David Holdsworth, the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, has written a letter to the editor of the Church Times, responding to Andrew Brown’s column of 30 January Viewpoint with Andrew Brown: When everything is ‘safeguarding’ no one is safe.
…Andrew Brown appears to doubt (Viewpoint, 30 January) that some bishops consider that their diocesan boards of finance are ultimately responsible for ensuring the proper handling of safeguarding concerns of which diocesan officers or trustees are made aware.
That misunderstanding is precisely the concern that the Charity Commission raised in its recent regulatory decisions regarding the dioceses of Chelmsford and Liverpool, where trustees were seemingly not aware of their duties and were not appraised to any extent about allegations made against an influential member of the clergy with a leadership role in their region.
Whether an investigation is labelled by the Church as conduct or safeguarding is rather beside the point: diocesan trustees — just like PCC members — have a duty to take reasonable steps to keep safe from harm all who come into contact with their charity…
The full text of his letter is here.
There is also a related letter (scroll down) from Gavin Drake.
19 CommentsThe latest proposal for reforming Church of England safeguarding structures is contained in this document
which is due to be considered on Wednesday 11 February at 2.00 pm. Its Executive Summary reads:
In February 2025 the General Synod voted decisively for greater independence in the Church of England’s management of safeguarding. This report sets out the work that has been done since then to turn this decision into reality and, in particular, to deliver change at pace. It includes the following.
- A vision for a new charity, provisionally named as the Independent Safeguarding Authority. This charity will be an operationally independent organisation, led by a majority-independent non-executive Board. Executive functions of the charity will be led by a Chief Safeguarding Officer, whose operational safeguarding responsibilities will be a protected function of the charity and not subject to Board discussion or determination.
- A plan for a new, standardised complaints handling process comprising:
- A standard mandatory process for each Diocesan Board of Finance and other relevant Church bodies to follow; and
- A national external ombudsman-style body to provide resolution of complaints after processes within Church bodies have been exhausted.
The General Synod is asked to welcome this update, endorse the direction of travel set out in it and look forward to considering detailed proposals in futures Groups of Sessions.
Gavin Drake has written a comprehensive briefing paper (linked below) and a shorter blog which we linked to earlier today in our previous Opinion article. I found his analysis very helpful, and recommend its reading in full.
Blog: Delay and control: the problems with the Archbishops’ Council’s safeguarding plans
Briefing: The Church of England and independent safeguarding: why GS 2429 falls short
This briefing examines the Archbishops’ Council’s latest proposals for independent safeguarding, set out in GS 2429, and assesses them against the commitments, expectations, and regulatory requirements that have accumulated since the collapse of the Independent Safeguarding Board and the commissioning of the Jay and Wilkinson reviews.
Its focus is narrower and more fundamental. It is not an assessment of the diligence, competence, or good faith of safeguarding professionals. Instead, it asks whether the governance and accountability model now proposed is capable of delivering genuinely independent safeguarding in practice, or whether it preserves institutional control behind the language of reform. In that sense, GS 2429 is not merely a technical plan but a test of whether the Church is prepared to accept external constraint and independent authority as the price of restoring trust.
GS 2429 must be understood not as an isolated policy document but as part of a long chain of commitments and failures. IICSA, the creation and collapse of the ISB, Parliamentary scrutiny, the commissioning of Professor Alexis Jay, and the Charity Commission’s intervention have progressively narrowed the scope for delay. The question is no longer whether the Church intends to improve safeguarding, but whether it will do so in a way that transfers power and accountability away from the structures that have repeatedly failed victims and survivors…
Gavin refers repeatedly to the original report by Alexis Jay which recommended a system of total independence. This report is still available on the Church of England website but its annex of legal advice is not. For those interested here is a copy.
Updated Saturday 7 February
The Church Times recently reported: President of Tribunals finds no case to answer for Archbishop of York in David Tudor case.
The full decision by Sir Stephen Males is here. (Also his supplementary decision on publication.)
In response the Archbishop of York issued this statement.
This is not the only outstanding process relating to the David Tudor case. As Gavin Drake explains:
The Church of England is currently engaged in two distinct processes arising from the David Tudor case. One is a disciplinary complaint brought under the Clergy Discipline Measure against the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, which was halted at a preliminary stage by the President of Tribunals under section 17 of the Measure. The other is a national, independent Safeguarding Practice Review, still ongoing, examining the Church’s handling of the case over many years and intended to identify learning to improve safeguarding practice and outcomes for victims and survivors.
