Gavin Drake accuses Business Committee of ‘manipulating’ Synod and resigns his membership

Jul 11, 2023 by Jill

by Francis Martin, Church Times:

A PROMINENT General Synod member, Gavin Drake, has resigned, saying that “manipulation” of synodical process had prevented the Synod on Monday from hearing a motion calling for an independent inquiry into church safeguarding.

Speaking to journalists that afternoon, Mr Drake said: “I joined the General Synod to make the Church a safer place, and to campaign to improve safeguarding, and it’s quite clear that, even though the Synod wants that, . . . the Business Committee can use the time to prevent debate; they can use the time to prevent the facts being said.”

Mr Drake is the founder of the Jill Saward Organisation, named after his late wife, which campaigns for survivors of abuse; and he is the director of communications for the Anglican Communion Office.

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Read also: Safeguarding in ‘crisis’ in Church of England, says archbishop of York by Harriet Sherwood, Guardian