JESUS FELLOWSHIP (FORMERLY JESUS ARMY) REDRESS PAYMENT SCHEME

Jesus Fellowship Community Trust

The Jesus Fellowship Redress Scheme offers redress to those who have suffered harm, abuse or adverse experiences within the Jesus Fellowship community. 

If you meet the criteria for the Individual Redress Payment Scheme, you may be entitled to: An award of compensation for the harm or injury suffered, aligned with Common Law Compensation Awards;
A written apology acknowledging what has happened to you, providing acceptance of responsibility and an assurance that lessons of the past have been learned and shared with relevant authorities;
An invitation to meet with a Trustee of the Trust to share your story, if you so wish;
Provision towards the cost of solicitor fees.

Please note: The invitation to meet with a Trustee is not compulsory, nor will it have any impact on any offer made. It is entirely up to the discretion of the person applying.

Who can apply?

Any person who can establish they are/were a Member AND/OR a Dependant of a Member family in the Church and/or Community;

AND

There is evidence to show that on the balance of probabilities they suffered;

Emotional Abuse; and/or
Physical Abuse; and/or
Sexual Abuse; and
Recognised Psychiatric Injury.

AND

The abuse was committed, counselled or instructed by a person at that time engaged in the leadership, management, operation or supervision of the Church and/or Community whether as a Leader of the Church and/or Community or a person for whom the Trust would be Vicariously Liable;

OR

The abuse was committed by an individual invited to stay in a Shared Property by a Member in the circumstances where there were inadequate safeguarding measures in place.

Who cannot apply to the Individual Redress Payment Scheme?

Any person who:has pursued a Civil Claim for compensation against the Trust in respect of the same damage for which they are applying to the Individual Redress Payment Scheme and has received an award of compensation in full and final settlement of that Civil Claim;
has received a criminal conviction in respect of their conduct towards others in the Jesus Fellowship.
was a member of the Covering Authority and/or Apostolic Group of the Jesus Fellowship.


Please note: A person under the age of 18 may apply to the Individual Redress Payment Scheme but they will be required to have a Litigation Friend to support them throughout the process. You can find more information on our FAQ page about applying under the age of 18.

3. How to Apply


Application Form

You can apply online by selecting ‘Apply Online’ or you can download an application form to print, complete and post, both at the bottom of this page.

Information required to apply

1. Identification

If you have engaged with a solicitor you will not need to provide any ID documentation with your application, as identity will be confirmed by the solicitor.

If you are not engaging a solicitor you will be asked to provide certified proof of identity. A full list of accepted ID and how to certify ID can be found on our FAQ page

If you have had a legal change of name either by marriage, divorce or by deed poll since their time in the Jesus Fellowship, then you will need to provide evidence of the name change (e.g. a marriage certificate).

If you wish to send your application via post, please do not send original copies of ID as we cannot return any documents sent.


2. Details of the applicant’s involvement within the Jesus Fellowship

You need to be able to establish that you are/were a Member AND/OR a Dependant of a Member family in the Church and/or Community, in order to be eligible for the Individual Redress Payment Scheme.

To be able to confirm an applicant’s status within the Jesus Fellowship we ask for information regarding Community living and/or their association with the Jesus Fellowship Church.

You will be asked to provide information, if available or known, relating to your time in the Jesus Fellowship Church and/or Community such as:Address history
Community household name/s
Date/s of involvement
Membership status


3. Referee

You will be given the option to provide details of a Referee. This is someone who will be able to confirm membership status in the Church/Community. This is optional, and they will only be contacted by the Scheme Solicitors to help confirm eligibility.


4. Witness Statement

You will need to provide a Witness Statement with your application.

If you have engaged a solicitor then they will be able to work with you to complete the witness statement.

If the choice has been made not to engage a solicitor, you must use the Witness Statement template available here. Using this will ensure that all the information has been included to process the application. The witness statement can then be added as an attachment to the online form, or posted with a paper application.

We understand that this might be a painful process. For information on independent organisations that will be able to support you, please visit our Support page.


5. Supporting Documents (if applicable)

You may have further documents that you wish to provide in support of their claim. This is optional and there will be space for these to be uploaded to the online application. If the application form is being posted, please include any supporting documents.

If more information is required during the application process, the Scheme solicitors will contact the applicant or the applicants solicitors for more details.


