Cleanse, don’t close, the Titus Trust
by Julian Mann, Anglican Ink:
Now that the Iwerne camps at which the serial abusers John Smyth and Jonathan Fletcher groomed their victims are closing, should the evangelical Christian organisation running the holidays since 1997, the Titus Trust, close as well?
Because the victims of Smyth’s savage beatings made disclosures to various current clergy in the Church of England with former Iwerne dormitory officer, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby hearing of the abuse in 2013, its national safeguarding team has commissioned a lessons learned review of its handling of the Smyth abuse scandal, due to be published next year.
Even before this review led by the highly respected Keith Makin, a former director of social services, appears, question marks are hanging over the future of the Titus Trust. Can there be a positive role for a scandal-hit organisation that specialises in evangelical ministry to children at elite fee-paying schools in England and Wales?
It is possible to make a case that there could be such a role in the future but only if the Titus Trust makes deeply intentional changes of attitude within the culture of its organisation.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
