BY STEPHEN KUHRT Following its recent high-profile scandals, there is now an overwhelming consensus about the need for safeguarding reform within the Church of England. This includes a growing recognition of the role of culture. This, however, can be misunderstood. For some time, it was common to hear bishops solemnly declaring that the culture of… Continue reading The impact of ‘Captain Darlings’ on the Church of England
Tag: christianity
The honesty needed in the King’s speech this Christmas
BY STEPHEN KUHRT As a church leader, last year’s Christmas Day was very different from normal. After the Christmas morning service, rather than relaxing into the normal routine of family, food and festivities, I got into a cab and went to central London to appear for three hours on live television. GB News had invited… Continue reading The honesty needed in the King’s speech this Christmas
The most rewarding thirty minutes of my week
BY STEPHEN KUHRT The ‘Tales from the Bible’ team As a church leader, I’m incredibly fortunate to have a job that I love. After 22 years of ordained ministry, I still wake up each morning full of enthusiasm for the everyday tasks of being a vicar: planning services, writing talks, pastoral care, taking funerals and… Continue reading The most rewarding thirty minutes of my week
Turning Safeguarding Upside Down: Jesus started with the least – so should we
BY NATHAN LARKIN Photo by Arvid Knutsen on Pexels.com There are two ways to approach safeguarding in the Church: ‘top-down’ or ‘bottom-up’. The difference sounds technical, even semantic, but it’s not. It’s theological and it’s moral. It’s about where the Church begins its thinking, and where it draws the line when things get messy. A… Continue reading Turning Safeguarding Upside Down: Jesus started with the least – so should we
An Open Letter to Bishop Sarah Mullally
BY STEPHEN KUHRT Dear Bishop Sarah, Congratulations on your nomination to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The fact that you are a woman, educated at a comprehensive school and a polytechnic, worked as a cancer nurse and trained for ordination on a non-residentiary course are, for me, undiluted positives. More crucially, they can all… Continue reading An Open Letter to Bishop Sarah Mullally
‘Doing the Opposite of a Welby’: The cost of genuine safeguarding in the Church of England
BY STEPHEN KUHRT Photo: Flickr The phrase ‘doing the opposite of a Welby’ is not one I use lightly. It came to me in November 2024, when the Archbishop of Canterbury faced severe criticism over his handling of the John Smyth case. I realised that seventeen years earlier in my parish, I had made a… Continue reading ‘Doing the Opposite of a Welby’: The cost of genuine safeguarding in the Church of England
Bad apples in rotten barrels
BY STEPHEN KUHRT Jimmy Saville and the BBC; Wayne Couzens and Metropolitan Police Force; Paula Vennells and the Post Office. When stories of abuse or corruption emerge the immediate focus is often on those individuals who’ve directly committed the crimes or wrongdoing. But in almost every case, what is then examined is how the institution they worked within colluded… Continue reading Bad apples in rotten barrels
Whistleblow and the sheep-guarders: a parable
BY JON KUHRT Once upon a time in the district of Northrun, there was a shepherd called Whistleblow. He was one of many shepherds who worked for Lord Northrun who owned most of the land in the area. Each shepherd had their own flock to look after. Whistleblow was loud and had strong opinions, but he… Continue reading Whistleblow and the sheep-guarders: a parable
How to encourage bullying in the Church of England
BY STEPHEN KUHRT The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis was first published in February 1942. The book is made up of thirty one letters from a senior demon called Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood. Wormwood is a junior tempter assigned to lead a man who has recently become a Christian away from God. By viewing the Christian life from the perspective… Continue reading How to encourage bullying in the Church of England
A tale of two vicars: one exploiting the status quo, the other challenging it
BY JON KUHRT Jonathan Fletcher was the vicar of Emmanuel Church Wimbledon (ECW) and enjoyed a high-profile and influential ministry. But in recent years, his bullying, coercive and abusive behaviour has been exposed. A report by the Safeguarding Agency thirtyone:eight catalogued Fletcher’s long-running pattern of sexual and spiritual abuse. Much of the fall-out from this scandal has focussed… Continue reading A tale of two vicars: one exploiting the status quo, the other challenging it
Safeguarding the Institution 