6. Processing your personal data

You will need to sign a declaration to confirm that you have read the Jesus Fellowship Redress Scheme Privacy Notice and to confirm you understand how your information is shared and kept, before submitting their application.

For all information on how personal data is collected, stored and used, please see here.


Checklist

You can download the Individual Redress Payment Scheme Application Checklist to ensure you have all the relevant documents and information collected before applying.


Third party support with application

When applying for the Individual Redress Payment Scheme, you can be supported by either;a Solicitor: all eligible applicants will be entitled to provisions of costs towards any solicitors’ fees. For more information about using a solicitor please continue to the next section below on this page.

a Litigation Friend: an individual who offers support to an eligible applicant who lacks capacity, and who can fairly and competently conduct an application on behalf of that eligible applicant, and who has completed a certificate of suitability (N235 form) to be filed with the court.

an Attorney: a person who has a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) as registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).

a Nominated Representative: a family member, friend or individual who can assist the eligible applicant with their application form. The applicant must provide a completed Nominated Representative Form, identifying the individual who will be acting as their Nominated Representative. You can find the form here.

If you are being supported by a Litigation Friend, an Attorney (LPA) or Nominated Representative, then proof of consent will need to be provided with the application form along with certified ID. More information on third party support can be found on our FAQ page.

4. Using a Solicitor

We strongly advise that all applicants engage a solicitor to support them through the Individual Redress Payment Scheme process.

A solicitor will:Help complete an application form; and
Give independent legal advice; and
Explain all the options if an offer of payment is made.

If you are offered a payment and want to accept it, you will be asked to sign a settlement agreement. The settlement agreement is a legal document. It has important consequences on your rights to raise or continue civil court action related to your abuse. You must sign and return the settlement agreement to receive payment. A solicitor will be able to advise you on the terms of the settlement agreement.

Eligible applicants whose Individual Redress Payment applications are agreed, will be entitled to payments of reasonable legal costs as covered in the scheme. These costs are capped at £2,500 plus VAT and sent directly to the eligible applicant’s solicitor following settlement and payment of the Individual Redress Payment.

Applicants should check with their chosen solicitor that they will work for the fees available.

How to engage a solicitor?

We are not in a position to recommend a particular solicitor but help can be found through the Law Society website Law Society website.

5. Next Steps

You can apply using the buttons at the bottom of this page.

Once your application has been submitted, you will be sent an acknowledgment from the Scheme Solicitors, to confirm your application has been received. If more information is required to confirm eligibility to the Individual Redress Payment Scheme, you will be contacted within 45 days of your application being received.

Through each step of the process you will be contacted with updates regarding the status of your application. When applying, you will be asked to confirm whether you would like to be contacted by post or by email.


Please note: If you have a solicitor supporting you through your application, all communication will go through them. Your solicitor will be informed of receipt of application and be contacted for any further information. When your application is being processed:
Initially, your application will be checked against your certified ID and a check of records will be carried out to confirm that you were connected to the Jesus Fellowship Church and/or Trust.

The Scheme Solicitors will look at your claim and Witness Statement provided and come back to you or your solicitor, if further information is required.

Once the Scheme Solicitors have reviewed the Witness Statement and considered the application, they will then send advice to the Trustees with recommendations.

You will then receive a decision either directly or via your solicitor if you have one, which may include an offer of compensation by way of settlement offer. You will also be given the option to meet with a Trustee to share your story.

You will then be required to respond to the scheme solicitors. If you have engaged a solicitor, they will be able to advise you on the offer received for your consideration.

Once an offer has been accepted, any funds that may be owed to you will be paid. Any solicitor fees paid for by the Scheme will be sent directly to your chosen solicitor.

Whilst the scheme solicitors will endeavor to respond to applications in a timely manner you may expect the process to take weeks or months, depending on the volume of applications received at any given time. You will be updated throughout the application process.

6. Apply

You can apply either by selecting ‘Apply Online’ or you can download an application form to print and complete.

Please ensure that you have all of the required information available before starting your application form. If you are applying online, you will be able to save the application and return to it, if required, however once the application has been submitted it can not be changed.

You can download the Individual Redress Payment Scheme Checklist to ensure you have collected all the relevant documents and information collected before applying.

