The Church in Wales has ruled that Reverend Ryan Forey, formerly of Citizen Church in Cathays, Cardiff, must undergo two years of safeguarding training and supervision following admissions of financial misconduct, safeguarding breaches, and setting up a breakaway church.

Forey acknowledged making unauthorised payments to himself and his wife, and using a church app that revealed children’s identities, describing his decisions as misguided but never hidden, as reported by Nation Cymru.

The tribunal noted that while the payments were intended to compensate for missed clergy fees, they breached church governance rules, and the app’s misuse created safeguarding concerns that were later addressed.

Forey also admitted forming Be Church Cardiff while still serving at Citizen Church, attributing the move to personal hurt, a crisis of faith, and untreated ADHD, and expressed a desire to continue ministry within the Anglican Communion.

John Pockett, a Church in Wales worshipper, criticised the Citizen Church project, calling it “a disaster".

Forey reflected on his time out of ministry, saying: “I did make mistakes; I make no excuses for them. I’ve also learned from them… failure – in God’s hands – can become one of the greatest lessons in leadership.”