The Safeguarding Practice Review (SPR) was commissioned by the National Safeguarding Team and the dioceses of Chelmsford and Southwark to examine the Church’s handling of the David Tudor case over many years. Its terms of reference make clear that Stephen Cottrell’s actions will be part of the review. The review began work in March 2025 and was originally expected to conclude within six months. A final call for evidence was issued in September 2025, after that initial timetable had already elapsed, and in November the Church announced a further delay, citing new police information.
The review is now expected to report in early 2026. Its stated purpose is not to re-litigate disciplinary findings, but to identify learning, assess safeguarding practice and decision-making, and improve outcomes for victims and survivors. At the time the Archbishop issued his statement, this review was ongoing and unfinished.
Gavin has further commentary on this.
He also has criticism of the president’s decision and of the archbishop’s statement over here and also here.
Update
Ian Paul has also written about this: Do we have safeguarding leadership in the Church of England? This article, like Gavin’s, is also worth reading in full.
19 CommentsUpdated Monday
St Albans diocese recently (19 January) announced a grant of £2.3 million from the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB): £2.3m awarded to equip leaders and revitalise churches in our diocese and there are links from that page to further details about this.
The Church Times reported this on 22 January: St Albans diocese plans to put faith and funding in Soul Survivor.
This report, and in particular the headline, provoked negative reactions from many people who were shocked that apparently Soul Survivor was to benefit in some way as part of this. The diocese then issued on 23 January a “clarification”, sent by email to all diocesan clergy and readers, the full text of which is copied here below the fold. (At the time of writing it has not appeared on the diocesan website.)
Updates
Religion Media Centre has a report (scroll down) : Soul Survivor named ‘engine of mission’ despite safeguarding scandal, which includes a link to the diocesan proposal for funding: DS-25-11v.2 – SMMIB Funding Application
Media coverage:
Telegraph Church at centre of abuse scandal ‘rewarded’ with new role and Church of England to overhaul internships after Soul Survivor abuse scandal
Watford Observer C of E to tighten rules after Soul Survivor Watford scandal
Premier Christian News Church of England to revise mission rules to avoid another Soul Survivor
22 CommentsCharity Commission press release
Regulator issues Official Warnings to two Church of England Dioceses
The Charity Commission has taken regulatory action against and over failures to handle safeguarding allegations in line with the Commission’s guidance and trustee duties.
The Commission’s definition of safeguarding includes taking reasonable steps to protect from harm all those who come into contact with a charity.
The charities, which have purposes to assist and promote the work of the Church of England in the Dioceses of Liverpool and Chelmsford respectively, have both been issued with Official Warnings and advice on how to improve their practice for the future…
The full text of the press release continues below the fold.
Each diocese has issued a statement in response:
The minutes of the October 2025 meeting of the Church of England’s House of Bishops have now been published (38 pages!)
26 CommentsThe Church of England’s House of Bishops has issued a statement on Living in Love and Faith (9 pages).
There is also a covering press release which is copied in full below.
House of Bishops shares letter to the Church as Living in Love and Faith approaches conclusion
14/01/2026
The House of Bishops has shared a letter to the wider Church of England setting out an agreed position as it prepares to bring the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process – which explores the Church’s approach to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage – to a conclusion.
The letter, in the form of a statement from the House, speaks about proposed new bodies to be set up once LLF comes to a conclusion; confirms an agreed approach to any further changes and rules out so-called Delegated Episcopal Ministry at this stage.
Following a General Synod vote in February 2023, same-sex couples can now receive public prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and asking for God’s blessing – known as the Prayers of Love and Faith (or PLF) – as part of a regular church service.
At a meeting today, the House confirmed the decision taken at its meeting in October that, based on legal advice, new special or ‘bespoke’ services using Prayers of Love and Faith would need full formal authorisation under canon law.
They also acknowledged that general permission for clergy to be in a same-sex civil marriage would require a formal legislative process and agreed to explore what legislation would be needed.
And they made clear they could not agree to placing some parishes under the care of bishops with “separate and independent jurisdiction” as a result of the Prayers of Love and Faith at this stage.