All paper forms must be sent to the Scheme solicitors at the following address;

JF Redress Scheme
Clyde & Co,
2 New Bailey Square,
Stanley Street,
Salford, M3 5GS

JESUS ARMY REPORT: DISGRACEFUL COVER UP OF ABUSE BY CHURCH LEADERS

Jesus Army abuse 'covered-up by church leaders', report claims

By Jon IronmongerBBC News
Abuse of women and children was covered-up by senior members of a disgraced religious sect, according to a report leaked to the BBC.

All five surviving leaders of the now-defunct Jesus Army were found to have colluded with sexual offenders through their handling of complaints.

A report into sexual abuse within the Jesus Army criticised the actions of, left to right, Mike Farrant, Huw Lewis, Ian Callard, John Campbell and Mick Haines

The report followed an inquiry commissioned by the church in 2017.

The Jesus Fellowship Church Trust (JFCT) declined to comment when approached by the BBC.

Last year it apologised to anyone 'who experienced harm in the past' and urged victims to contact police.

The Jesus Army was a cult-like religious movement that sprang up in Northamptonshire in the 1970s and established a sprawling community of houses.

Last year it dissolved after the BBC revealed hundreds of former members were seeking damages for alleged sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

Ten people from the church have been convicted of sex offences.

The new report focused on the actions of the so-called Apostolic Group of senior church leaders over the past two decades.

While the report did not identify the men, the BBC can name them as Ian Callard, John Campbell, Mike Farrant, Mick Haines and Huw Lewis.

Mr Haines became the sect's principle leader after the death of its founder Noel Stanton in 2009.

In the summary of her 800-page final report, independent investigator Vicki Lawson-Brown said all five leaders 'must take responsibility for their inaction'.

She said women were treated as 'domestic servants', which placed them and children at higher risk of abuse.

There was a culture of 'blaming victims' and 'reinstating disgraced leaders', her review found.

Describing one 'significant case', she said all of the men, by their failure to act, protected a convicted paedophile who had been allowed to continue in his role as an elder by Mr Stanton.

In spite of further complaints against the man, he 'remained a risk within a community household until 2016 when social services threatened to take action'.

The report recommended further investigations into a number of other areas, including sexual, spiritual and financial abuse, as well the 'inappropriate punishment' of children.

The Jesus Army, or Jesus Fellowship as it was formally known, was an ultra-evangelical sect, founded in a small chapel in the Northamptonshire village of Bugbrooke in 1969.

It attracted thousands of members, from homeless drug addicts to devout Christian families, many of whom lived together in close-knit, rural communes.

Members were put to work on the church's farms or businesses and forced to hand over money and possessions.

Surviving members have described an intense, bullying regime, in which children were severely disciplined and forced to sit through long worship sessions involving speaking in tongues and exorcisms.

In 2019 the BBC exposed allegations of abuse on a 'prolific scale' including rapes, 'brainwashing' and the brutal or sexualised beating of young children by groups of men.

Forty-three people who were active in the Church have been named as alleged perpetrators, including founder and firebrand, Noel Stanton.

After his death in 2009, the Church handed 'disclosures' of sexual offences against Mr Stanton and others to police.

In 2017 the five senior leaders known as the Apostolic Group were asked to step down, pending an inquiry into the cover-up of abuse allegations.

The BBC has spoken to more than 25 former members of the Jesus Army who claimed to have experienced abuse within community houses. Many said their complaints to leadership were ignored.

One woman, who asked not to be named, said Mr Farrant, who was known as 'Rockfast,' ignored her claims in 2006 that an active church elder had sexually assaulted children in the 1980s.

Mr Campbell, known as 'Perceptive', was the church's official spokesman, its head of safeguarding and the elder of Festal Grange in Pattishall.

The BBC can reveal that a gardener who stayed at the Grange was a convicted paedophile and went on to sexually assault three boys in the cellar over a seven-year period.

Neither Mr Farrant nor Mr Campbell replied to our request for comment on the allegations.

Although the Jesus Army has closed, its scattered congregations have formed small, independent churches. About 180 people still live in communal houses.

Over the past year the JFCT has been disposing of properties and assets totalling tens of millions of pounds.

It is expected some of the funds raised will be used to compensate victims.

Chairman of the Jesus Fellowship Survivors Association, which represents about 800 alleged victims, Erin Woodger, said compensation would help but would not 'repair or make up for the abuse these people have suffered'.

He said many had nightmares and could not work.

'It was living in that regime, being controlled, being beaten, being demeaned on a daily basis, and having no terms of reference, that has been most profoundly damaging,' he said.

