In an open letter to the Diocese of Blackburn the Rt Rev'ds Philip North, Jill Duff and Joe Kennedy call the church to reform safeguarding culture and processes in the light of the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Open letter to the Diocese of Blackburn

12th November 2024

Dear Friends,

This will have been a very tense and difficult week for many in the Church of England, not least for survivors of abuse. These survivors will have found it very hard indeed to see abuse such as that which was perpetrated by John Smyth discussed across all media and retraumatised when the response of the Church, which fell so short, has been laid bare.

We write in this context and in response to the news that the Archbishop of Canterbury has chosen to resign following criticism he has received following the publication of the Makin Report into the activities of the serial abuser John Smyth.

The Archbishop has been a bold and dedicated servant of the Church who has contributed to our common life in so many ways. His threefold focus on prayer, reconciliation and evangelism has been an inspiration to many and has doubtless made an impact on the culture of the Church of England.

However it is only right that those in the most senior positions are held to the highest standards, and his decision to step aside following the revelations in the Makin Report is an understandable one. He leaves with our love and prayers.

As the Church of England, we now have an enormous task in front of us. We need to renew our Church such that it places the needs of the most vulnerable, including survivors of abuse, at the centre. We need to reform our safeguarding culture and processes in order to regain people’s confidence. We need to hear the voices of critics as prophetic ones. The challenges sound hard, but we do not face them alone.

Much of the coverage in recent days has suggested that the Archbishop of Canterbury is the ‘head’ of the Church of England. However the Church of God, of which the Church of England is a small part, has only one Head who is Jesus Christ. It is he who can forgive sin and grant a fresh start. It is he who awakens our consciences to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. It is he who is shaking His Church awake. It is in him that we will find the renewal we long for.

May this moment of crisis be the time when we offer ourselves to him afresh, and in so doing, find life.

The Rt Rev’ds Philip North, Jill Duff and Joe Kennedy