mage description: Intricate swirls of dark brown, tan, orange, off-white, cream, and dark orange form a jet stream region in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere.
Gerald Eichstädt based on images provided courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS
“It may be the part of a friend to rebuke a friend’s folly.” J. R. R. Tolkien
The current Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has announced his resignation, and well he should. It appears that he ignored complaints of the actions of John Smyth, a prolific child abuser. According to Wikipedia:
John Jackson Smyth QC (/smaɪð/; 27 June 1941 – 11 August 2018) was a Canadian-born British barrister and serial child abuser who was actively involved in Christian ministry for children as chairman of the Iwerne Trust which raised funds for, and in practice ran, the influential conservative evangelical Iwerne camps. He acted as lawyer for Mary Whitehouse, a Christian morality campaigner.
In 1982, the Iwerne Trust was informed that Smyth had performed sadistic beatings on schoolboys and young men associated with the Iwerne Camps and with a Christian group at Winchester College. Smyth moved to Zimbabwe in 1984, where he continued to run children’s camps. The police were not informed of the 1982 report until 2013, and it became public in 2017. Church of England Bishop Andrew Watson disclosed that, as a young man, he was a victim. Smyth died while under investigation and was not charged. An independent review published in 2024 concluded that he subjected more than 100 boys and young men to “traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritualattacks”[1]: 1 over a period of four decades.
On 12 November 2024, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced he would resign due to the part he played in the church’s failure to acknowledge Smyth’s child abuse.[2]
TWW has written several articles on this situation through the years. Smyth’s son, PJ Smyth, denied knowing about his father’s perversions and came to the US to lead Covenant Life Church of CJ Mahaney and Sovereign Grace fame. At the time, I believed PJ Smyth had to have known of his father’s abuses. It seems I was correct with my suspicions, and I will deal with this in a future post.
Justin Welby tells a joke, and most are not amused.
Welby appears to feel he is a victim of circumstance. He seems to distance himself from the failure to report the abuse. He portrays himself as one who took the fall because he represents the institution. Instead, it is well known that he ignored the early reports. TWW wrote about this in 2017. Did Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Know About John Smyth’s Abusive Behavior Prior to 2013?
The BBC reports Church abuse victims’ disgusted’ by Welby’s speech. Take a listen.
The BBC reported:
Abuse victims say they were “dismayed” and “disgusted” by the speech, saying it made no mention of remorse for survivors and struck too “frivolous” a tone with jokes.
…Speaking in the Lords on Thursday, the archbishop said: “The reality is that there comes a time if you are technically leading a particular institution or area of responsibility where the shame of what has gone wrong – whether one is personally responsible or not – must require a head to roll.
“And there is only, in this case, one head that rolls well enough.”
He also referred to a 14th century predecessor who had been beheaded, adding: “I hope not literally.”
Mark Stibbe, who has previously told the BBC he was groomed and beaten by Smyth in the 1970s, said: “I object to the use of such a frivolous tone in such a serious matter – a matter that has been, and continues to be, a matter of life and death to some.”
He added that talk of only one head rolling over the scandal was “disturbing”.
I think this Christian Post article nailed it for me: Archbishop of Canterbury accused of making light of abuse scandal in House of Lords speech.
Hartley said the “problem” with Welby’s words was that “there’s a level of ambivalence between whether that’s actually personal or is it more of the sense of corporate-ness in his role as archbishop?”
…Gavin Ashenden, a former chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth II, told TalkTV he was shocked by the “level of tone deafness” and said that the speech “lacked any moral sensitivity.”
“He appears to think he wasn’t personally responsible but he was personally responsible,” he said.
Welby stepped down, but he thinks he had to as the head of the Church of England. In this speech, he doesn’t seem to get his responsibility as a man who should care about abuse.
Welby apologizes for his brain-dead speech.
The Times posted that Justin Welby was sorry for ‘making light’ of resignation over abuse scandal.
Welby said on Friday afternoon: “I would like to apologise wholeheartedly for the hurt that my speech has caused.