Mr Woodger said following the revelation of the abuse allegations the church suffered 'huge financial damage' with the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds in charitable donations.

He said the BBC's coverage 'helped to bring out the truth, but they're still trying to cover it up, and make out things weren't that bad'.

All five members of the Apostolic Group were interviewed under caution by Northamptonshire Police last year.

The force said it had 'identified concerns around poor leadership and a lack of understanding of safeguarding'.

However, no evidence was found of criminal offences.

None of the men replied to the BBC's approaches for comment.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-53450901?CMP=share_btn_me&fbclid=IwAR3NEQDxy0zcjfnczSQ9w4_h0_bRgY_hD3XTnv0JPtWBRNQTJ1ttJihSbcI

THE ABUSIVE JESUS ARMY CULT: MORE ANTICS COME TO LIGHT!

SPECIAL REPORT: Jesus Army workers facing large pensions gap because church did not pay their National Insurance

By Paul Lynch

Northampton Chronicle and Echo

8th August 2019

Ian and Jeannie Johnson are calling for National Insurance contributions

 to be paid back to former Jesus Army members.

Dozens of former Jesus Army (JA) residents who toiled day and night to look after one of the organisation’s many communal houses are facing having to take reduced pensions – as their elders chose not to pay their National Insurance.

In May, the Christian sect formed in Bugbrooke announced plans to disband following a wave of abuse allegations – exclusively revealed to be more than 100-strong by this newspaper back in 2017.

                       Preacher Noel Stanton set up the religious sect throughout the 1970s.

A group of ex-members known as the Jesus Fellowship Survivors Association are leading an effort to see those abused sexually, physically, financially and spiritually compensated by the church.

But among those making claims against the church are people who looked after the communal Jesus Army houses around the country – many of which were in Northampton.

The church made part of its revenue through a number of business ventures – such as a large potato farm in Nether Heyford and a building services contractor. Several ex-members who worked on the farm as children have described the work as ‘slave labour’ as they did not actually receive a wage, it was ploughed into the common purse.

The so-called employees had their National Insurance contributions paid by the church elders.

New Creation Farm in Nether Heyford, where many of the Jesus Army members lived in a secluded community.

But the Chronicle & Echo has now learned that dozens of members who maintained the church’s many communal houses did not have those contributions paid for a number of years – as they were not originally classed as having a job.

Often their daily life involved long, strenuous hours catering for up to 30 housemates at a time. In the 1980s it was agreed that they should, in fact, be classed as workers.

But for many there had already been a significant gap in their National Insurance contributions.

Ian Johnson founded the JA’s Goodness Foods bakery in Daventry only to leave during the 1980s out of principle. His wife Jeannie was among those affected.

                             The entire Jesus Army estate is said to be worth close to 60 million.

“For people, we know this has had a dramatic effect,” he said.

“One person I know is 70 and has had to get an extra job because of the shortage in their pension. My wife should have been paid another five years’ worth of contributions. That would have been at about £1,000 a year. That’s a lot of money.

“I know of at least four people this is affecting and there could be dozens more.”

Mr Johnson, 70, who now runs a successful lettings business on Crete, has urged the Jesus Army to fill in the National Insurance payment gaps for the communal house workers.

“People that lived in the communes were basically being looked after as if they lived in a hotel.”

These workers should have been classed as employees.”

Mr Johnson is calling on the Jesus Army to make up the pension shortfall as part of the ongoing redress scheme but he says the organisation is yet to give him firm answers on whether this will be the case.

There are currently more than 100 claims being made against the religious sect – papers seen by the Chronicle and Echo show its asset value to be about £58 million.

The Jesus Army still owns 55 properties, according to the leaked papers. Many of the properties are communal houses – though there are currently only 200 people believed to still be living in them.

The Jesus Army Battlecentre in London is listed as being worth £13 million ‘dependant on planning caveats’.

Mr Johnson believes the Jesus Army – a registered charity aimed at helping the needy – has a moral duty to compensate the commune workers.

“People who lived in the communes were basically being looked after as if they lived in a hotel,” he said. “These workers should have been classed as employees.”

A spokesman for the Jesus Army said the redress scheme would “soon be open to sympathetically deal with the claims of people who consider that they had a bad experience in connection with the church.”

He said that extended to “people with money concerns” such as those whose National Insurance contributions were not paid.

