THE Jesus Army’s remaining £25-million assets will be divided among the 172 members who remained loyal to the organisation until its demise, the BBC has reported. Survivors have denounced the plan.
Founded in 1969 by Noel Stanton, a Baptist lay pastor, the Jesus Fellowship/Army was disbanded in 2020 after stories of abuse led to a police investigation, which resulted in the convictions of five members, two of whom went to prison.
At a meeting with the Fellowship’s leadership, the police were given a file containing 133 responses from former members, which included allegations of serial sexual abuse. It is estimated that one in six children who lived in the community had been sexually abused. A total of 539 alleged perpetrators of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse were identified, including Stanton himself — an alleged child abuser.
In 2018, the Fellowship was estimated to be worth £58 million, including 55 large houses throughout England, which have since been sold. In 2022, the trustees of the Jesus Fellowship Community Trust (JFCT) — established to dissolve the organisation and its assets — announced a compensation scheme for survivors of abuse (News, 30 September 2022). The scheme closed on 31 December 2023.
Of the 601 applicants, 96 per cent received an award of financial or non-financial redress. More than £7 million was paid out in compensation (News, 20 September 2024), some of which was covered by insurers.
Last week, the BBC reported that it had seen legal submissions revealing that the organisation had £25 million remaining, “which will be divided among loyal members”. A spokesperson for the JFCT said that the trustees had acted “in accordance with the trust deed”.
One claimant, Graham Lewis, who left in 1996 because gay relationships were forbidden, and who was a victim of emotional and sexual abuse himself, was paid £25,000 under the redress scheme.
“It doesn’t compensate for the harm I suffered, and it also doesn’t cover the financial losses I incurred; the 15 years I couldn’t pay into a pension for example,” he told the BBC. He expressed concern that people accused of child abuse or covering-up offences could be among the beneficiaries.
In response to the BBC report, Malcolm Johnson, head of abuse claims at Lime Solicitors, which represented 150 of the successful claimants, said: “During our investigations, our clients named at least 50 people who perpetrated abuse against them, some of whom were long-standing members of the Church. We’re not aware that the Church ever took any kind of action against them, and so the news today that they could collect their share of the £25 million, ending up with more remuneration than their victims and sail off scot-free, is appalling.
“It speaks to not only a lack of accountability but a lack of acknowledgement for the victims who suffered for decades and will undoubtedly be emotionally and mentally impacted by this news.”
A spokesperson for the JFCT told the BBC: “The Trustees have been acutely conscious of the traumatic, abusive, and adverse experiences suffered in the church and community. They have also recognised the importance of engaging with not just the listed beneficiaries, but with others who have an interest in the winding up.
“They have sought to do so sensitively, meaningfully, and with a genuine willingness to listen and a desire to work collaboratively with interested parties.”