…“I understand that my words — the things that I said, and those I omitted to say — have caused further distress for those who were traumatised and continue to be harmed by John Smyth’s heinous abuse, and by the far-reaching effects of other perpetrators of abuse.
“It did not intend to overlook the experience of survivors, or to make light of the situation, and I am very sorry for having done so.”
…Welby said in his apology on Friday: “It remains the case that I take both personal and institutional responsibility for the long and re-traumatising period after 2013 [when Smyth’s abuses were brought to the attention of church leaders] and the harm that this has caused survivors. I continue to feel a profound sense of shame at the Church of England’s historic safeguarding failures.”
Year after year, abuse survivors and their advocates beg to be heard. Welby’s speech made me concerned that we had a long road. Welby is known to be a polished speaker and should have known better. What is it about abuse and the church? Jesus warned us that there would be wolves amongst us, but church leaders like to pretend that there are only sheep, ignoring our Lord’s warning. Until church leaders get it, cavalier joking like this will continue to play out.
For those interested in some background, this video might be of help.
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Amen to this..
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Sheesh!
Why didn’t Welby save some time and breath and just shrug his shoulders and say, “Oh, well.”
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Those outside the church are watching. What do they see?
The Christian church says we are pro-life, yet thousands of lives are severely harmed by abuse which is covered up in our midst.
Churches say marriage is between one man and one woman- yet divorce rates among evangelical Christians are higher than in the US non-Christian population.
Churches tell homosexual and transgender people they are sinning against God- yet when Christian leaders have sexual relations outside marriage it’s called “an error in judgement.”
Churches preach with great pride that righteousness matters- yet stand behind civic leaders whose lives are filled with misogyny, greed, lying and overt sexual misconduct.
The church is being judged – at least in the western world- and found woefully lacking. Thank you Dee for being a bright light, and for shining into the darkness of the evangelical world of abuse and hypocrisy.
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“Basher ” Nash and his pals sought to copy the “Slow March through the Institutions” by creaming off the brightest and best students from the top public (private) schools in the UK. The alumni of the Iwerne Trust are the “who’s who” of modern British evangelicalism – it is astonishing to see how many organisations were infected and the continuing influence this network has in church life, not just here but also in the USA. Mr Welby was groomed for his current position by Iwerne and his smirking “apology” shows just how much the evangelical elite despise those they abused and everyone else in the church.
(In my opinion. Others may hold different views)
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~ This outburst was calculated and as a result opinion “formers” are saying no-one else is allowed to leave post
~ This isn’t “scalps”. Christian leadership should rotate
~ This isn’t just Smyth
~ Among those to be reminded they are no longer entitled are Abp of York and his associates, also the numerous politically motivated bureaucrats and “theologians”
~ He of Lincoln did deceive others about having reported this case to police
~ JW is not concerned for unity
~ All parishioners MUST sniff out the ruinous anti-prayer anti-Spirit New Reformed ideology (including fake “charismatics” who are merely restorationists / dominionists)
~ JW has little background or grounding which was why he was an ideal appointment
~ We MUST be told who brought up JS and what religion he was brought up in. They did to JS what was done to the younger RZ as well
Lowlandseer,
Well have you highlighted their material dialectic!
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Also those with the grasp of detail reported major financial irregularities being rubber stamped by Parliament over the years,
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The disturbing Smyth/Welby saga is a perfect example of ole boys covering for and protecting each other until the potato becomes too hot to handle. IMO, it occurs in every religious institution when church leaders become too big to fail … but in the end, they fail and take others with them.
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They see enough going on to say “See, there’s nothing to it!”
The biggest obstacle for the organized church to reach a lost world for Christ often rests with leaders of the organization.
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Al Mohler did the same thing in the Southern Baptist Convention to champion his New Calvinist army. The “brightest and best” now control all SBC entities.
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Arrogance never accepts defeat or takes personal responsibility for wrong actions.
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(Ed. note: It is generally thought that he did not balme himself for what happened and that is prior to his resignation. I believe he may have known flong before 2013.) “…whether one is personally responsible or not.” He literally points to himself as he says this.
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What forced his hand to eventually resign?
Was it a prophetic spiritual and moral voice within the life of the church community akin to that of Nathan and David?