The Jesus Fellowship Survivors Association is working with the church to compensate victims of abuse. A spokeswoman said: “We have heard, and are still hearing, many stories like Ian’s.

"We are pushing hard for restitution of financial harm to be included alongside a redress scheme being set up in conjunction with the JFCT (Jesus Fellowship Community Trust).

"As part of this involvement, we are putting pressure on the JFCT to do the right thing, morally, regarding financial redress for adults.

“Whilst working with the redress scheme we are also working with solicitors to bring group civil actions.”

Contact jfsurvivors@gmail.com for more information.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/

Further Link:

http://www.jesusarmywatch.org.uk/

BBC REPORT: THE EMERGING HORROR OF THE JESUS ARMY SEX SCANDAL

Jesus Army sex scandal: The dark secrets of life in a commune
By Jon Ironmonger BBC News
19th July 2019

Noel Stanton, founder of the sect, preached about sins of the flesh

Hundreds of former members of the Jesus Army are seeking damages for alleged abuse inside the religious sect.

Ex-members have told the BBC how children suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse on a "prolific scale", with most claims relating to incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Baptist sect is to close but is the subject of a renewed police inquiry.

The Jesus Army has apologised to anyone "who experienced harm in the past" and urged victims to contact police.

Ten people from the Jesus Fellowship Church - later known as the Jesus Army - have been convicted for various sex offences.

'Beaten with rods'

Launched in the manse of a small chapel in Northamptonshire in 1969, the Jesus Army grew quickly in wealth and number.

At its peak the JFC had more than 2,000 members, hundreds of whom lived together in close-knit communal houses throughout central England.

It offered homeless or vulnerable people and god-fearing families the promise of "new creation" through a devout, all-encompassing way of life.

Residents submitted to an intense regime of work and worship. All of their income was given to a common purse and everything was shared - from underwear to parenting.

Children could be disciplined by any adult, while youngsters and newcomers were assigned to a male "shepherd" to oversee their spiritual development. 

 

Image copyright British Museum Image caption The Jesus Army's brightly coloured buses took members to find new recruits

By the age of 12 or 13, children were often separated from their parents.

Ex-members say it was typical for adults to enter their bedrooms while they undressed, or watch them take a bath.

The BBC has heard that children as young as three who misbehaved could be stripped from the waist, told to bend over and hold their ankles, and beaten with a rod.

Rape, bullying, brainwashing

Community members lived under the unchallenged authority of the movement's creator, Noel Stanton.

He was a firebrand who preached daily about sins of the flesh, and cursed wayward members as "backsliders" who were going to hell.

Mr Stanton founded the JFC on a huge enterprise of shops, businesses and two large farms, generating millions of pounds in annual turnover.

After his death in 2009, the church handed allegations of sexual offences against Stanton and others to Northamptonshire Police.

The BBC can now reveal that 43 people who were active in the church have been linked to reports of historic sexual and physical abuse.

It is understood further claims have come to light such as rapes, bullying, brainwashing, forced labour, financial bondage and "barbaric beatings" of young boys by groups of men.

Jesus Army closes after child sex abuse claims

Detectives have launched a new "comprehensive" inquiry into historic abuse by the church and evidence of a cover-up by five former leaders.

However, a survivors' group has raised concerns about the level of compensation being proposed by the church. It is now preparing group legal action involving hundreds of claimants.

A spokesman for the JFC insisted a formal redress scheme was being developed "to provide money and counselling" to "those who had suffered poor treatment in the past".

It said the scheme had been set up with external stakeholders to ensure everyone was dealt with in a "transparent and even-handed way" 

Rose's story 

 

Image caption New Creation Hall in Northamptonshire was the birthplace of the JFC

"I don't remember ever feeling safe as a child, I think people thought God would protect their children," says Rose, which is not her real name.

She is one of a number of alleged victims who have told the BBC about their experiences inside the Jesus Army.

Rose was a baby when her family moved to a commune in the 1980s.

She says the intense regime made it a frightening place to grow up, with "loud and scary exorcisms" taking place at every meeting.

"I remember very strongly as a child a man manifesting next to me, shouting, screaming, retching and being sick on the floor," she says.

Fervent sessions of worship were held in the evenings with songs, prayer and speaking in tongues, while most weekends were spent on recruitment drives in towns and cities. Followers donned military-style uniforms and drove rainbow-coloured buses.

Rose explained that one of the main teachings was "there is nothing good in you as a person".

