Mike Pilavachi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike Pilavachi |
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 Pilavachi in 2022 |
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| Born | 7 March 1958 in |
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| Church | Church of England |
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Michael Pilavachi, MBE (/ˌpɪləˈvɑːtʃi/; born 7 March 1958) is a British charismatic evangelist, former Anglican priest, and author of Greek Cypriot descent. He is the co-founder and former leader of the Soul Survivor charity based in Watford, England.
In May 2023, he was suspended from ministry while under investigation for safeguarding concerns, having stepped back from ministry the previous month. Pilavachi resigned as Associate Pastor of Soul Survivor Church, Watford, on 11 July 2023. In September 2023, the internal investigation being undertaken by the Church of England was completed: they substantiated the accusations against him and concluded that "he used his spiritual authority to control people and that his coercive and controlling behaviour led to inappropriate relationships".
Contents
Ministry
Soul Survivor
Pilavachi was one of three senior pastors of the Soul Survivor Church, Watford, which he founded in 1993 alongside worship leader Matt Redman. A former accountant, he then became a youth worker at St Andrew's, Chorleywood, a Church of England church in Hertfordshire influential in the charismatic evangelical tradition. Two ministers of St Andrew's, David Pytches and Barry Kissell, launched the New Wine Christian family conferences.
In response to the large number of young people attending the New Wine conferences, Pilavachi launched Soul Survivor in the summer of 1993. The event became a 5-day-long charismatic Christian festival aimed at young people, the first of which attracted 1,896 delegates. Under Pilavachi's leadership, the event grew to accommodate around 30,000 people over four weeks, alongside a fifth week, Momentum, aimed at those in their twenties and thirties. Matt Redman, who had attended Pilavachi's youth club at St Andrew's Church, Chorleywood, was a worship leader at early Soul Survivor camps. Redman returned as a worship leader in 2011. In summer 2014, a fifth week of the festival was held in Scotland.
In May 2018, Pilavachi announced that the Soul Survivor conference would be ending after the summer of 2019.
Ordained ministry
Pilavachi trained for ordination at St Mellitus College, an Anglican theological college in London. He was made a deacon in the Church of England at St Albans Abbey on 1 July 2012, and ordained a priest the following year. He served as a curate at St Peter's Church, Watford in the Diocese of St Albans from 2012, and was made an honorary canon of St Albans Cathedral in 2016.
Following ordination, Pilavachi continued to lead Soul Survivor Church, Watford, latterly swapping positions with former associate leader Andy Croft.
On 18 January 2024, the Church of England clarified that Pilavachi had no authority to minister, but could return after being "fully risk assessed". However, by September 2024, he had been fully laicised.
Other
Pilavachi helped run the international evangelistic event "Soul in the City" in London in 2004 and in Durban in 2009. He was also one of the founders of the Hope 08 project, an initiative of the churches of Britain and Ireland.
Safeguarding investigation and substantiated allegations
On 2 April 2023, Soul Survivor Watford announced that Pilavachi had "stepped back from all ministry" while "non-recent safeguarding concerns" were investigated by the Church of England National Safeguarding Team and the diocese of St Albans. On 28 April, the phrase "non-recent" was removed after more recent concerns had become apparent. According to The Daily Telegraph, there were allegations by over 100 people spread across three decades, with the most recent in 2020. The Times stated that concerns about Pilavachi's behaviour were first raised with Soul Survivor leadership in 2004 but were not followed up.
Pilavachi resigned as a director of the charity on 4 April and was suspended as an employee on 20 May. Archbishop Justin Welby said he was "deeply conscious of the impact" of the reports.
On 11 July, Pilavachi resigned as Associate Pastor of Soul Survivor Watford. In a Facebook post announcing his resignation, Pilavachi stated, "I have taken this step because the Church needs to heal and I have realised that my continued presence will hinder that process" and "I seek forgiveness from any whom I have hurt during the course of my ministry."
A report in The Daily Telegraph on 4 April revealed that the allegations related to "inappropriate massages" and "inappropriate intimate relationships" with young adults involved in the Soul61 scheme, a Christian gap year project. In their statement on 28 April regarding the disclosure of more recent safeguarding concerns, Soul Survivor noted: "Whilst it does not appear these recent allegations include physical contact they are no less significant because of that". On 1 May 2023, The Daily Telegraph published a further story with claims from alleged victims and former Soul Survivor staff members, stating, "A number also claim that they were encouraged to receive full-body oil massages in their underwear while being straddled by Rev Canon Pilavachi in his bedroom, as well as vigorous wrestling matches that could last as long as 20 minutes at a time – sometimes in church".
On 12 May 2023, Paul Martin, founder of Soul Survivor USA, spoke about earlier reports of allegations. He had informed the Soul Survivor leadership of "allegations of some sort about Mike's relationship with young interns" in 2002. He heard in 2004 that further "concerns regarding alleged inappropriate behaviour" had been raised with the UK leadership. In addition, former staff members described being part of "a 'conveyor belt' of young, athletic, attractive men – usually aged around 18 to 21 from broken homes or with traumatic childhoods."
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced on 16 May 2023 that the investigation had his "full support". This came after a report in The Daily Telegraph that some alleged victims had low confidence in the Church of England's internal inquiry and did not trust the church to "mark its own homework", as well as criticism of Welby for not commenting on the allegations sooner.
By September 2023, the internal investigation being undertaken by National Safeguarding Team (NST) and the Diocese of St Albans had concluded. The investigation substantiated accusations of abuse of power relating to his ministry and spiritual abuse: "he used his spiritual authority to control people and that his coercive and controlling behaviour led to inappropriate relationships, the physical wrestling of youths and massaging of young male interns". The associated press release also revealed that Pilavachi had resigned his licence to officiate, and therefore "cannot currently minister in the Church of England".
In addition, the report noted that a complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM), had been taken out against Pilavachi "relating to a safeguarding concern post ordination", which was ongoing at the time of publication. This CDM related to "verbal interactions with a vulnerable person". In January 2024, it was found that "Pilavachi's conduct had nevertheless fallen short of that expected of a priest in the Church of England", and he received a written warning and "advice".
Following concerns of the Church of England's objectivity in their investigation, in November 2023, Soul Survivor commissioned Landmark Chambers to provide an independent report. The report was published on 26 September 2024, and verified the reports of coercion, wrestling matches and intimate massages. It also suggested that his "spiritual celebrity" may have been a factor in the failure to stop his behaviour.
Personal life
In the 2020 New Year Honours, Pilavachi was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to young people.
Pilavachi has stated that his celibacy enabled certain work which he would not have been able to balance with having a family.
Works
- Live the Life (1998)
- Walking with a stranger, discovering God (1999)
- My first trousers, growing up with God (1999)
- Led to the lost, the Soul Survivor songbook (1999)
- For the audience of one, the soul survivor guide to worship (1999)
- Weeping before an empty tomb, struggling with God (2000)
- Afterlife, facing the future with God (2000)
- Life, death (and everything in between) (2001)
- Wasteland?, encountering God in the desert (2003)
- When Necessary Use Words, Changing Lives Through Worship, Justice and Evangelism (2007)
- Storylines: tracing threads that run through the Bible (2008)
- Life Beneath the Surface, Thoughts on a Deeper Spiritual Life (2011)
- Storylines, your map to understanding the Bible (2013)
- Everyday Supernatural: Living A Spirit-Led Life Without Being Weird (2016)
- Lifelines: sound advice from the heroes of the faith (2018)