Or was it secular public opinion and pressure that had a ethical understanding?
If the latter, then there’s good argument that he was primarily leading and representing an institution and not a christian faith community – Church.
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I dare say that it is an outcry from without which forces most church systems to do the right thing rather than vehement shouts from within. We need more Nathan and David moments in religious institutions, but God only uses that correction within His Kingdom not in the kingdoms of men.
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Which is to say, we need more leaders like David because people like Dee and many other whistleblowers do speak up.
As a cross cultural worker I have had access to many church leaders over the decades who saw me as a colleague. As such I was granted positional respect so I used my position to discuss important issues. You can easily guess what happened.
Pastors in two different high control Calvinist-take-over churches were so offended by discussions about women leadership and church planting strategies that they falsely accused me before their Missions Committees of things I hadn’t done. One church ended my financial support completely, the other kept me on but only because the pastor left (after changing the entire church structure and instituting membership covenants). So yeah, most men in church leadership aren’t used to being challenged and don’t like it at all.
Would be great if us Nathan types who care about the church (and care about people outside of churches too) could be heard when we graciously address issues of hypocrisy, greed and controlling leadership. I have zero hope any church leader is going to listen but will keep speaking up because it’s the right thing to do.
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Many who comment here would identify with that sentiment. If we don’t stand in the gap, the gap will get bigger. The church is a mess because we have a spiritual leadership crisis.
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The church is a mess because we have a LEADERSHIP crisis, PERIOD.
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I note that as Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC) he has a seat in the House of Lords. He loses that when he steps down in January but it is traditional for retiring ABCs to be made peers (at least since they started retiring, 1928, and didn’t just stay around until death; originally hereditary peers but now life peers). Life peers sit in the House of Lords. It will be interesting to see if Welby is made a life peer.
I note that former ABC and current life peer George Carey has also been credibly accused of covering up for Smyth and another abuser, Bishop Peter Ball.
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“What is it about abuse and the church?”
+++++++++++++++++
well,… the self-entitled male ego & lack of awareness of of the average male leader.
i reckon women clergy and leaders are plenty saavy, smart, wise and circumspect to stoop to such foolishness and cruelty.
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Fisher,
“Which is to say, we need more leaders like David because people like Dee and many other whistleblowers do speak up.”
+++++++++++++
i say we need more leaders like Deborah and Abigail.
it really is at the Church’s peril to choose otherwise.
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Fisher,
“So yeah, most men in church leadership aren’t used to being challenged and don’t like it at all.”
+++++++++++++++
give women the opportunity, the true tough ones in the room.
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Gatekeeper,
It’s the joint duty of himself and colleagues to review all issues before he accepts a post, and for him to challenge them to do more and better and more (genuinely) honestly
Otherwise they don’t know whether they know or not. In fact religious knowledge becomes a less than irrelevance, more like a nuisance (to them first). It doesn’t matter whether they are prematurely senile, have a history of codependency, or whatever.
A lot more than those two
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujq5ARaQiKs
Man raped by vicar as teen says Archbishops failed him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc9UVL9hmM0
Church of England abuse victim ‘outraged’ by Justin Welby’s speech | LBC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M1NYjlOpPg
Exclusive: church abuse victim waives his anonymity to speak out
– and aggravated cases against the Bp of Oxford
Ian Docker,
Neither – but your observation re institution was spot on
Rochester have censured the Archbishops’ “Council” the long-term boss of which is a former counterterror operative (handy for nuking honest public) (I think religious leadership should rotate):
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-12-09/bishop-of-rochester-says-church-safeguarding-needs-change-in-culture
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One very good, two reputedly good sometimes, at least one bad (and I’m not counting the “bishop episcopal”) (I don’t know how many there are)
I’m all for the idea
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The apostles instructed the 1st century church to appoint leaders who were “full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” Apparently, the 21st century church is having difficulty finding such folks, so we get whoever which end up doing whatever.
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I agree big time. But they won’t cuz’ they’re so wrapped up in New Testament Paulism.
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Better known to TWW aficionados as JACK THE WHIPPER.
