Mike Pilavachi

Michael Pilavachi, (born 7 March 1958) is a British charismatic evangelist, Anglican priest, and author of Greek Cypriot descent. He is the co-founder and former leader of the Soul Survivor charity based in Watford, England.

In May 2023, he was suspended from ministry while under investigation for safeguarding concerns, having stepped back from ministry the previous month. Pilavachi resigned as Associate Pastor of Soul Survivor Church, Watford, on 11 July 2023. In September 2023, the internal investigation being undertaken by the Church of England was completed: they substantiated the accusations against him and concluded that "he used his spiritual authority to control people and that his coercive and controlling behaviour led to inappropriate relationships".

Soul Survivor
Pilavachi was one of three senior pastors of the Soul Survivor Church, Watford, which he founded in 1993 alongside worship leader Matt Redman. A former accountant, he then became a youth worker at St Andrew's, Chorleywood, a Church of England church in Hertfordshire influential in the charismatic evangelical tradition. Two ministers of St Andrew's, David Pytches and Barry Kissell, launched the New Wine Christian family conferences.

In response to the large number of young people attending the New Wine conferences, Pilavachi launched Soul Survivor in the summer of 1993. The event became a 5-day-long charismatic Christian festival aimed at young people, the first of which attracted 1,896 delegates. Under Pilavachi's leadership, the event grew to accommodate around 30,000 people over four weeks, alongside a fifth week, Momentum, aimed at those in their twenties and thirties. Matt Redman, who had attended Pilavachi's youth club at St Andrew's Church, Chorleywood, was a worship leader at early Soul Survivor camps. Redman returned as a worship leader in 2011. In summer 2014, a fifth week of the festival was held in Scotland.

In May 2018, Pilavachi announced that the Soul Survivor conference would be ending after the summer of 2019.

Writing
Pilavachi has written several books on Christianity including Soul Survivor (with Nicky Gumbel, 2004), Live the Life (with Craig Borlaise, 2001), Storylines: Tracing the Threads of the Bible (with Andy Croft, 2008), and Everyday Supernatural: Living A Spirit-Led Life Without Being Weird (with Andy Croft, 2016).

Ordained ministry
He trained for ordination at St Mellitus College, an Anglican theological college. He was made a deacon in the Church of England at St Albans Abbey on 1 July 2012, and ordained a priest the following year. He served a curacy at St Peter's Church, Watford in the Diocese of St Albans from 2012, and was made an honorary canon of St Albans Cathedral in 2016.

Following ordination, Pilavachi continued to lead Soul Survivor Church, Watford, latterly swapping positions with former associate leader Andy Croft.

As of 2024, he does not have a licence to minister in the Church of England, but he has not been laicised and could return to ministry after being "fully risk assessed".

Other
Pilavachi helped run the international evangelistic event "Soul in the City" in London in 2004 and in Durban in 2009. He was also one of the founders of the Hope 08 project, an initiative of the churches of Britain and Ireland.

Safeguarding investigation and substantiated allegations
On 2 April 2023, Soul Survivor Watford announced that Pilavachi had stepped back from all ministry while safeguarding concerns were investigated. The original statement described the concerns as "non-recent" and noted that "the police are not involved; this is not a criminal investigation and Mike has not been suspended". A subsequent statement from the charity on 28 April removed the phrase "non-recent" after more recent safeguarding concerns had come to light. According to reporting by The Daily Telegraph, "the allegations are understood to span at least three decades and are as recent as 2020", with over 100 people having made allegations of abuse. Concerns about Pilavachi's relationships behaviour were first raised with Soul Survivor leadership in 2004 but were not followed up, according to reporting by The Times.

Pilavachi resigned as a director of the charity on 4 April and was suspended as an employee on 20 May. On 11 July, Pilavachi resigned as Associate Pastor of Soul Survivor Watford. In a Facebook post announcing his resignation, Pilavachi stated, "I have taken this step because the Church needs to heal and I have realised that my continued presence will hinder that process" and "I seek forgiveness from any whom I have hurt during the course of my ministry."

A report in The Daily Telegraph on 4 April revealed that the allegations related to "inappropriate massages" and "inappropriate intimate relationships" with young adults involved in the Soul61 scheme, a Christian gap year project. In their statement on 28 April regarding the disclosure of more recent safeguarding concerns, Soul Survivor noted: "Whilst it does not appear these recent allegations include physical contact they are no less significant because of that". On 1 May 2023, The Daily Telegraph published a further story with claims from alleged victims and former Soul Survivor staff members, stating, "A number also claim that they were encouraged to receive full-body oil massages in their underwear while being straddled by Rev Canon Pilavachi in his bedroom, as well as vigorous wrestling matches that could last as long as 20 minutes at a time – sometimes in church".

On 12 May 2023, Paul Martin, founder of Soul Survivor USA, spoke about earlier reports of allegations. He had informed the Soul Survivor leadership of "allegations of some sort about Mike's relationship with young interns" in 2002. He heard in 2004 that further "concerns regarding alleged inappropriate behaviour" had been raised with the UK leadership. In addition, former staff members described being part of "a 'conveyor belt' of young, athletic, attractive men – usually aged around 18 to 21 from broken homes or with traumatic childhoods."

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced on 16 May 2023 that the investigation had his "full support". This came after a report in The Daily Telegraph that some alleged victims had low confidence in the Church of England's internal inquiry and did not trust the church to "mark its own homework", as well as criticism of Welby for not commenting on the allegations sooner.

By September 2023, the internal investigation being undertaken by National Safeguarding Team (NST) and the Diocese of St Albans had concluded. The investigation substantiated accusations of abuse of power relating to his ministry and spiritual abuse: "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". The associated press release also revealed that Pilavachi had resigned his licence to officiate, and therefore "cannot currently minister in the Church of England".

In addition, the report noted that a complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM), had been taken out against Pilavachi "relating to a safeguarding concern post ordination", which was ongoing at the time of publication. This CDM related to "verbal interactions with a vulnerable person". In January 2024, it was found that "Pilavachi's conduct had nevertheless fallen short of that expected of a priest in the Church of England", and he received a written warning and "advice".

Personal life
In the 2020 New Year Honours, Pilavachi was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to young people.

Pilavachi professes to be celibate and encourages celibacy. He stated in interviews and seminars that celibacy enabled certain work which he would not have been able to balance with having a family.