Over recent years we have learned that abusive Christian leaders commonly use church structures to groom victims for their own perverse pleasure. John Smyth QC did this through the Iwerne network, and his close friend Jonathan Fletcher has done it through his extensive contacts. It is a common feature of this kind of abuse that the perpetrators have given into temptation incrementally, and have come to slowly justify their behaviour in their own eyes. The consequence of this is that they find it very hard to repent when confronted. This remains the case even when some are brave enough to recognize that they have been victims of such abuse, such abusers and the structures on which they have relied do not therefore automatically repent and seek to put right the wrong they have done. Instead, they very often double-down on the power and influence they initially used. They continue to justify their behaviour in their own eyes in order to prop up their wilful self-deception to disguise, minimize or continue their abuse. It is common for victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse in the church to complain that the ways in which they are treated in the aftermath of disclosure – what they call secondary abuse – can be worse than the original offence.
An article headed Time to Come Clean quoted in full the statement issued by the Revd. Jonathan Fletcher on 11th July. It is his only public reaction to the allegations that he has been guilty of serious and chronic abuse of power over men who regarded him as their spiritual leader. Jonathan Fletcher’s response to the allegations is to seek to minimize them, and to feign astonishment that anyone should find his blatantly bizarre and abusive behaviour inappropriate. By this means he continues his self-deception and, drawing on the power of his previous reputation, pressurises others to share it. He implies that he doesn’t know who he has harmed, or how he might have “unwittingly” harmed them. He asks his victims to identify themselves to him, and says that he wishes to “beg their forgiveness” (although he does know who some of them are). Then, with a frankly breathtaking misinterpretation of 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, he lays upon them a duty to forgive the harm that he himself refuses to acknowledge he has done. In all of this, Fletcher prioritises his own reputation, and the reputation of what he calls “the evangelical hierarchy.” In his choice of language and his misuse of scripture, Fletcher doesn’t seem to have recognized that it is “time to come clean.” On the contrary, he appears to be trying to invoke what is left of his authority to suppress the voices of victims. By directing victims to a website set up by Emmanuel Wimbledon, the church risks colluding in this effort to “keep it in the family.”
We know that there are more victims of abuse by Jonathan Fletcher who are struggling to make sense of their experience, and some who are readying themselves to speak publicly about what they have suffered. We urge them to recognise the harm that has been done to them, and to seek help from trusted friends, and from agencies outside the church. We commend MACSAS, a support network for those who have been abused by ministers and clergy. MACSAS runs a helpline on 08088 010340 or support@macsas.org.uk.
Until there has been full disclosure and repentance, talk of forgiveness is premature and a perverse abuse of the Gospel (see Eric Schumacher’s excellent article, ‘The Gospel Centred Abuser’-https://www.emschumacher.com/the-gospel-centered-abuser/). It only risks re-abusing those who have already been grievously hurt. On a wider canvas, until the Anglican evangelical establishment begins to consider seriously what it is about its culture and theology that has enabled men like Smyth and Fletcher to do such damage, and the part it has played in colluding with their abuse of power to ensure that accountability is neither properly acknowledged or realised, we will leave others free to abuse or be abused and the Gospel will be discredited in the eyes of a watching world.
Rev Melvin Tinker
Andrew Graystone
Bishop Gavin Ashenden
Rev Dr Peter Sanlon
Rev Carl Chambers
Rev Andy Byfield
Whilst I fully support what is said in this article, I am disappointed to see that there are no choices (other than MACSAS) being offered to people who may wish to find support. This organisation does excellent work and understands the issues well. However, different people may wish to speak to different organisations for different reasons and I am therefore particularly disappointed to see that thirtyone:eight (the leading independent Christian safeguarding charity in the UK, of which I am CEO) are not signposted to, especially as they have an established Helpline and Listening Service already in operation to specifically take calls relating to Jonathan Fletcher.
As Justin says, thirtyone:eight provide a dedicated listening service specifically taking calls related to Jonathan Fletcher. They can be contacted on 0303 003 1111 (quoting ‘2019’).
The website set up by Emmanuel Wimbledon referred to in the above post states that “Further disclosures since March 2019 have largely related to a different practice of one to one massage, ranging from partially clothed massage to massage where both men are said to have been fully naked throughout and to have taken turns to massage each other. Again, this conduct seems to have become a regular part of the relationship between Jonathan and certain men over a period of time”.
I’m certainly no apologist for this sort of behaviour and clearly it falls far short of what anyone should expect from a church minister, particularly because, even if it wasn’t sexually motivated, it will be interpreted as such. However, the people involved appear to have been consenting adults and would presumably have known at the time that such behaviour was at the very least, inappropriate.. As such and notwithstanding the power differential in the relationships, there seems to have been some degree of complicity by those involved in what was taking place, especially if it occurred repeatedly.
