Late and former Church of England lay minister, John Smyth.
Publicity around sexual abuse allegations against the late and former Church of England lay minister, John Smyth, will generate more reports of abuse from the past, so far unknown to the Anglican Church’s leadership.
Head of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA), Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, made the comment during his sermon on Sunday where he spoke about the “scandalous abuse in England and Zimbabwe” by Smyth.
Smyth, accused of having committed sexual abuse against at least 85 boy victims in various countries, had lived in Cape Town and worshipped at St Martin’s in Bergvliet until his death in 2018.
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has since decided to launch an inquiry into the alleged illicit activity of Smyth. “The details of the abuse perpetrated by John Smyth in the 1980s and 1990s are enough to make you sick. Archbishop Desmond Tutu used to say that no one is beyond the love of God, that no one is irredeemably evil, but I have to say that Smyth’s vicious and foul abuse of young men tests that belief.
“In the church, we often accompany people at the most critical points in their lives. We also minister to young people at a formative time of their lives, often to teens and pre-teens from unstable or unhappy homes.
For someone in the church, which is meant to be a safe and nurturing space, to prey on God’s children when they are at their most vulnerable is not only wrong, it is not only criminal, which it often is, it is evil beyond description. It makes me want to weep,” said Makgoba.
He said there were no allegations of abuse against Smyth while he lived in Cape Town.
“Beyond our compassion for victims of abuse, which must be our primary and overwhelming concern, the sad and horrendous cover-up revealed in the Church of England’s report on Smyth’s abuse removes the glue which holds us together in the church ...that glue is trust, a trust that binds communities together.
“When the diocese (of Cape Town) received a warning in 2013 from a bishop in the Church of England about the abuses he committed before he came here, it was established that he had worshipped in one of our parishes for a year or two about eight years earlier. There was no evidence that he had abused or tried to groom anyone. In 2020, I learned that during the last months of his life, when the diocese knew of his history, he had been allowed to attend services in the same parish on condition he was not to get involved in any ministry or contact any young person. We must also not be naïve - the publicity around this case will generate more reports of abuse from the past, so far unknown to the church’s leadership,” said Makgoba.
The Makin review detailed that Smyth had moved to Zimbabwe in July 1984 and to South Africa in August 2001.
The report called for a full independent review of Smyth’s activities in the countries.
The bishop of an English diocese wrote to the Diocese of Cape Town in 2013, warning that Smyth was accused of abuse in Britain and Zimbabwe.
Inquiries at the time revealed that Smyth had left the Cape Town parish he had attended a number of years earlier, and that no reports of abuse or grooming were made.
ACSA’s Safe And Inclusive Church (SAIC) has urged victims to come forward with any information.
“We are studying the contents of the Makin report and note the recommendations that relate to ACSA.
“A programme of action will be shared as soon as possible. We will be guided by the expectation of persons affected by this matter in shaping how we respond.
“In the meantime, any person who is affected or impacted by abuse within the church is welcome to reach out to us and we commit to holding space to listen to complaints and to act on them as needed,” SAIC said.
Victims can report abuse to safechurches@anglicanchurchsa.org.za.
Cape Times
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