Church of England calls Matt Redman brave for disclosing abuse by Soul Survivor’s Mike Pilavachi

Mike Pilavachi and Matt Redman

The Church of England has praised the “bravery” of Christian music superstar Matt Redman after The Telegraph revealed details of his abuse at the hands of Soul Survivor’s Mike Pilavachi.

Since April 2023, The Telegraph has been uncovering the allegations of abuse levelled at Pilavachi, 66, the powerful and charismatic evangelical founder of Soul Survivor Watford Church and its namesake summer youth festivals, which ran from 1993 to 2019.

The Telegraph spoke to his victims who revealed for the first time how they were encouraged by the former vicar, who was also a global Christian star and travelled the world giving sermons and spreading the Soul Survivor movement, to receive full-body oil massages in their underwear in his bedroom and vigorous wrestling matches that could last as long as 20 minutes at a time – sometimes in church.

However, earlier this week, Redman, 50, the double Grammy-award-winning worship leader and praise musician, who co-founded the Soul Survivor summer festivals with Pilavachi, revealed details of the abuse he himself suffered at the hands of his former youth leader and mentor.

He told how Pilavachi wrestled him as a 13-year-old boy who had just disclosed that he was being sexually abused. “I was telling the deepest, darkest things and he was asking me for the details of what happened,” he said. “The real problematic thing to me about that is he would often wrestle me afterwards.”

The musician also told how he was repeatedly bullied and frozen out for months at a time as Pilavachi would exhibit jealous and controlling behaviour towards him and his wife, Beth, 48.

In the wake of the explosive revelations, other Church of England clergy also came forward for the first time as victims of abuse by Pilavachi.

As a result of the turning point in the scandal, the Church of England on Thursday released a statement acknowledging the significance of the Redman couple speaking out.

A spokesman described their testimony as “a very powerful account by survivors of spiritual abuse at the hands of Mike Pilavachi and we commend their bravery in coming forward”.

Church officials also signposted support for those “connected to the investigation or have been affected”, saying that support or access to counselling is available.

They also referred to the internal Church investigation – which was criticised by victims for its lack of independence – which concluded that Pilavachi “used his spiritual authority to control” victims, and that concerns of abuse of power and spiritual abuse spanning a period of 40 years were substantiated.

However, while a complaint was brought against Pilavachi under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM), the internal church mechanism for punishing clergy, it was concluded that there would be no further action against him.

Despite this, Pilavachi currently has no authority to minister, and should he wish to return to any ministry in the Church of England he “will be fully risk assessed”. Church officials have also referred him to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

In their statement issued on Thursday, church officials reiterated the apology to victims by Dr Joanne Grenfell, the lead safeguarding bishop, and Alexander Kubeyinje, the national safeguarding director.

The statement said: “Neither the behaviour described in the Mike Pilavachi investigation, nor the culture that permitted it to take place and continue, is acceptable in a church setting. We all need to take responsibility for creating a healthy culture where abuse is seen and prevented, and where power is held with humility and accountability. If our disciplinary processes are not robust enough to hold to account those who harm others, then they must change, in order to signal to the wider world that abuse in any form will not be tolerated.”

They added that the outcome of the CDM “process has upset survivors and victims and we continue to offer support to all those affected”.

“We want to acknowledge and repeat the Church’s apology to all those who came forward and shared their experiences. We are truly sorry.”

In September, church officials announced that they had commissioned an independent investigation into Soul Survivor and Pilavachi to be led by Fiona Scolding KC, former senior counsel to the government-ordered Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The review remains ongoing.

Matt Redman says: ‘I’ve forgiven Mike, but I still feel the impact today’

The Redmans released a documentary, Let There Be Light, shared exclusively with The Telegraph, earlier this week detailing the abuse they both experienced at Soul Survivor. The couple, who live in Orange County, California, have five children and feel that now, one year after the allegations first came to light, was the time to speak out.

Asked about the lasting impact of Pilavachi’s behaviour on him, Redman told The Telegraph: “I’m still working through all that happened. I was subjected to significant emotional, spiritual and physical abuse in a situation that I didn’t know how to get out of. I’ve spent years trying to heal from that time. I’ve forgiven Mike, but I still feel the impact today.”

His wife, Beth, added that her experience working with Pilavachi at Soul Survivor was “damaging from the get go” and involved “a long pattern of covert bullying” and being ignored for up to six months at a time.

She said that the bullying and isolation became so intense that she was forced to go to her GP and that this only intensified when she began dating Redman.

“I was deeply distressed wondering what I could possibly have done,” she said. “He had sought me out and personally offered me the job but now wanted nothing to do with me. He seemed repelled and I struggled to succeed in my role. I was not given any of the promised training needed to lead the Soul 61 [intern] course. I had to somehow figure it out, all the while being shunned.

“I felt I was failing at my job and sensed the leadership at Soul Survivor regretted employing me in this role. This caused embarrassment and isolation. It was at this time I sought help from my GP and spoke to Mike and a trustee, but to no avail.

“His bullying overshadowed my life for many years, including moments that should have been happy like our engagement and wedding.”

Beth Redman says Pilavachi’s bullying overshadowed her life for many years

In the wake of the Redmans’ revelations, Revs Tim and Pete Hughes, two brothers who both lead influential evangelical churches within the Holy Trinity Brompton network, have revealed that they experienced “what we now know to be psychological and spiritual abuse”.

The Rev Tim Hughes, 46, is the worship leader, singer-songwriter and senior pastor at Gas Street Church, Birmingham. The Rev Pete Hughes is the leader of King’s Cross Church, London.

They added that they also endured the wrestling and massages that Pilavachi encouraged young men to engage in, and that they have had counselling as a result of the abuse. The two claim that they confronted Pilavachi and reported the abuse to Soul Survivor leadership in 2004, but alleged that “our concerns were not taken seriously”.

A spokesman for Soul Survivor Watford commended their “real courage” in sharing their experience. “Their leadership in being open and honest about the pain they have suffered will no doubt help those who have suffered similar abuses and enable them to speak out about their own stories.”

The Hughes brothers’ statement comes after the Church of England announced that it had concluded its investigation into Soul Survivor’s former chair, Bishop Graham Cray.

The investigation into the senior figure emerged in August as it was reported that he was being investigated by officials amid allegations that he failed to act on reports of abuse linked to Pilavachi.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the investigation into the concerns raised relating to Bishop Graham Cray for failing to pass on information in the Mike Pilavachi case has concluded, and under House of Bishops guidance, appropriate risk management steps are being taken. We cannot say more at this stage.”

In their statement, the Hughes brothers disclosed that they had raised concerns about Pilavachi’s “damaging behaviour” with the chairman of the Soul Survivor Ministries Trustees in 2004 – who at the time was Bishop Graham – but decided to leave Soul Survivor when their concerns were “not taken seriously”.

In response, Bishop Graham said: “I have given a full account of these matters and of my role as chair of the trust to Fiona Scolding KC, whose report will be made public.

“I will be making no further comment on any matters connected with Soul Survivor or Mike Pilavachi.”

Pilavachi did not respond to requests for comment regarding Redman’s allegations.

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