Smyth scandal: Makin fallout continues

A slow but steady fallout following the publication of the Makin Review into John Smyth’s decades-long abuse is under way.

The review criticises ‘powerful’ conservative evangelical leaders – many are explicitly named. Few have been sanctioned so far.

Following the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby – who Makin criticised for failing to act – other clergy have had their ‘permission to officiate’ (PTO) licences suspended pending further investigation by the Church of England (CofE). These include Hugh Palmer, a former Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth who had contact with two of Smyth’s victims; Rico Tice, founder of Christianity Explored; and Nick Scott, vicar at Trinity Church Cheltenham. Palmer was also on the Evangelicals Now board until last year and remains one of about 50 en ‘members’ with oversight of the paper.

Also criticised by Makin is Dr Jo Bailey Wells, the Bishop for Episcopal Ministry and Welby’s former chaplain, who has been asked to step down pending a ‘safeguarding risk assessment.

Keith Makin found ‘definite evidence’ by 2011 that many church officers, including a bishop, knew of the abuses in the UK; and a significant number who were aware of the abuse were senior church figures, ‘or went on to very senior positions including Archbishops and Queen’s Chaplains. He also said a small number of lay people (including a member of the General Synod) who held ‘influential and powerful' positions within the Conservative Evangelical network, knew something of the abuse.

In a statement, Tice – who left the CofE earlier this year over same-sex ‘blessings’ – said it was ‘devastating’ to discover that people who were ‘enormously kind’ to him as a schoolboy were victims of Smyth’s cruel abuse.

He said: ‘The Makin report refers only to the information I gave to Church of England authorities in 1991, as a 24-year-old going forward for ordination, which I stand by.’ He said that, before then, he had reported what he knew to senior people in the Iwerne camp hierarchy more than once; and that following the 2017 Channel 4 documentary about John Smyth, he contacted the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office to repeat what he knew.

Following the publication of the Makin Review, the CofE published a statement saying that the National Safeguarding Team and relevant dioceses, are ‘examining if there is any immediate safeguarding risk in light of criticisms made of individuals in the Makin review report’.

It added: ‘They are also considering any new evidence in the report to assess if there is any ongoing safeguarding risk and if there is evidence to support any disciplinary process with regard to those individuals, where they are still under the authority or oversight of the Church of England.’