not have such an issue with.
I have family at his church and it is deeply upsetting for all concerned.

@NotEspeciallyHappyValley I think I know the people you mean in CW. 2 blokes, probably in their 60s now. Did one of them run off with his PA? The church in question has definitely learnt lessons from that now and I think is now just doing some real good in then community but, looking back, that evangelical cult-like personality following and the way they seemed to use religion predominantly to judge was really creepy and totally turned me off the whole thing too. In a church of thousands it wasn't many people at all that were the issue and the vast majority of them were and are just good people doing their best but it just contaminated the whole thing.

The allegations are reported to be about ‘inappropriate massages’. In the context of youth work I think that’s something anyone should be concerned about - inside or outside the church. It’s quite possible many of the young people were 18+ hence not criminal but still concerning allegations
When I look back at the charismatic church I attended in my teens it’s clear there was a very deliberately heightened emotional atmosphere - very vulnerable to manipulation. Lengthy worship songs in dim lighting, people moved to tears, calls to the altar, tongues, laying on of hands, intense prayers etc. I was made to feel spiritually second class for not having the gift of tongues.

I am now more high-church Anglican so I can hardly hold the moral high ground here…

A youth paster whi preaches celibacy being investigated for sending inappropriate messages.Sou ds like a really great guy.

In regards to last 2 messages, I accept that it looks like something inappropriate to his position may have taken place and yes, church leaders have to hold themselves to very high standards as they are in positions of authority over others AND preaching morality.
I would expect the church to investigate thoroughly and the publicity in itself will ensure that if it was a repeat behaviour, others are likely to come forward. If it was a one off, he will need to take appropriate action to put things right.
However, writing him off and his whole ministry on the basis of this.....I would like to think that Jesus himselfs words, " let he who is without sin cast the first stone" would be a good measure, and if you all stand in 100% perfection for your whole lives, then criticize away.
I personally am thankful that the master I follow is loving and forgiving and says" go, and sin no more" ❤️

Why am I not surprised you're defending this man?

I’m no theologian but I think that is a rather simplistic view of repentance and reconciliation. Appropriate action to put things right may well involve not working in youth ministry or similar. Repentance is more than saying ‘I’m sorry. I promise not to do it again’.

I do not disagree with this. It may be that he has to stand down permanently from his leadership role. I think feeling sad about that, for everybody involved, is an okay reaction personally.

He's only standing down because he was caught. He is not the victim here, and I don't think someone who allegedly took advantage of people he was in a position of power no longer being in power is a sad thing.

I think it’s interesting (and pretty typical of the church) that your concern is a) more for him than for those who have made the allegations and b) you seem to want it all smoothed over quickly in the name of Christian forgiveness.

I think Jesus was much more comfortable with exposing immorality amongst the religious leaders of his day than his modern followers seem to be.

Why didn't they get to this sooner?

And it's not that long since Ravi Zacharias was found to be a monster to women generally. There is a massive safeguarding issue.

@NotEspeciallyHappyValley I also was involved in the evangelical circle as a teen and your post sums it up so well. I feel very uncomfortable looking back on it now.

I'll settle for bare minimum standards, which is refraining from having inappropriate relationships with the young people who you hold immense power and sway over in a position such as his. Nobody's asking for his head- the ONLY sensible outcome of actions like that is that the person (at the very least) cannot ever work with vulnerable young people and children again because it's not safe. No amount of sorry or repentance could ever make it safe because abusing power like that is not an urge normal, balanced, trustworthy people have. There's nothing sad about that at all because it will make young people safer.

My sibling went to Soul Survivor as a teenager with some mates who were more religious than her and came back quite traumatised by it. She said it was very, very intense in a way she found very frightening. I remember my mum and dad being really concerned about her when she came back and it took her a while to feel like herself again.

And nobody is 100% perfect, but I'm as confident as I can be that most people don't do, or even think about doing, the type of stuff that's alleged here. It's incredibly serious and will have had far-reaching consequences for the young people. Forgiveness can't mean no consequences or this type of shit will happen again and again and again. People who abuse power shouldn't be in positions of power or influence full stop. And I think it shows that people in general should be extremely wary of venerating leaders too much in any sphere- it creates the ideal conditions for abuse to happen.

Sorry to sound so annoyed but this has struck a nerve for reasons I won't go into here.