Surviving Church Conflict

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After all Jasvinder and Steve have been doing a perfectly good job these last seven months, given the absolute paucity of resources the Church has made available to them. Attempts to engage the Audit Committee in a clarifying investigation were resisted by the Archbishops at the last Synod. The Chair of the Audit Committee told Synod that oversight of the ISB was not within her committee’s scope of activity, but we now know that this too was mistaken. A letter from the Audit Committee Chair correcting that error was sent to the Synod Member who raised the question, but the correction has yet to be circulated to all Synod members. Junubin artists have an anti-conflict collective they named “Anataban”, Juba Arabic for “we are tired”. Many of us increasingly pushed away from our church feel the same way. ES But I’m not quite sure what your answer is on the position of Meg Munn. Do you think she should remain, or do you think she should withdraw, or do you think you should withdraw her hiring? What do you think should happen about her?

The question is limited to the passing of a key document; there has been an attempt to outplace responsibility to a Reviewer who has refused that responsibility. I stress the need for compassion towards those embroiled in Safeguarding complexities and controversies, nevertheless there are equally important issues of integrity of process, institutional probity, moral cowardice and a failure of Governance.

The statement from the CofE, after a thorough investigation, exonerating the Dean of any wrongdoing. The rejection of that judgment by dons prosecuting the Dean of Christ Church, who were still wanting to assert that the Dean posed a “risk”. (Both September 2020). As I set out the latest situation I have said, “You decide” but of course you cannot because they have not told you any of this or put it on the agenda for debate.

Meg Munn’s appointment as acting chairman of the ISB is irregular for a number of reasons, as I explained in my letter published in the Church Times on 28 April 2023: A related question: who approached the five suffragan bishops who failed to be elected in 2021 to ask/persuade them ‘graciously’ to step aside? Was that William Nye or, if not him, who? The text of the CDM judgment which states, whatever was alleged to have taken place, it was never serious enough to warrant any further proceedings. The police agreed, and declined to arrest or charge at all. (May 2021). As readers will understand, if the very people briefing the Reviewer are potentially subjects for any Review into failure or misconduct, and are at the same time working for the bodies that need investigation (i.e., the Archbishops’ Council, the Secretary General, etc.), then there is the potential for a very serious inherent conflict of interest which would undermine trust and confidence in the outcome.

The behaviour of the Church replicates that of their abusers who told them “ Who will listen to you… you are not important… I can do with you whatever I please”. When you read the answer to the Question, you might like to ask your Diocesan Bishop if s/he is aware of the details and what they are doing to instigate a proper response or investigation. I very specifically do not name anyone. I should like to respond to those who have suggested involving ” a few well chosen M.P.s” From personal experience this would be an excellent idea but definitely ‘well chosen’, involving people who understand the situation.

So now we know that the Audit Committee can look into these matters and it needs to do so as a matter of urgency. Martin Shipton was, though, able to publish in February a report highlighting the concerns of a worshipper at Llandaff Cathedral at the appointment of Richard Peers as Dean when, shortly before his installation in November 2022, the Charity Commission had issued an ‘Official Warning’ to the trustees of Christ Church, Oxford (of whom Peers was one, following his appointment there as sub dean in September 2020), which concluded that: At the York Synod, Jamie Harrison told Synod that he would confirm that written Conflict of Interest policies were operating across the National Church Institutions (NCI’s). Jamie Harrison stated that he knew of several operating in NCIs;perhaps understandably he said that he had none on him as he answered the supplementary question. Disclosure of what he did have in mind does not appear as a clarification in the Report of the York Synod. Extensive and repeated requests to Archbishops’ Council and NCI’s have not resulted in clear and satisfactory answers.

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Barrister Edward Morgan KC wasappointed by Church House without consultation to investigate a separate Percy complaint against William Nye. That too has run aground on the issue of transparency and conflict of interest policy.Prof Percy has just formally withdrawn his complaint until a comprehensive, clean and transparent process is established for all who have complaints against the Secretary General. The note from Lambeth Palace that states they now know they are “being played” by the lawyers, PR and complainants (June 2020). The Jay Report should be with us in January. There is no excuse for it not being on the agenda in February 2024, though control or prevention of any debate is likely to be attempted. We must resist that at all costs. The credibility of Synod itself is at stake.