St Ebbe’s, the large Church of England conservative evangelical church in Oxford city centre, has commissioned an independent review into the abuse allegations against its former Rector, Rev David Fletcher.
St Ebbe’s has just posted a statement on its website announcing: ‘The Parochial Church Council of St Ebbe’s Church (PCC) has commissioned Christian Safeguarding Services (CSS) to review our past and present safeguarding culture and practice.’
The statement says the review ‘was initiated following the publicly reported (February 2025) allegations of non-recent sexual abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour towards women and girls by David Fletcher, who became Rector at St Ebbe’s in 1986 and retired in 1998’.
Fletcher was a congregant at the church until his death in 2022. The review ‘will examine past and present safeguarding culture and practice, including allegations against David Fletcher made more recently within the church community’.
St Ebbe’s adds: ‘The appeal for information for the review will run until Sunday 6th July 2025, and the PCC will publish the report and recommendations in full when they become available.’
Oxford Diocese flagged up the review in a joint statement with St Ebbe’s last February after Channel 4 News unmasked Fletcher as an abuser of women and girls. The statement said the St Ebbe’s leadership ‘have sought external advice about next steps’ and were presenting a proposal to the PCC ‘which includes involvement by an external body’.
The joint statement said: ‘Since information was published on the St Ebbe’s website on 6 February 2025 inviting any other disclosures, further allegations against David Fletcher involving adult women have been received by the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.’
The statement revealed that a woman in the congregation disclosed safeguarding concerns about Fletcher in 2017. In April Anglican Ink reported that Fletcher held the Bishop of Oxford’s Permission to Officiate (PTO) until July 2018.
The Church of England’s Makin Review into the savage serial abuses committed by John Smyth, published last November after a five-year probe, fingered Fletcher as central in the cover-up of the scandal. From 1967 to 1986 Fletcher led the Iwerne evangelical camps where Smyth groomed his victims from the ‘top-30’ English boarding schools.
St Ebbe’s is under the delegated episcopal oversight of the conservative evangelical Bishop of Ebbsfleet, Rob Munro, because of its PCC’s opposition to the ordination of women.
In an Ad Clerum after the publication of the Makin Review, Bishop Munro wrote to the clergy in the around 150 parishes in the ‘Ebbsfleet Network’:
‘The Makin review evidences how an abuser can exploit organisations that allow leadership to have unaccountable power and influence; that institutionalise an implied personal elitism or theological superiority, and that are more concerned for organisational reputation than for individuals. Where those characteristics are observed, there is an urgent need to address those cultures, even at an episcopal level.’
Bishop Munro is a member of the Makin Review -Task and Finish Group, which the CofE announced last week to take forward the report’s recommendations.
Bishop Munro’s chaplain, Rev Michael Hayden, told AI: ‘Bishop Rob supports St Ebbe’s in their decision to commission an independent review. To guard the independence of the review, the Bishop of Ebbsfleet will not be in a position to comment further until after its completion.’
St Ebbe’s says the review ‘requests anyone with relevant information or concerns to come forward to have their voices heard. Paul Harrison, who is leading the review at CSS, will handle all matters with the utmost care, sensitivity and confidentiality’.
Julian Mann, a former Church of England vicar, is an evangelical journalist based in Lancashire, UK.