Well-known evangelicals set to face disciplinary process

Well-known evangelicals are facing disciplinary proceedings in the wake of the Makin Review into abuse carried out by the late John Smyth.

They include former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, former Bishop of Durham Paul Butler and several household names in conservative evangelical circles such as Andrew Cornes, Tim Hastie-Smith, Hugh Palmer and Paul Perkin. They could be prohibited from exercising church ministry for life.

Victims and survivors of Smyth have criticised the lack of action against other senior members of the clergy.

A special process will be followed as the normal timescale for Clergy Disciplinary Measures has elapsed.

George Carey was a former Principal of Trinity College Bristol, a training faculty previously associated with Alec Motyer and JI Packer (who are not implicated in any way).

Paul Butler was Bishop of Durham 2014-2024 and was also a member of the House of Lords.

Andrew Cornes was formerly director of training at All Souls Langham Place, London, and was then minister of All Saints Church, Crowborough, East Sussex, prior to retirement.

Tim Hastie-Smith was formerly national director of Scripture Union, which was associated with the Iwerne Camps, and is now the deputy lieutenant of Gloucestershire as well as being a church minister in the South Cotswolds Team Ministry.

Hugh Palmer was former Rector of All Souls Langham Place for 15 years retiring in 2020. He served as a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II between 2012 and 2020. He was also previously a member of the board of Evangelicals Now.

Paul Perkin led a church plant in 1987 to set up St Mark's Battersea Rise which started with 50 members and was later described by the Guardian as 'one of the most prosperous and well-connected parishes in England'. He retired in April 2020.

Roger Combes was the Archdeacon of Horsham from 2003-14. Prior to that he held various posts in the Chichester Diocese from 1986 onwards. He is now retired.

John Woolmer was author of The Devil Goes Missing (Monarch Books, 2017). He was Rector of Shepton Mallet for almost 20 years, where he also chaired the diocesan healing group. After retirement he helped on the diocesan deliverance team.

Sue Colman stepped back from ministry in November last year after the publication of the Makin Review. She and her husband were trustees of the now-defunct Zambesi Trust UK which was founded by serial abuser John Smyth and which provided financial support for Smyth while he was in southern Africa. Nick Stott served in the Diocese of Gloucester and by 2001 was head of the Zambesi Trust UK. That trust ceased to exist in 2018.

All are named in the Makin Report which can be read here.

Victims and survivors respond

A statement posted online on behalf of some of the victims and survivors of Smyth said: 'Is that it? We do not regard today's statement as anything like sufficient to suggest the Church of England is taking the Makin Review seriously.

'The Makin Review itself was over 1,630 days late. This compounded the many broken promises to us over the years, including by some of the most senior individuals in the Church of England.

'Regardless of what individuals in the Church have known for many decades, the Makin Review established that there were multiple sources of information in 2012 and 2013 providing credible detailed information of John Smyth's abuse to the very highest levels of the Church of England.

'According to today's statement, none of the bishops and archbishops who were involved in that failure will face any sanctions.'

Mark Stibbe, a survivor of Smyth, told Radio 4's Six O'Clock News: 'I am surprised that those senior clergy who in 2013 knew the full extent of Smyth's abuses and yet who didn't properly ensure that Smyth was brought to justice are actually not named. Nevertheless, it's good to know that after all these years, justice is starting to be done.'

He added that he and other victims and survivors were waiting to see if measures were actually enforced.

Full statement

The full Church of England statement reads: 'The National Safeguarding Team has today announced the conclusion of the work to review all clergy under the authority or oversight of the Church of England who are criticised in the Makin review, published in November. The review was commissioned to look at the Church’s handling of the allegations of the horrendous abuse by the late John Smyth.

'This has been a rigorous and independent process to look at whether those named present any immediate risk and consider whether there is a case for disciplinary proceedings for clergy, under the Clergy Discipline Measure. This has been undertaken in line with the process announced in December with recommendations of an independent panel and reviewed by an independent barrister.

'Following this, the National Safeguarding Team will now seek to bring disciplinary proceedings under the Clergy Discipline Measure against the following:

• Bishop Paul Butler
• Bishop George Carey
• Revd Roger Combes
• Revd Sue Colman
• Revd Andrew Cornes
• Revd Tim Hastie-Smith
• Revd Hugh Palmer
• Revd Paul Perkin
• Revd Nick Stott
• Revd John Woolmer

'In all cases, the CDM will be "out of time" and so the permission of the President of the Tribunals will need to be sought to bring such cases. This will be done by the National Director of Safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje.

'In reaching its conclusions, the Stage 3 panel has considered the safeguarding policies and guidance which were in force at the relevant time, the facts of the particular case, the relevant legal considerations and whether there is sufficient evidence to justify proceedings. The conclusions at Stage 3 were validated by the independent barrister at Stage 4 in the external scrutiny process.

'In respect of all those under the authority or oversight of the Church of England not listed here but criticised in the Makin Review, the process has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to meet the threshold for instituting disciplinary proceedings at this time. There are two priests criticised in the report whose actions have not yet been reviewed as they are subject to other live, ongoing, processes. Once these have concluded, they will be reviewed following the 4-stage process.

'Victims and survivors and all those criticised in the Makin review have been informed and support offered.

'Alexander Kubeyinje, the Church of England’s National Director of Safeguarding, said: “We must not forget that at heart of this case are the survivors and victims who have endured the lifelong effects of the appalling abuse by John Smyth, we are truly sorry. Today we have announced next steps in the process looking at both risk and disciplinary processes. We know this will never undo the harm caused but the Church is committed to taking very seriously its response to the findings of the review as well as responding to its recommendations.”

'The National Safeguarding Team can make no further comment on these cases whilst the CDM proceedings are under way.'

The statement continues: 'If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone independently, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk.

'Alternatively, you may wish to contact the diocesan safeguarding team in your area or the National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org.

'There are also other support services available.'