Mike Pilavachi, 67, founded the Soul Survivor Watford church and its namesake summer youth festivals that ran for almost 30 years until 2019.
At their peak, the festivals were attended by 30,000 young people from around the world.
The movement spawned global offshoots, with official branches in Holland, South Africa, Australia, the US, Canada and New Zealand.
However, The Telegraph began uncovering allegations of abuse against Pilavachi, the charismatic former vicar, in April 2023. His victims spoke out, claiming that he ran a “cult”.
They told how they were encouraged to receive full-body oil massages in their underwear in his bedroom, and take part in vigorous wrestling matches that could last as long as 20 minutes at a time – sometimes in church.
The investigation sparked reviews which substantiated the allegations as well as an independent KC-led report which found that Pilavachi’s abuse of power was enabled by a wholesale failure of organisational culture at Soul Survivor.
Yet it has emerged that the Hertfordshire church has been chosen as a role model to help evangelise young people.
The Church of England has given £2.3m to the Diocese of St Albans to establish new and diverse worshipping communities. Soul Survivor Watford was selected by the diocese to contribute “volunteers, experience and energy to help local churches thrive”.
Critics and campaigners representing Pilavachi’s victims have spoken out, warning that enlisting Soul Survivor in a “consultancy” role was “rewarding” the church so soon after its vicar was embroiled in scandal and forced to step down.
They questioned how it could be a role model for other churches in light of its own history of abuse.
At its peak, tens of thousands of young people from around the world would attend festivals organised by Soul Survivor
Richard Scorer, a principal lawyer at Slater and Gordon who represents a number of Pilavachi’s victims, said: “Employing Soul Survivor effectively in a consultancy role seems extraordinary.
“The failings which allowed abuse to occur at Soul Survivor and which were exposed in the Scolding report are very recent.
“Given the seriousness of those failings I would have expected the diocese to wait until a lengthy period of time had passed so that everyone can be satisfied that Soul Survivor’s culture has genuinely changed. This decision seems premature to say the least.”
Natalie Collins, an activist advocating for Soul Survivor victims, said: “What is the Church of England thinking? Abuse young people for decades and then get to be rewarded.
“Jesus had strong words for those who would ignore victims, that they should be drowned with a millstone round their neck. It is absolutely unacceptable for the Church of England to be rewarding Soul Survivor and holding them up as pioneers and leaders in engaging young people.
“Those Mike Pilavachi harmed remain failed and ignored by Soul Survivor and I hope this decision will be reconsidered; those with a decades-long record of power misuse should surely have to wait much longer than a few months before being invited to lead projects in the church.”
In October, the King stripped Pilavachi of his MBE in the wake of the abuse scandal.
As a result of The Telegraph’s investigation, the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team (NST) and the Diocese of St Albans launched a joint investigation, which prompted more than 100 people to come forward.
In September 2023, it concluded that safeguarding concerns relating to Pilavachi’s leadership and ministry spanning 40 years were substantiated.
The internal investigation found that Pilavachi exhibited “an abuse of power relating to his ministry and spiritual abuse”, adding: “He used his spiritual authority to control people and that his coercive and controlling behaviour led to inappropriate relationships, the physical wrestling of youths and massaging of young male interns.”
In September 2024, an independent report into Soul Survivor was published and built on the Church’s findings.
The Scolding Review, led by Fiona Scolding KC, confirmed that Pilavachi had admitted massages occurred in private, with victims only in underwear, using body oil, and that his “inappropriate and harmful” wrestling continued until 2018.
As recently as 2020, Pilavachi was gathering accolades from the likes of Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury who rewarded him at Lambeth Palace for his “outstanding contribution to evangelism and discipleship amongst young people”.
That same year Pilavachi was also appointed an MBE in the New Year’s Honours for services to young people.
A spokesman for the Diocese of St Albans said: “This funding supports our work to grow younger and more diverse across the diocese. It includes a focus on education and leadership, revitalising churches, and work with children, youth and young adults.
“Soul Survivor Watford will not receive any funding from this award. Their role is to contribute volunteers, experience and energy to help local churches thrive as part of our programme of church revitalisation.
“The Scolding Review has shaped plans at Soul Survivor Watford and all mission initiatives, setting a benchmark for governance and safeguarding to ensure a healthy, safer culture going forward.”
Carl Hughes, chairman of the Church of England’s strategic mission and ministry investment board, said: “The strategic mission and ministry board is investing £2.3m across a number of projects in the Diocese of St Albans which are focused on developing church leaders, work with children, youth and young adults, and revitalising churches in some of the diocese’s largest towns.
“This includes a project supported by Soul Survivor Watford. Soul Survivor Watford will not receive any funding from this award.”
A spokesperson for Soul Survivor Watford said: “Soul Survivor Watford has not received any funding from this award and is not leading the programme. Our involvement is at the request of the diocese, within clear diocesan oversight and safeguarding structures.
“We recognise the seriousness of past failings and are committed to the work of ongoing cultural change and the vital importance of sustained external accountability.”