Maybe the best place to hide really is in plain sight: Soul Survivor carries on
Soul Survivor, the once-celebrated Christian organisation, has shaped lives across the globe over the past 40 years. With its festivals, worship songs, and youth programs, it cultivated a movement that many credited with rekindling faith and building community. Yet, beneath the surface of this immense impact lies a history of abuse, mismanagement, and deep pain inflicted on countless victims.
When the full extent of the scandal involving the organisation’s founder, Mike Pilavachi, came to light, it sent shockwaves through Christian communities worldwide. Victims shared harrowing accounts of spiritual abuse, inappropriate behaviour, and a culture of enabling that allowed such actions to persist. These were not isolated incidents - they were substantiated patterns of harm spanning decades. For an organisation with Soul Survivor’s reach, the fallout should have been monumental, leading to fundamental changes in structure, leadership, and priorities. Yet, bafflingly, it feels as though Soul Survivor has treated this as little more than a speed bump on its journey.
A Hollow Response
Andy Croft, formerly a key leader at Soul Survivor and Soul Survivor Watford and a close associate of Mike Pilavachi, has left the organisation. At first glance, his departure might seem like a move toward accountability. In reality, however, it feels more like an act of avoidance. Croft was deeply embedded in the culture that allowed Pilavachi’s inappropriate behaviour to continue unchecked for years. Despite being found culpable for failing to act on multiple occasions, he chose to walk away rather than confront the consequences of his inaction.
Leaving may shield Croft from immediate scrutiny, but it raises a significant question: why not remain and use his platform to advocate for victims and drive meaningful change? His departure feels less like an effort to take responsibility and more like an escape from the hard work of restitution and rebuilding trust.
Croft’s silence now is as telling as his inaction then. Leadership isn’t just about standing tall when the road is paved with gold; it’s about stepping into the fire when the walls come down. Leaving the organisation may shield him from criticism, but it also denies him the opportunity to face the victims of his failures, to listen to their stories, and to use his influence to bring about meaningful change. He could have chosen to work quietly in support of those who were harmed, demonstrating his faith through service, humility, and a genuine desire to make amends. Instead, his exit feels like a convenient escape.
Meanwhile, Ali Martin, another prominent figure in Soul Survivor and Soul Survivor Watford, remains on stage, preaching as if nothing has changed. The Church of England safeguarding investigation cleared her of knowing about or ignoring Pilavachi’s abuse, but this raises troubling questions. If she genuinely didn’t know, does that not make her ignorant, naïve, or out of touch with the culture of the very organisation she helped lead? How can anyone trust her to hold a position of authority when her lack of awareness allowed such harm to persist for years?
For Martin to continue as a public-facing leader is a slap in the face to the victims. Regardless of the investigation’s findings, her presence on stage suggests a refusal to take full accountability for the organisation’s failures. It is a painful reminder that the leadership seems more concerned with preserving their roles and reputations than with addressing the cries of those they have harmed.
The Case for Starting Over
The ongoing presence of these leaders - and others like them - only highlights the need for Soul Survivor and Soul Survivor Watford to wipe the slate clean. Bringing in an entirely new team, untainted by past failures, is the only way to begin rebuilding trust. Leadership should not be about maintaining the status quo or salvaging personal legacies. It must be about serving those who were harmed, offering restitution, and demonstrating genuine repentance.
Instead, the current leadership seems determined to serve themselves. If they could pull their heads out of their distorted and insular Christian echo chamber for just a moment, they might hear the cries of their victims. They might realise that prayers and worship services mean little when they come from the same people who stayed silent and failed to act or serve others when it mattered most.
The refusal to make way for new voices, new leadership, and a new direction shows a staggering lack of self-awareness. Victims are left to wonder if their pain is being ignored because it is inconvenient for those at the top. This isn’t repentance; it’s resistance to change.
