The Church of England evangelical grouping Church Society says it is investigating ‘very serious and wide-ranging allegations of bullying and abuse’ made about some of its staff and council members.
In a statement issued as en was going to print, Revd Andrew Towner, chair of the Church Society council, and Dr Ros Clarke, Associate Director, said: ‘Some of you may be aware that Church Society, along with some of its staff and Council members, has been the subject of some serious allegations made on social media.
External reviewer
‘The first of these includes some very serious and wide-ranging allegations of bullying and abuse which have been made by one person concerning a number of interactions with different Church Society staff, council members and others. We have agreed to appoint a suitable external reviewer with respect to these allegations, but the person we had approached is now unable to take this forward, due to their personal circumstances. We are pursuing an alternative reviewer and we hope that the work will be able to begin shortly.’
The statement adds: ‘Separately, Church Society has been implicated in allegations of historic and ongoing anti-Semitism. The authors of these have been invited to submit a formal complaint to Church Society, along with the evidence for their claims. We are willing to set up a second investigation to consider these allegations, should this be forthcoming.
‘We wish to assure our members that we will always take complaints made against Church Society, its staff and Council, seriously. Our complaints policy can be found here, along with a form that can be used to make a complaint.
‘Our goal in these investigations is that the truth shall be made known, that sins shall be repented of, that the wounded shall be consoled, and that we shall learn how to do better in the future.
‘We ask you all to pray for everyone involved in these processes, and especially for those who are hurting.’
For background detail on some of the allegations that have been made see:
http://survivingchurch.org/2020/12/18/power-games-in-church-life/
and
https://nickhoward76.medium.com/church-society-and-antisemitism-a-failure-of-leadership-c6ccbfc2c7d7
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