The bishops’ letter details how a new working group would carry out the theological and legislative preparatory work needed and report back to the new General Synod – which will be elected later this year – with recommendations within the first two years after the election.
The House recognised and regretted the deep hurt, particularly to LGBTQI+ people, caused by the decisions.
It agreed a letter to the Church, bringing LLF and the process initiated by the February 2023 Synod vote to a formal conclusion and setting out steps to be taken next. A vote of bishops to issue the letter achieved overwhelming consensus across traditions and the range of theological views on questions of sexuality and marriage.
Those steps include establishing a Relationships, Sexuality and Gender Working Group to support the House of Bishops and enable it to:
Engage in preparatory work and explore the approval process under Canon B2 that would be necessary for bespoke services of Prayers of Love and Faith;
Explore what legislative changes would be required to enable clergy to enter same-sex marriage;
Continue to explore what pastoral episcopal provision and reassurance would be required, proportionate to any further proposed changes;
Report back to General Synod with recommendations within the first two years following the upcoming elections.
A new Pastoral Consultative Group will also be set up to advise bishops and archdeacons on specific cases in the interim and facilitate consistent practice across the Church.
“We dare to hope that the LLF process will leave a legacy of greater inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in the life of the Church of England, together with deeper understanding of the theological issues and greater honesty about, and tolerance of, individual differences,” the letter explains.
Speaking of the need for careful consideration of next steps, it adds: “Lessons need to be learned from the process of the last three years.
“It is important to avoid a further cycle of hopes or anxieties being raised only to be disappointed.”
Detailing the process the Church has undergone since the 2023 Synod motion, including the introduction of Prayers of Love and faith, the bishops write: “We believe we have fulfilled, albeit imperfectly, the February 2023 General Synod motion as best we can given the range of views across the Church of England, including replacing Issues in Human Sexuality after the July 2025 Synod motion, without departing from or indicating any departure from the Church’s doctrine of marriage.
“We believe, as a House, that the time has now come formally to conclude this Synodical process in February 2026 and to identify the next stages of work which will need to be considered by the House of Bishops and the General Synod in the coming years, including the ongoing structures for development, dialogue and discernment.”
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: “Living in Love and Faith was never meant to be a contest with winners and losers yet, because it touches upon such profound theological convictions and personal lived experience, many have felt it to be this way and many have been hurt and confused.
“As we take stock of where we have got to so far and all the things that still need to be explored in the future, my prayer is that we can come together as those whose profound disagreement on some things is outweighed by our profound love for God and for each other on so many things.
“As this stage of the journey comes to an end, we look forward, honouring one another’s integrity, and seeking Christ’s wisdom with patience and humility.”
The Bishop of Winchester, Philip Mounstephen, said: “I’m aware that the process of LLF has been very fraught and I’m sorry that it has caused both pain and some anger amongst many.
“I know too that we are not now where many would want us to be – but I think the place we’re in now is a place of commitment to due and proper process: and that really matters.
“We are – and we need to be – a properly ordered Church.”
The Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Pete Wilcox, said: “I know that many, including in my own Diocese, were deeply distressed by the decisions indicated by the House of Bishops in October last year, and confirmed today.
“But after two years in which, as our statement says, on the one hand ‘hopes have repeatedly been raised and dashed’, and on the other ‘anger has mounted at the perceived disregard for due process’, I am certain that it is right to pause, to take stock and to ensure any future movement in relation to these contested steps follows robust good process and is accompanied by proportionate pastoral provision.”
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, said: “I profoundly regret where we have ended up and know that these decisions will be very painful for many, especially LGBTQI+ people and all those who hoped for greater progress – indeed I am one of them.
“I know it will feel to some that the Church has gone backwards in recent years, not forward. At the same time, I want to recognise that some progress has been made in that prayers of blessing for same-sex couples in committed relationships have been commended for use in public worship for the first time.
“Whilst I believe there is no theological distinction between prayers of blessing being offered in scheduled services or bespoke services, further progress at this stage would have meant agreeing to special arrangements, including separate episcopal structures, which I could not support. Such changes would result in the fracturing of our common life and the undermining of our Anglican identity.
“I will continue to advocate for more progress, recognising that there are others who will disagree. Meanwhile, I urge us all to be gentle and kind towards one another, refusing to judge each other, uniting in our common purpose to love God and neighbour and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in word and action.”
The Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North, said: “The LLF process has caused immense pain on all sides because the matters it concerns carry us to the heart of what it means to be human and what it is to be Christian.
“After a great deal of praying and reflecting together, the House of Bishops has agreed that we want to avoid fragmentation and travel together as one Body for the sake of our mission to the nation.
“This means that when we are making big decisions about what we believe, we need to use General Synod’s established processes to discern God’s will.
“For some we have not gone far enough, for others we have already gone too far. My prayer is that we can stay together for the sake of the people we are called to serve.”
The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, said: “I am very grateful to all those who have engaged with the LLF process over many years and at considerable personal cost.
“I am thankful that some progress has been made towards greater understanding and inclusion of LGBTQI+ sisters and brothers through Prayers of Love and Faith.
“In my own view the Church of England still has some distance to travel on this journey in the coming years.
“The House of Bishops statement published today is honest about the different views held across the Church in good conscience and expresses a commitment and an appeal to all to continue to walk and work together for deeper understanding.
“The statement also outlines the next stages in dialogue and a clear process for making decisions into the future.”
Notes to Editors
The House of Bishops voted to issue the statement as follows:
For: 35 Against: 1 Abstentions: 4
105 CommentsUpdated 12 December
This matter was first reported by Donna Birrell on Premier Christian News: Exclusive: Abuse survivor and former staff member say Church treatment pushed them to the brink. Her report is worth reading in full but here’s an excerpt.
The case of Survivor N
Survivor N’s case began more than a decade ago when he first reported accusations of abuse against a priest in the Diocese of London.
Premier has seen evidence that when he filed a complaint against the accused priest, Rt Rev Sarah Mullally as Bishop of London, contravened the Clergy Discipline Measure code of practice by sending a confidential email about the allegations directly to the priest concerned, outside of the CDM process. She also wrote to him that the claims were “unsubstantiated”.
Survivor N says he was then subjected to what he describes as a “systematic campaign of harassment and retribution as a CDM complainant”.
He later filed a formal complaint against Bishop Mullally for her handling of the case. In March 2020, in a letter seen by Premier, the then Bishop at Lambeth acknowledged receipt of the complaint. But 16 months later, when his lawyers requested an update, the same Bishop at Lambeth stated that the complaint had only just been received by Lambeth Palace.
A senior psychiatrist told Premier that during those 16 months, Survivor N’s mental health deteriorated sharply.
To this day, despite repeated requests from his solicitors, Survivor N says he has not received a formal response.
Today, the Church of England has issued two statements:
Lambeth Palace statement:
The provincial registrar for Canterbury has written to an individual – known as ‘N’ – to clarify and outline next steps in relation to a complaint the individual initially submitted in 2020 against the Bishop of London under the Clergy Discipline Measure.
Due to administrative errors and an incorrect assumption about the individual’s wishes, the complaint was not taken forward or appropriately followed up. The Bishop of London was unaware of the matter, as the process never reached the stage at which she would have been informed of the complaint or its contents.
The provincial registrar has apologised to those involved and urgent arrangements are now being made for the complaint to be considered according to the relevant statutory process.
The Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, said:
“N has been let down by the processes of the Church of England. While his abuse allegations against a member of clergy were fully dealt with by the Diocese of London, it is clear that a different complaint he subsequently made against me personally in 2020 was not properly dealt with.
“I am seeking assurance that processes have been strengthened to ensure any complaint that comes into Lambeth Palace is responded to in a timely and satisfactory manner.
“The Church’s processes have to change, both for complainants, and for the clergy who are the subject of complaints. Today, I am one of those clergy. As Archbishop of Canterbury, I will do everything in my power to bring about much needed and overdue reform. We must have trust in our systems, or else we cannot expect others to put their trust in us.”
Update 12 December
Donna Birrell has a further report: Church forced to revisit Mullally case as survivor raises concerns over contradicting evidence in its response which again I recommend reading in full. Another excerpt:
67 CommentsLambeth Palace told Premier that the reason N’s complaint hadn’t been followed up was because additional documents hadn’t been provided after July 2021 and the provincial registrar had believed N had decided not to proceed with the matter.