"Everything in you was the result of sin, and I developed a complete self-loathing because of that message," she says.

Rose said children were regularly "disciplined" by adults, including homeless people and drug addicts picked up off the streets.

"There was something about public discipline... being whacked in front of a whole congregation of people, that was very humiliating."

Rose says that when she was 12 years old an older man in her commune began to groom and molest her "every weekend".

She says he used to touch her leg under the dinner table or fondle her breasts while handing her money to get an ice cream. 

 

Image caption The Jesus Centre, former home of the group, in Northampton

"At the time, I didn't know what was going on," she says. "I hadn't thought or talked about my body and he used that to molest me and continued to do it every weekend."

She knew the situation was "weird and uncomfortable" but felt "he must have had a reason for doing it".

When she was 15 years old, she says another prominent figure in the church led her behind a building and forced her to perform a sex act on him.

"I knew something had happened that was wrong and felt a lot of shame," Rose says, but added that "women were there to serve. We were always subordinate."

It was typical for women to be seen as temptresses who corrupted male members, former members said.

So when her abuser told the church what had happened, Rose says she was blamed for it.

She is now hoping to receive compensation from the church's redress scheme, and is considering going to the police about her alleged abusers.

Ben's story 

 

Image caption Ben says he was sexually assaulted at the age of six

Ben, whose name we have changed, was born into the community in the 1980s.

When he was six years old he says he found himself alone in the grounds of his commune with a male worshipper who undressed and sexually assaulted him.

"My dad's mum used to say how happy and smiley I was, but [after he was abused] I don't remember anyone ever saying that again," he says.

"The memories afterwards are all isolation. I withdrew into myself as a child and I had no friends in particular."

Ben became distanced from his family and left the church when he was 17 years old.

Recently he discovered his siblings had suffered similar experiences, including one of his brothers who he says was raped during much of his teenage life.

"I believe that at least five of us have been abused in one way or another," he says.

"I have anger for the church. I have anger because of what they did to my family. Whether they chose to ignore it, or give it to God, they're still culpable for letting it happen."

"There are still some beautiful people in the church with the best intentions," Ben adds. "But everything's been overshadowed by what happened in the houses."

Ben has been speaking to police about pursuing a criminal investigation against his abuser, but says so far there has been little progress.

Philippa's story

Philippa Muller, far right, during her time in the Jesus Army

Philippa Muller's family moved from Surrey to the birthplace of the JFC community, New Creation Hall, in Northamptonshire, when she was seven years old.

Her father worked in the local tax office and handed over every penny of his earnings to the church's communal purse.

Philippa's mother, like most of the other women, was a "servant" and spent her time cooking and cleaning to ensure the men of the house could do their "godly work".

Image caption Philippa began living with the Jesus Army when she was seven

Women were encouraged to claim benefits and give them to the church.

"I grew up with a very negative imprint as to what it was to be a woman," Philippa says.

Young people were urged to recant their sins - real or imagined. They were taught about demonic manifestations and were present during exorcisms.

Philippa became increasingly isolated. "You couldn't just go to have a coffee with someone, or go to the cinema. That was all forbidden.

"We weren't allowed to socialise. We didn't have TVs. Things were censored... bits from the papers were cut out."

One of Philippa's close friends fled the church after she was assaulted by a male elder.

Philippa became a key witness in the court case - in which the elder was convicted - but says she was "persecuted" by the church community which treated her as a traitor and liar.

She left the church shortly afterwards.

Now on the brink of closure, the Jesus Army is understood to have accrued assets worth £50m. But it leaves a harrowing legacy - and an unsettled future for Philippa and its many other victims. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48447066

Further Link:

The Closure of Jesus Fellowship Church
https://jesus.org.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmtDpBRAQEiwAC6lm46P2xJJLkyt3u5RyMXT_PCcp3WQKGDNgj6WevBxIfijY4WxME2SZIxoCbSEQAvD_BwE

BREAKING NEWS: NORTHAMPTON'S JESUS ARMY VOTES TO DISBAND IN WAKE OF HISTORIC ABUSE CLAIMS

By Paul Lynch

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Leaders of the Jesus Army - the Northampton-based religious sect variously described as a 'cult' since its launch 50 years ago - have voted to disband the church in the wake of an abuse scandal.

The news comes five years since the launch of Operation Lifeboat, a police operation looking into historical sex abuse at the 1969-formed Baptist movement.

