Church clergy claim they were victims of Soul Survivor priest

‘We also experienced the wrestling and massages that have been documented’

‘We brought it to the attention of the Soul Survivor Chairman... the process was not well received ’

CHURCH OF ENGLAND clergy have come forward for the first time as victims of abuse by Soul Survivor’s Mike Pilavachi.

Revs Tim and Pete Hughes, two brothers who both lead influential evangelical churches within the Holy Trinity Brompton network have spoken out saying they too experienced “what we now know to be psychological and spiritual abuse”.

They added that they also endured the wrestling and massages that the 66-year-old former vicar encouraged young men to engage in within the Soul Survivor movement he founded.

The clergymen also said that they have had counselling as a result of the abuse, and claimed that they confronted Pilavachi and reported the abuse to Soul Survivor leadership in 2004 but alleged that “our concerns were not taken seriously”.

The Hughes brothers’ statement comes after Matt Redman, the double Grammy-award winning Christian music superstar, also came forward as a victim in The Telegraph.

The investigation into Soul Survivor revealed how Pilavachi became a “cult”like church figure who was secretly spiritually and emotionally abusing victims for decades.

His victims spoke out for the first time, claiming they were encouraged to receive full-body oil massages in their underwear while being straddled by Pilavachi in his bedroom, and engage in vigorous wrestling matches that could last as long as 20 minutes – sometimes in church.

In a statement, Revs Pete and Tim Hughes said that they “experienced the wrestling and the massages that have been well-documented”. They added: “In 2004, we confronted Mike regarding his damaging behaviour and then subsequently brought it to the attention of the Chairman of the Soul Survivor Ministries Trustees... Unfortunately, the process was not received well and our concerns were not taken seriously.”

As a result of The Telegraph’s investigation, more than 100 people came forward to report allegations against Pilavachi spanning 40 years.

Pilavachi has since been suspended and resigned. The Church of England’s own review, joint with the Diocese of St Albans, concluded that safeguarding concerns relating to his leadership were substantiated and that he “used his spiritual authority to control” victims.

Church officials have referred him to the Disclosure and Barring Service and have commissioned an independent review led by Fiona Scolding KC, which remains ongoing. The Hughes brothers said that they have given evidence to both the Church’s investigation as well as the Scolding review.

A spokesman for Soul Survivor Watford said: “Tim and Pete have shown real courage in coming forward and sharing their experience. Their leadership in being open and honest about the pain they have suffered will no doubt help those who have suffered similar abuses and enable them to speak out about their own stories.”

Pilavachi was contacted for comment.