However, Premier has seen evidence that two bundles of documents dated 22nd August 2021 were sent to Lambeth Palace as well as to the ‘Designated Officer at the Church of England Legal Office’. A copy of the bundle was also sent to the President of Tribunals on the same date. They were all marked as having been delivered.
Lambeth Palace has told Premier that this hard copy documentation had previously been received from N in electronic form the previous month. However N disputes this and said several bundles were sent in August 2021 including several witness statements which had not previously been sent via email. Lambeth Palace told Premier that the Office of the President of Tribunals has no record of receiving anything from the complainant in August or September 2021.
The first time N learned that the CDM against Sarah Mullally hadn’t progressed and was no longer outstanding, was when he was told by Premier Christian News earlier this month.
Following the October announcement from the House of Bishops regarding the effective halting of the LLF process and a change of direction from the discussion towards and votes taken for fuller LGBTQ+ inclusion, Inclusive Church wrote an Open Letter and invited those who wished to be included as a signatory to it, to do so. People were asked to provide their name and home postcode, with the option to also add their title, the name of their church and an estimate of the size of their regular church congregation. The letter was available for one month, with no external media coverage, publicity through diocesan channels or paid promotion.
The full text of the letter is copied below the fold.
Inclusive Church has now issued a press release reporting on the nearly 7000 signatures received, which you can read here. (now in PDF format)
And there is a further much more detailed analysis available here.
96 CommentsThe Scottish Episcopal Church has responded to the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals, which offer a revised definition of the Anglican Communion and suggest an enhanced role for the Primates’ Meeting together with a rotating presidency of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC).
The press release is here, and the full text of the response (15 pages) is over here. The press release is copied in full below the fold.
17 CommentsThe Charity Commission has issued this press release:
Church of England charity must rapidly accelerate safeguarding reforms
The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England must rapidly accelerate the delivery of safeguarding improvements and close gaps in its approach to handling complaints, the charity regulator has warned.
The Charity Commission has set an expectation that the Archbishops’ Council should implement independent safeguarding structures as endorsed by the Church’s General Synod in February 2025 within 18 months from now – a year sooner than current plans indicate – and in the meantime, put robust interim measures in place to keep people safe.
The expectation is part of a Regulatory Action Plan issued to the Archbishops’ Council, a registered charity whose objects are to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England. It follows the Commission engaging with the charity over whether its trustees are taking sufficient steps to address the safeguarding concerns and implement recommended changes raised in a number of safeguarding reviews…
….In summary, the Commission has found that:
- there is insufficient urgency and pace in implementing responses to past safeguarding reviews, and the current approach to doing so is fragmented and overly complex. For example, the Council’s current timescale of 2028 to pass the necessary legislation to implement independent safeguarding is too slow, representing a four year gap since the publication of the Jay Review
- currently the Church does not treat allegations of abuse from an adult not assessed to be “vulnerable” as a safeguarding allegation. The Commission’s guidance is clear that trustees must take reasonable steps to protect from harm all people who come into contact with their charity
To which the Church of England has responded:
Archbishops’ Council response to Charity Commission case review
24 CommentsUpdated Wednesday morning
At ViaMedia.News Thomas Sharp has written
Update
Third paper by Thomas Sharp
74 CommentsUpdated twice on Saturday
At Together for the Church of England Charlie Baczyk-Bell has written
B2 or not B2: that isn’t the question
At Psephizo Andrew Goddard has written
Why has the LLF process reached the end of the line?
The latter article is a summary: the full version (21 pages) is available here.
Updates
At Shared Conversations, Helen King has written
‘We need the theology’: what has now been released, and does it answer the real questions?
At ViaMedia.News, Peter Collier has written
Where Does the House of Bishops Currently Stand on the Use of Prayers of Love and Faith? Some Reflections
The Church of England Evangelical Council published these items:
Together for the Church of England published:
Inclusive Church published this LLF Open letter from Members of the Church of England
The Dean of Southwark preached this sermon (video)
23 CommentsGAFCON has issued a communiqué: The Future Has Arrived
Some initial reports and responses:
Church Times: Gafcon letter declares that it is the Communion now, minus Canterbury and all related ‘Instruments’
The Living Church: Analysis: GAFCON Creates Global Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion Office: A Pastoral Letter from the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion
Andrew McGowan: NO, THE “GLOBAL SOUTH” HAS NOT LEFT THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
Anglican Church of Canada: Pastoral statement from the Primate and Metropolitans of the Anglican Church of Canada concerning the Anglican Communion
Update
Church of Ireland: Archbishops’ statement on the Church of Ireland and the Anglican Communion
158 CommentsUpdated 17 October
The Church Times has this report: Persuade PCCs to take action if same-sex blessings move forward, Alliance tells its clergy
The Alliance document referred to is available here: Alliance Campaign Manual 250926.