The Jesus Army - which runs the large Jesus Centre church in Northampton town centre - has voted to disband in the wake of multiple historic abuse claims.

In 2017, The Chronicle & Echo revealed there had been some 150 reports made of either sexual physical, religious or financial abuse at the church and that at least 40 people were pursuing legal action against it.

On Sunday, with the reputation of the Jesus Army 'badly damaged' and membership declining rapidly, its leadership voted to revoke the church's constitution.

In a statement released this morning, its spokesman Laurence Cooper, said: "The NLT (National Leadership Team) and the members of the JFC (Jesus Fellowship Church) recognise that, over a sustained period of time, there have been faults and failures in the Church that have had a profound impact on many people’s lives.

"We are deeply sorry for, and appalled by the abuse that has taken place within Jesus Fellowship Church and the New Creation Christian Community (NCCC) and offer our heartfelt sympathy and unreserved apology to all those affected."

Several of the abuse claims related to a summer school that was run in Cornhill Manor, on the edge of Pattishall.

"Children and vulnerable people were entitled to expect full protection from harm. We acknowledge the pain many of those people continue to feel. As things have become clearer to us, we are grieved and deeply troubled."

The Jesus Army was formed in Bugbrooke in 1969 by firebrand Baptist minister Noel Stanton.

Over the decades it swelled to some 3,500 members - a proportion of whom were encouraged to live in communal houses, such as the New Creation Farm in Nether Heyford.

Several of the abuse claims stemmed from people who had lived, worked and ploughed personal finances into the communes, where members had to adhere to a strict set of rules. Children were often beaten for 'minor transgressions', a former member told the Chron. 

Many of the abuse claims related to the church founder Noel Stanton, who died in 2009.

In 2004, the church took over the former art deco theatre in the Upper Mounts, renaming it the Jesus Centre.

But in 2017, the church's de-facto leader Mick Haines conceded that his predecessor Noel Stanton had a 'flawed character'. The Chron later revealed that many of the abuse claims related to Mr Stanton himself - who died in 2009.

Congregations that were part of the JFC will now become 'fully independent', according to today's statement.

"They will not be affiliated to a national church organisation and will be led by people who are appointed by their own members," said Mr Cooper.

New Creation Farm, a working farm in Nether Heyford, also housed a number of communal houses.

"Some have already appointed interim leadership teams, comprising women and men who are part of the congregation. These local congregations will be responsible for every aspect of their function including finance, staffing, and safeguarding."

In 2013, the JFC invited people to make disclosures about their experiences of the church - with many coming forward to reveal they had been a victim of "pastoral abuse and bullying as well as financial, physical and sexual abuse," Mr Cooper continued.

"This information was passed to the police, who launched Operation Lifeboat, examining non-recent abuse in the JFC. As a result, a number of criminal cases were successfully prosecuted through the courts.

"The reputation of the Church has been badly damaged and the confidence of members of the Church was profoundly shaken. Alongside this, declining membership and the consequent slowdown in giving means that the national Church no longer has the resources to continue as it was.

"Following the disclosures process, the current National Leadership Team decided that they did not have the capacity or the desire to continue leading the JFC.

"Taking into account the scope of the problems they were facing, they did not believe anyone else could, or should, try and lead the organisation. The National Leadership Team, therefore, recommended to the members that the national JFC be dissolved - and that has now been approved by the members.

The church has now formed a redress scheme for those affected by the abuse under the Jesus Fellowship Community Trust.

Mr Cooper continued: "While the trustees have a legal obligation to provide for the welfare of current members of the Community Trust, they want to provide help and compensation for those who suffered abuse or poor treatment in the past. They are seeking to provide resources to help former and current members towards closure from the mistakes and painful experiences of the past.

"A working party - including victims and their representatives - is leading the development of this redress scheme. While we cannot undo the harm done, we hope that this can be of some help to those who feel they can engage with the scheme.

"We are committed to working with the Police and Social Services to ensure that all allegations of abuse that come to our attention are dealt with appropriately and encourage anyone with concerns to report them."

Anyone with safeguarding issues or concerns, whether non-recent or current, should report them to the Jesus Fellowship Safeguarding Department: safeguarding@jesus.org.uk.

If you do not feel comfortable approaching someone from the Jesus Fellowship Church then you can contact the police directly or the Safeguarding Helpline run by a support organisation independent of the church and the community trust on 0303 003 11 11.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/