Just reflecting on the latest report from the Trustee’s of the Jesus Fellowship Church Trust.
Many people over the years have tried to make the abuses that occurred in the JFC known, and we owe a lot to these people.
What started the downfall of the Jesus Fellowship, was as a direct result of the Jimmy Saville case and the JFC’s insurers asking for disclosures of abuse. We have been told the JFC were not expecting what they got and had to refer themselves to the police. Operation Lifeboat 1 was formed.
Don’t think this would have been possible without the invention of the Internet and social media either. Several FaceBook groups were set up as a way to share information and to get back in touch with others who had been victims.
Also the timing. There were investigations going on into several churches and organisations which meant victims were starting to be believed.
It was at this point, a group of us (mostly being brought up in the JFC) formed the Jesus Fellowship Survivor’s Association. This meant we formalised the work we were doing so it was easier to be listened to. We made sure we could not be ignored! We had numerous meetings with the so called ‘Apostolic group’, other leaders and members of the JFC, the police, cult specialists, solicitors, the Northampton safeguarding children and vulnerable adults boards, LADO’s, several media outlets and we presented to IICSA and ICSA. There are probably more.
I would say this work has come at a personal cost to all of us. For some, it has been going on for 9 years.
We are proud of ourselves today. It has not been an easy task at all but all of our aims and more have been fufilled. We never thought the JFC would shut down and there were plenty of times where we thought there wouldn’t be any compensation payments.
The report just confirms we were right to fight for the truth to be heard.What we wanted more than anything was for victims to get the right support and be believed. The report today shows that that has happened for sure.
Thanks for reading
Karen Wesley
Vice Chair of the Jesus Fellowship Survivor’s Association
Jesus Fellowship Survivors Association 