Update:
Helen King has written about this document: This week in Living in Love and Faith: On the Alliance Campaign Manual
House of Survivors has issued this statement on 3 September:
House of Survivors Statement
The recent Kennedys data breach has thrown many questions into the air for survivors, not least how will the law firm lead the Redress Scheme whilst at the same time fend off dozens of civil claims from the same group of people. This incident affects women and men who have already endured profound injustice and lifelong impact at the hands of the Church, and is a painful violation of trust and safety we had a right to expect. It also puts trust in the Redress Scheme into question for all Church of England context survivors.
House of Survivors’ view is that Kennedys will need to grasp the nettle and take the initiative – and offer the data breach survivors a fair compensation veering on the side of quantum generosity. It will save much time and anxiety, save Kennedys much in legal fees, avoid additional stress for the men and women affected when trust is low and tension is high. It will also enable Kennedys to claw back vital reputational ground. They will need to work imaginatively, probably outside of their usual playbook, and ahead of the Redress Scheme starting. We hope Kennedys might be keen to seize the moment as the loss to their business is likely to grow the longer they leave it. There will be some survivors who will wish to make civil claims through various law firms and clearly everyone needs to have the freedom to do this if they wish. That is everyone’s right. But in our view a proactive move by Kennedys will be the smart thing for the law firm to do.
Our biggest fear is that this mess left unaddressed will cause the Redress Scheme to be delayed – especially if the Church has to reconvene the Redress Scheme board to negotiate with new law firms. This could see the Scheme delayed by another one to two years. We suspect some in the hierarchy, particularly those who control Archbishops Council, may be privately hoping the whole thing will collapse and they can blame Kennedys. House of Survivors reminds those people that the reputational fallout will impact the Church just as greatly. We urge the Church to work with Kennedys to reassure all survivors that the Scheme is going ahead, will be closely monitored by an oversight committee with survivor input, and that both Kennedys and the Church will seek quickly and proactively to put things back on track.
House of Survivors
3 Sept 2025
Updated 29 August
As mentioned in today’s Opinion article, the Redress Scheme that was recently approved by General Synod has suffered from a major data breach. The Church of England has issued this statement:
Redress Scheme data breach by Kennedy’s Law LLP which is copied in full below.
We have been made aware of a deeply regrettable data incident involving the independent Redress Scheme administered by Kennedys Law LLP.
This incident resulted in the unintended disclosure by Kennedys Law of email addresses belonging to individuals who had registered for updates on the Redress Scheme.
First and foremost, our focus is on those affected. We recognise the distress this has caused, particularly for survivors who trusted the scheme to handle their information with care and confidentiality.
While the Church of England is not the data controller for the Redress Scheme and does not hold or manage the data in question, we are nonetheless profoundly concerned. We are in discussions with Kennedys to understand how this breach occurred and to ensure robust steps are taken to prevent anything similar from happening again.
Kennedys has taken full responsibility for the incident and is contacting all those affected directly to apologise and offer support. They have reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office and are investigating the circumstances thoroughly.
This should not have happened. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support efforts to restore trust and confidence.
Questions or concerns in relation to this data breach can be directed to KennedysDataProtectionOfficer@kennedyslaw.com
Finding support
If you have been impacted by this there are a number of organisations who can offer support:
Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service for anyone who has experienced abuse in relation to the Church of England, the Church in Wales, or the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
There are Safeguarding Advisers in every Church of England diocese across the country. Details can be found using our Diocesan Safeguarding Teams map which links to relevant contact information in each area.
Additional support services are listed here.
If you would like to talk to someone within the Church of England please email redress@churchofengland.org
Statement from Kennedys Law: Published 27 August 2025
Regrettably on Tuesday evening, a message was sent from law firm, Kennedys, to 194 individuals and law firms who had registered to receive updates in relation to the Church of England Redress scheme. Due to human error, the email displayed the email addresses making them visible to all recipients. No further personal details of individuals were shared. Attempts to recall the message were only partially successful.