This ‘press release’ doesn’t get it quite right about the article in Evangelicals Now. EN ran an article in August’s edition entitled ‘Time to come clean’. This responsible and largely helpful piece by EN’s new editor Jonathan Worsley made no mention of Fletcher’s self-justifying and specious statement to The Daily Telegraph of 11/7. But in October’s edition EN published a letter by Fletcher in which he himself quoted from this statement.
Although EN did introduce the letter with a ‘note from the editor’, EN’s decision to allow Fletcher to act publicly as a spiritual teacher towards the constituency he has deceived and abused was, sad to say, very irresponsible. His denomination, namely the Church of England, has rightly banned him from public ministry and did so in early 2017.
Because of the nature and scale of the abuse he committed, how could Fletcher be allowed any teaching or communication platform by any medium or agency of the British conservative evangelical constituency, whose leadership in the ReNew movement and in The Proclamation Trust surely ought to answer the question as to why it took nearly two and half years for the fact of Fletcher’s ministry ban to be made public and not by them but by a secular newspaper, namely The Daily Telegraph, in June of this year?
You make a good point. No responsible paper should have printed something that was so clearly self-justifying, manipulative, and further hurtful to victims.
Well said Julian.
How heart-breaking. My only consolation in this is that God sees and knows and cares.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10
“Let there be no doubt that what we are dealing with here are “principalities and powers” (Ephesians 6:12) who now have complete executive control of the C of E.” What about Welby?
It always seems to be a struggle between the spirit of the age and the Gospel in both the old and new testament.
“who now have complete executive control of the C of E.”
This was bound to happen, once the Establishment/State lost the fear of God, and the balance of power moved from the Church of England Bishops towards the State apparatus. The Church only continues to exist because that is how our nation was built and it suits those in power (and those now who have lost power), to keep it so. Rather reminds me of a Spitting Image episode in which the politician David Owen leader of the Social Democrats, kept the hapless and helpless David Steele in his jacket pocket…..
I don’t disagree that the battle is in the spiritual realm, but our human involvement and awareness waxes and wanes with the spiritual health of the Body of Christ in this country.
When the Gospel is being vigorously proclaimed, the forces of darkness are in retreat, Men and women are being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, and seek not only to serve God but to benefit society, as British history illustrates.
But when a part of the Church/Body of Christ falls into Compromise and Tolerance of liberal views and practices; the forces of Darkness increase their hold/influence on fallen mankind..
The CofE is known as a “broad Church”, and this is reckoned to be “A Good Thing.”,
but by whose authority and approval?
I would suggest to you that when the CofE stopped acknowledging the sole authority of Scripture, and Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, they were in trouble.
When they thought it ‘kind and fashionable’ to tolerate those whom the New Testament describe as “false teachers”, they were moving away from God’s will for the Christian Church.
And when they began to listen to those liberal and accommodating voices and to seek accommodation with the Establishment and the political State because earthly power now resided with them… they had already surrendered to the spiritual realms of darkness..
I am genuinely sorry that you have felt it necessary to leave the CofE. Although a dyed in the wool non-Conformist with no denominational loyalty, I am grateful to the CofE curate whom the Lord used to bring me to the Lord, and my current connections to an evangelical Anglican church which runs a Men’s breakfast and prayer group.
There are good and devout Anglican clergy scattered all around the country, but the temporal power does not reside with them. One glimmer of hope is that there are Anglican congregations who recognise that their loyalty is to the King of Kings, and they too are leaving the official Church of England..
I recognise the implicit importance of the Church of England as representative of the Body of Christ in our country, and the need for all Christians to pray that God will bring them to recognition of their current state of faithlessness and need of repentance before it is too late.
‘That Hideous Strength’ is a fine book, and Mark Stoddart encapsulates the weakness of will and burning desire to belong, that one often sees in hierarchical churches. It can lead to compromise and then ecclesial blackmail, and eventually a developing perverted and spite filled pleasure in seeing others fall into the same cobweb woven by Beelzebub himself..
My wife and I spent seven years in a parish church, wherein was manifested personal ambition, freemasonry, dissension and bitterness.
As a youngster I also attended a naval boarding school which displayed similar tendencies.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28
I left school with a thorough dislike of power, pomp and privilege, and as the years have advanced the more I am saddened by the phoniness and hypocrisy one encounters.
I hope you will see that as a child of God, it matters not what denomination you settle in, for all are imperfect; but to find a church where they admit to their failings and welcome you in, is a good start.
It’s always a joy to communicate with true Christians. I pray that the Lord will bless you and your wife, fill you afresh with the Holy Spirit and make you fruitful where He has placed you..
Good letter. Thanks to one and all who have written it.
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