And from Jack the Whipper’s staging of these beatings and behavior during and after, the guy sounds deeper in the Closet than even Ted Haggard, so deep in the Closet he long ago lost sight of the door.
And the Iwerne Camps’ unofficial name of “Bash Camps” sounds very prophetic.
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Only Doubles Down and Gets NASTY.
“HOW!!! DARE!!!!! YOU!!!!!!!”
“HOW!!! DARE!!!!! THEY!!!!!!!”
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Muff Potter,
“I agree big time. But they won’t cuz’ they’re so wrapped up in New Testament Paulism.”
++++++++++++++++++
every so often i check back on Scientology. Been reading, watching a few things.
The blind obedience is staggering. into the realm of stupidity, harm & destruction. for others, if not for self.
and then i look at my own religion. there, too, the blind obedience into these realms is staggering.
so many similarities between scientology and the current iteration of christianity. (past iterations, too, I’m sure)
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Michael in UK,
i vote for Geraldine Granger, The Vicar Of Dibley
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When your church can e described as “Just like Scientology, Except CHRISTIAN(TM)!”, that is NOT a good sign.
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Max,
That’s because their first leaders taught them to pray (which had a precedent among the Jewish element).
In present lifetimes prayer became first untrendy, then a weapon, then something we don’t talk about.
Another Glory Be.
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elastigirl,
Ever see those ultra-orthodox Jews at the wailing wall in Jerusalem?
Heads bobbing up and down to Torah?
That’s the way some Reformed (Christian) sects are with Paul.
Paul is the gold standard, Paul is everything.
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Or they firewall it HARD in the other direction and turn even more people off to the entire ides.
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Well, it’s for sure that Jesus is not the Main Thing in NeoCal ranks … they hardly ever talk about Him! Paul and Piper get more airtime in their sermons than the Son of God!
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Max,
Yes, hear what you are both saying.
More than pleased that people wish to be “faithful” to scripture and fundamental christian doctrine. But can’t some of these zealots make a little room on the bus for historical context & circumstances, plus the ‘spirit’ in which scripture is presented and needs to taken.
Whenever people stronly push back on this in discussion, I sometimes think, ‘Beam me up Scotty’
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Headless Unicorn Guy,
Yes, Nash did start them.
https://survivingchurch.org/2019/11/26/smyth-fletcher-iwerne-and-the-theology-of-the-divided-self-charles-foster/
https://survivingchurch.org/2021/05/07/growing-up-and-away-from-the-flecterculture/
So, the entire idea of the C of E is (still) that there should be mediators between God and man, namely the Lord Hawhaws and fat contractors, and their method was and is dominionism. Well they achieved this and they have harmed tens of millions of people, including secular agnostics. No matter their “churchmanship” (and the denominations closest to them) or their shallow image of morals, because they have no trust in Holy Spirit in the rest of us they have no Christ belief either.
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Who needs a real Paul when their fake one is so established? (They probably never heard of the real one themselves.)
Who needs a real Holy Spirit or a real Jesus or real OT prophets when their fake ones are so established? (They obviously never heard of them themselves.)
This didn’t start in 2008 (Bentley), or 1995 (Kansas City), or 1975 (Fort Lauderdale), when they say it did. It goes much further back. If they want to repent they have got to take their own past teachers – and their teachers in turn – off the pedestal.
Guaranteed Pure by Tim Gloege is an eye opener; also the “work” of Carl Henry needs critiquing.
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Muff Potter,
Or 1982 (Falwell Senior, who was very big over here)
Headless Unicorn Guy,
But that’s exactly what I mean. They aren’t talking about prayer, just stolen vocabulary.
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Paul wouldn’t agree with much of what the New Calvinists say he said! They had to twist certain passages in his epistles to support their aberrant doctrines.
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We need more hearing about king David, like we need a dose of the clap.
The king David thing is as old as the bald tires on a big-rig.
It’s worn out too.
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He of Lincoln is not to blame in the way he is being said:
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/religion/church-of-england/68820/anatomy-of-a-church-abuse-scandal
But Mr Brown doesn’t deal here with belief.