True Accountability Demands More
The legacy of Soul Survivor is now inseparably tied to the harm it caused. If the organisation truly believes in the gospel it preaches, then it must embrace the hard path of humility and restitution. This means stepping aside, dismantling harmful structures, and using its resources to serve victims rather than preserving its image.
The cries of the wounded cannot be drowned out by music or muted by sermons. For victims, the ongoing operations of Soul Survivor and Soul Survivor Watford are a daily reminder that the institution values its existence more than their healing. If this organisation is to embody the principles it claims to hold dear, it must start by listening to those who have suffered most. This isn’t just about ticking boxes or following the recommendations of the investigations, that’s the bare minimum. The real work - the harder, messier, and far more uncomfortable work - is facing the devastating reality of the harm they’ve caused. It’s not about a slap on the wrist or promising to “do better next time.” It’s about owning the full weight of their failures, reckoning with the pain inflicted, and committing to true, transformative change - no matter how costly or uncomfortable that might be.
So, how does that look? It means using their resources for actual, real support - repurposing their facilities to offer victim support, counselling, and advocacy. It means dedicating their wealth, time, and energy not to salvaging their image, but to the people they hurt. It’s not about words or good intentions; it’s about tangible action that helps victims heal and rebuild their lives.
Until then, its prayers remain an insult, its worship a mockery, and its existing leadership a glaring symbol that power matters more than principles.
The leadership remains mostly intact, and the church appears eager to move on. This raises an uncomfortable question: how can an organization “reset” without dismantling the very structures that allowed abuse to occur?
Papering Over the Cracks
It’s impossible to ignore the metaphorical explosion that has rocked Soul Survivor at its core. Victims’ stories have exposed a cavernous wound in the heart of the organisation. Yet, instead of addressing this destruction, the leadership appears to be redecorating - metaphorically painting over the debris and laying carpets over the shattered lives beneath.
Continuing business as usual is not just a poor choice; it is a betrayal. It communicates to victims that their pain, while regrettable, is secondary to preserving the institution. The message is clear: “We’re sorry for the hurt, but we have to keep doing what we were doing.” It’s akin to punching someone, offering a rushed apology, and then walking off to continue the same activity that led to the harm. There is no justice, no restitution -only the desire to get back to normal.
Why Not Shut It Down?
The Soul Survivor organisation could have chosen a radical course of action - one that truly reflected the gravity of the harm caused. They could have closed the church, dismantling the systems that enabled abuse. Their premises on Greycaine Road in Watford, a vast and valuable resource, could have been repurposed as a centre for victim support. Their significant financial resources could have been redirected to provide counselling, legal aid, and advocacy for those whose lives have been scarred by the organisation’s failures.
Such an approach would have been costly, not just financially but in time, energy, and humility. It would have been a true acknowledgment of the weight of their actions. Yet instead, they have chosen to continue, their prayers and worship services ringing hollow to those they have harmed.
A Mockery of Faith
There is no redemption in carrying on unchanged. For victims, the ongoing operations of Soul Survivor and Soul Survivor Watford feels like a slap in the face. The majority of the same leadership team presides over services, preaching the gospel while sidestepping their own accountability. It is a mockery of the faith they claim to uphold, a faith that demands justice and compassion above all else.
For those who have suffered, seeing Soul Survivor continue as if nothing has happened is a painful reminder that their voices remain unheard. The organisation’s decision to move forward without substantive change or sacrifice speaks volumes: they are more concerned with their reputation and legacy than with healing the wounds they have caused.
The Call for True Repentance
If Soul Survivor truly wishes to honour its faith and its victims, it must embrace a different path. This cannot be a surface-level adjustment; it must be a complete reckoning. Step down, dismantle, redistribute resources, and walk alongside victims in their pain. Anything less is an insult to the very gospel they claim to represent.
Perhaps the best place to hide is in plain sight but it’s still hiding, it is not a place where healing can begin. Soul Survivor must face the truth, not hide from it. And until they do, their prayers will remain an insult, their worship a mockery, and their legacy a cautionary tale. Kevin Jessup