Church applauds bravery of Soul Survivor abuse whistleblower

THE Church of England has praised the “bravery” of Christian music superstar Matt Redman after The Telegraph revealed details of his abuse at the hands of Soul Survivor’s Mike Pilavachi.

Since April 2023, The Telegraph has been uncovering allegations of abuse levelled at Pilavachi, 66, the powerful and charismatic evangelical founder of Soul Survivor Watford Church and its namesake summer youth festivals, which ran from 1993 to 2019.

The Telegraph spoke to his victims who revealed for the first time how they were encouraged by the former vicar, who was also a global Christian star and travelled the world giving sermons and spreading the Soul Survivor movement, to receive full-body oil massages in their underwear in his bedroom and vigorous wrestling matches that would sometimes take place in church.

However, earlier this week, Redman, 50, the double Grammy-award-winning worship leader and praise musician, who co-founded the Soul Survivor summer festivals with Pilavachi, revealed details of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his former mentor.

He told how Pilavachi wrestled him as a 13-year-old boy who had just disclosed that he was being sexually abused.

“I was telling the deepest, darkest things and he was asking me for the details of what happened,” he said. “The real problematic thing to me is he would often wrestle me afterwards.”

The musician also told how he was repeatedly bullied and frozen out for months at a time as Pilavachi would exhibit jealous and controlling behaviour towards him and his wife, Beth, 48.

In the wake of the explosive revelations, other Church of England clergy also came forward for the first time as victims of abuse by Pilavachi.

As a result of the turning point in the scandal, the Church of England yesterday released a statement acknowledging the significance of the Redman couple speaking out.

A spokesman described their testimony as “a very powerful account by survivors of spiritual abuse at the hands of Mike Pilavachi and we commend their bravery in coming forward”. Church officials also said support or access to counselling is available for those “connected to the investigation or have been affected”.

Asked about the lasting impact of Pilavachi’s behaviour on him and his life, Redman told The Telegraph: “I’m still working through all that happened. I was subjected to significant emotional, spiritual and physical abuse in a situation that I didn’t know how to get out of.

“I’ve spent years trying to heal from that time. I’ve forgiven Mike, but I still feel the impact today.”

Pilavachi did not respond to requests for comment regarding Redman’s allegations.

‘The real problematic thing to me is he would often wrestle me afterwards’

‘This is a very powerful account by survivors of spiritual abuse at the hands of Pilavachi’