Surviving Church http://survivingchurch.org/2016/06/21/jos-letter-to-the-anglican-house-of-bishops/
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Open Letters
Many survivors and our allies have written letters to successive Archbishops of Canterbury and other senior leaders. We cannot hope to include them all here; many are not in the public domain. We include those which have received significant media attention. They all advocate for justice for survivors and call for transformational change to the Church’s structures and cultures.
The entries below are listed in chronological order, to follow the timeline from the first correspondence (top) to last correspondence (bottom).
Open Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury from sexual abuse survivor Gilo
Ekklesia http://old.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24554
Archbishop of Canterbury urged to abandon Church insurers over ‘derisory’ settlements to abuse victims
Gilo | Christian Today https://www.christiantoday.com/article/archbishop.of.canterbury.urged.to.abandon.church.insurers.over.derisory.settlements.to.abuse.victims/117681.htm
Abuse survivor makes plea for changes to compensation
Church Times https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/10-november/news/uk/abuse-survivor-makes-plea-for-changes-to-compensation
Safeguarding consultant calls C of E to account on abuse investigations
Ekklesia http://old.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24845
Archbishop and sexual abuse survivor exchange letters
Thinking Anglicans www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/7735-2/
Justin Welby under pressure to overhaul approach to church sex abuse survivors
Christianity Today https://www.christiantoday.com/article/justin-welby-under-pressure-to-overhaul-approach-to-church-sex-abuse-survivors/120486.htm
Reply to Archbishop of Canterbury with comments from a range of survivors, Synod members, campaigners, and others
Thinking Anglicans http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/uploads/Comments%20to%20Welby%27s%20reply.pdf?x23804
Survivors say Church hierarchy failing to lead on child abuse
National Secular Society https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2017/12/survivors-say-church-hierarchy-failing-to-lead-on-child-abuse
Justin Welby ‘blocked’ payouts to abused pupils
Julian Whiting | The Sunday Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/justin-welby-blocked-payouts-to-abused-pupils-h3gb9sx59
Janet Fife Reply to Archbishops Pastoral Letter
Janet Fife | Surviving Church http://survivingchurch.org/2018/03/25/survivors-reply-to-archbishops-pastoral-letter/
Sorry not enough, Archbishops’ letter says after IICSA – and a survivor agrees
Janet Fife | Church Times https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2018/29-march/news/uk/sorry-not-enough-archbishops-letter-iicsa-survivor-agrees
Janet Fife’s Letter – some reflections
Janet Fife | Surviving Church http://survivingchurch.org/2018/03/27/janet-fifes-letter-some-reflections/
“Neither here nor there” – Members from the Survivor Reference Group (SRG)
Surviving Church http://survivingchurch.org/2020/08/02/neither-here-nor-there
An entirely different approach to survivors of abuse
Andrew Graystone | Thinking Anglicans | Also published in Letters to a Broken Church www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/an-entirely-different-approach-to-survivors-of-abuse/
Open Letter to Charity Commission December 2022
Surviving Church & Thinking Anglicans 51 signatories The letter complains of “a highly dysfunctional church culture – one lacking in care, wisdom and responsibility – uniformly poor in responses to allegations of abuse”. The writers say that the Church has “no functional leadership in...
Open Letter to Archbishops, House of Survivors, and General Synod | June 2023
[Name and Address Supplied] Letter copied below, or can be downloaded here. Note: there is a follow on letter to the one above, sent to the Archbishops and General Synod in October 2023, which can be viewed here. Open Letter to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York June 12th 2023 Dear...
Open Letter to Archbishops, House of Survivors, and General Synod | October 2023
[Name and Address Supplied] Letter copied below, or can be downloaded here. Note: this is a follow on open letter to the one sent to the Archbishops and General Synod in June 2023, which can be seen here. Open Letter to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York 12th October 2023 Dear...
Open letter to General Synod members and Archbishops’ Council
An Open letter from 40 survivors of Church abuse co-ordinated by Survivors Voices.Letter copied below, or can be downloaded here. Dear members of Synod and Archbishops’ Council,As you decide on the future of safeguarding in the Church of England this month, and implement your decision, please...