‘Power is a powerful drug and the detox process is hard’

One of the most insightful speeches at the Church of England's General Synod in July came from The Revd Lindsay Llewellyn-Macduff, the Bishop of Rochester’s Chaplain. She is neither conservative nor evangelical, but her diagnosis was still apt.

The speech came in a debate about a redress scheme for survivors of abuse within the Church, but it has far wider implications.

‘Redress’, she said, ‘seems the obvious solution to the inheritance the Church of England are trying earnestly to process. But however good this looks I don’t think this redress will necessarily end the circle of mistrust, grievance, and injury that we keep lapping. And I don’t think it is the solution because I think there is a deeper problem, and we will keep circling this drain until we address it – because the Church of England has a problem with power.’