Kennedys has been working with the Church of England since March 2024 as its independent Scheme Administrator to help it develop further and manage its National Redress Scheme for victims and survivors of Church-related abuse. This was approved by the General Synod of the Church of England in July paving the way for the scheme to open for redress applications.
Kennedys is deeply sorry for the hurt and concern caused to everyone affected by this significant error and accepts full responsibility. We have contacted everyone who received the message and have reported the incident to the Charity Commission, the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Solicitor’s Regulatory Authority. We will fully comply with any investigations.
Additionally, we have launched a full internal investigation to understand how this could have occurred and will incorporate any lessons learnt into our procedures immediately.
We understand the significant impact this will have on those affected for which we apologise unreservedly. We remain committed to supporting victims and survivors of Church of England-related abuse to secure the financial redress, therapeutic, spiritual and emotional support, acknowledgement of wrongdoing on the part of the Church, apology and other forms of bespoke redress under this scheme. Questions or concerns in relation to this data breach can be directed to KennedysDataProtectionOfficer@kennedyslaw.com
Updates
This letter was issued on Thursday: An open letter from the Bishop of Winchester
And this was issued by Kennedys, on the front page of the Redress Scheme website, and is copied below.
Redress Church of England
Kennedys data breach
Published 28 August 2025
I am a Partner at the law firm Kennedys, and I have been working with the Church of
England to develop the Redress Scheme.
I know you will already be aware of the unfortunate incident earlier this week in which an email was sent to people who had registered to receive updates in relation to the Redress Scheme. Due to human error and in breach of firm standards, the email displayed the email addresses of all recipients. I want to reassure you that no further personal details of individuals, or information relating to those individuals, was shared.
I want to take this opportunity to personally apologise that this error occurred. It does not reflect the standards that we expect of ourselves and as a firm but more importantly we know that it has caused trauma and concern, and seriously impacted on the trust that survivors and others have in the Redress Scheme. We recognise the seriousness of this incident, and we have launched an internal investigation to understand exactly how this incident occurred and to ensure it does not happen again.
We are also working with the Church of England and those leading the Scheme to determine how best to rebuild trust in the Redress Scheme, and ensure those affected by this incident are adequately supported and any harm suffered appropriately redressed.
We have received a number of complaints from those affected by this incident and are responding to those individually. If you have been impacted and want to lodge a complaint, or have any related questions or concerns, you can contact me at Helen_snowball@kennedyslaw.com or the Kennedys Data Protection Officer at KennedysDataProtectionOfficer@kennedyslaw.com. We have a dedicated team in place who are entirely focused on this matter.
We understand it can be distressing for some to receive further messages from the original thread. We have provided some guidance here that might help reduce or stop further messages coming to your inbox.
We know this will be a difficult time for many of you and additional support is available from Safe Spaces. They can be contacted on safespaces@firstlight.org.uk or 0300 303 1056.
I would like to reiterate again how sorry I am that this happened and our unwavering dedication to making it right.
With regards,
Helen Snowball
35 Comments
Updated
The trial of Chris Brain on multiple charges arising from the Nine O’Clock Service has led to the following outcomes:
A further hearing is scheduled for 4 September, to determine if there are grounds for a retrial on any of the latter charges.
The Church of England has issued these statements: Statements following the trial of Chris Brain, the founder of the Nine O’Clock Service in Sheffield.
The Diocese of Sheffield has this: Statement from the Bishop of Sheffield following the trial of Chris Brain
South Yorkshire Police has: Former priest guilty of multiple sexual offences following SYP investigation
Update
Crown Prosecution Service has: Former vicar convicted for rape and sexual assaults connected to his nightclub ‘Nine O Clock service’
Note: this headline has now been amended.
96 CommentsLaw & Religion UK has this exclusive report:
Alternative Anglican Ordinations: seven South African deacons
46 CommentsSeven lay ministers from dioceses across the Church of England were ordained in May 2025 by a visiting Anglican bishop from South Africa. In this guest post, Andrew Atherstone provides the first report of this event, based on interviews with several of the leading participants.
On Wednesday 21 May 2025, the Archbishop of York received notification from the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH SA) of their plans to ordain “missionary clergy” for ministry in England…