The Archbishop of Canterbury has announced that Mike Pilavachi's Lambeth Award has been withdrawn.
The Most Rev Justin Welby announced the decision on Wednesday, following an internal Church investigation last year into the Soul Survivor founder's conduct.
The report, by the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team, substantiated claims of physical, spiritual and psychological abuse across a 40-year period. Some 150 people, including survivors came forward with allegations against the former youth leader and pastor.
Pilavachi received the Lambeth Award for “outstanding contributions to evangelism and discipleship amongst young people” in 2020 for his work with the Christian youth festival Soul Survivor.
At the time, Lambeth Palace said Pilavachi had "shaped a spirituality and discipleship for generations of young people in which the primacy of worship, evangelism, provision for the poor, ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit and a love for scripture are non-negotiable.
“What is more, Mike has exercised this ministry with exemplary humility, humour and self-sacrifice."
A petition calling for the withdrawal of this award was launched earlier this year.
Archbishop Justin said the decision to revoke the award came in response to the investigation’s conclusion and “powerful testimony from survivors".
Earlier this year, worship leaders Matt and Beth Redman joined in sharing their experiences of working with Pilavachi in a new 30-minute documentary called Let There Be Light, detailing claims of psychological abuse.
Speaking to Premier last month, Archbishop Justin had this to say about Mike Pilavachi:
“I just think it is the most enormous tragedy. Here was a youth work that was remarkable on the appearance, but was abusive, deeply abusive, internally. That can never, ever be tolerated. No amount of gifting and skill can as it were, in some bizarre way, compensate for abuse. And there was abuse. We need to be honest about that. We need to be transparent. I, from all that I hear and are going on asking questions. The work on transparency is being well done. This has been done with great rigour, and it will continue to be so.”
