The independent review into a Watford church has corroborated reports of its founder bullying, wrestling, and giving massages to young men.

Soul Survivor commissioned Fiona Scolding KC last November after an internal Church of England probe judged abuse of power allegations relating to former pastor Mike Pilavachi were “substantiated”.

Her report, published yesterday (September 26), concluded there is “credible and consistent evidence” of inappropriate behaviour by Mr Pilavachi - after speaking to around 70 people and collecting evidence “from a wide range of sources”.

These included inappropriately intense relationships with young men and “ghosting”, controlling behaviour and emotional manipulations, wrestling, massage and inappropriate physical contact, and poor safeguarding practise.

According to the report, Mr Pilavachi does not deny that wrestling happened in private or that he massaged young men.

Two people told the review that they believed the massages – during which young men would sometimes be wearing only their underwear –  were sexually motivated, which Mr Pilavachi denies “vehemently”.

The Scolding review apparently “can reach no view as to the veracity of these allegations” and also said it is “not clear whether there was any homoerotic subtext” to intensive wrestling in private.

“Mr Pilavachi denies that there was but accepts that it could be perceived in that way,” it added. “Some of the young men who were subject to this behaviour perceived that there was something sexual or erotic in the encounter, but others did not.”

Many of those spoken to said they sought professional counselling and some “have had their lives uprooted”.

One of the main purposes of the report was to consider and make recommendations on the culture and practices of Soul Survivor, including the Greycaine Road church and wider organisation. It was found that “it is almost impossible that nobody in church leadership at the time” knew that the massages were taking place.

Analysis suggested that the notion of spiritual celebrity and the anointed leader, the blurring of boundaries within Soul Survivor, inadequate performance management and oversight, and a failure to take action when matters became known contributed to the failure to stop the behaviour.

The executive summary concluded: “When an organisation is seen as successful, people do not look carefully enough about what the price may be for such success.”

Mike Pilavachi.Mike Pilavachi. (Image: Soul Survivor)

A total of 44 recommendations were made, although it was acknowledged that some have already been implemented, and the trustees will report back on how they are implementing them in three months.

Soul Survivor issued a lengthy statement in response to the findings yesterday.

It agreed that the report showed “a clear pattern of Mike Pilavachi’s abusive behaviour and a culture at Soul Survivor that failed to identify and prevent it”, and committed to implementing all the recommendations. The organisation apologised to those affected and acknowledged a series of governance failures.

The trustees said: “Throughout Soul Survivor’s history, there has been an overemphasis on Mike Pilavachi’s gifts and success, which contributed to the blindness towards his behaviour.

"Again, we’re sorry, particularly to those who tried to raise concerns and were not listened to.”