Church warned resignation of Welby 'tip of the iceberg'

The scandal that led to the resignation of Justin Welby has been called just the tip of the iceberg”, as one bishop warned the Church of England is not a safe institution”.

- BARNEY DAVIS

Jayne Ozanne, a prominent LGBT+ campaigner who sat on the Archbishops’ Council, said the resignation of Justin Welby had to be a “watershed moment” for the Church.

Ms Ozanne told the BBC: “This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many other abusers that have been covered up for the good of the church. We must look afresh at how we empower and allow leaders to speak out when they disagree rather than muzzling them. When you just work as a pack and go silent, that silence is deafening, particularly for survivors.”

Mr Welby said on Tuesday that his decision to step down – which came after days of pressure following a damning report into abuse cover-up – was in the best interests of the Church.

Victims of John Smyth, a barrister who led Christian summer camps and is thought to be the most prolific abuser associated with the Church, have called for further resignations from senior clergy members involved in the scandal.

Meanwhile, Bishop of Birkenhead Julie Conalty said she couldn’t guarantee that abuse is not still going on in the Church. “We still have this institutional problem where we are not putting victims and survivors at the centre. In some ways, we are not a safe institution,” she said.