Mike Pilavachi Soul Survivor investigation: what we know

Allegations relating to Canon Mike Pilavachi are being investigated by the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team (NST) and St Albans Diocesan Safeguarding Team.

Mr Pilavachi founded and is a former pastor for Soul Survivor Watford, a church in Greycaine Road. He also set up the Soul Survivor Christian youth festival.

Concerns and allegations

Rev Canon Mike Pilavachi (Image: Soul Survivor)

When the pastor first stepped back from all ministry in April, a Soul Survivor statement specified that the investigation related to “non-recent safeguarding concerns”.

However, in May, the church confirmed that “more recent” allegations had come to light.

It is not clear when these were first raised.

A “serious incident report” was submitted to the Charity Commission on behalf of the church on March 30, but two of the church’s leaders have since been suspended in relation to “concerns over the handling of allegations that were raised before the NST investigation began”.

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Suspensions

Although Mr Pilavachi stepped back in April and resigned from the board of Soul Survivor Watford, it did not suspend him until May 20.

In a statement, the church apologised for its handling of the matter and added that “It has become clear that this more decisive action should have been made earlier”.

On June 8 the church announced that senior pastor Andy Croft and assistant pastor Ali Martin were suspended by the church non-staff trustees under HR processes. The move followed the information relating to concerns raised before the investigation began.

Breaking silence

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA)

On May 18, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby commented on the investigation for the first time, saying he gave the probe his “full support”.

He highlighted the investigation’s independence from Soul Survivor.

It was not until months later that Mr Pilavachi himself broke his silence over the investigation and resigned on July 11.

A statement uploaded to social media included the sentence: “I seek forgiveness from any whom I have hurt during the course of my ministry.”

This statement prompted Grammy award winning singer-songwriter Matt Redman, from Watford, to come forward and speak on his own “first-hand” experience of “harmful behaviours” at the church.