Seven Church of England clergy members, including a bishop, are facing disciplinary action following the publication of a damning abuse report. The report, published in 2024, prompted Justin Welby's resignation and revealed that various individuals within the Church were aware of decades-long abuse by a Christian camp leader, John Smyth, but failed to act.
Paul Butler, the retired former Bishop of Durham, is among those facing potential bans from ministry. The Church's national safeguarding team (NST) is taking action under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM). The CDM outcomes range from conditional discharge to removal from office and a lifetime ban from ministry.
The NST has confirmed that the Reverend Sue Colman, the wife of the Colman's mustard heir Sir Jamie Colman, is also facing disciplinary proceedings. The Makin report noted that she and her husband visited Smyth in Africa in the 1990s and funded the Smyths through a personal trust. The NST will make no further comments on the cases while proceedings are ongoing.