Are Why We Support Victims of Grace Fellowship Manchester,
Although we are concerned about any abuse, particularly spiritual because it is so overlooked and minimalised in the church generally, our main concerns and experiences relate to the former pastor of Grace Fellowship Manchester, and the elders and congregation there. However, the following would apply to any similar abusive situation.
Where there has been any type of abuse, for justice to be carried out and for righteousness to prevail, anyone who was aware and did nothing to stop the abuse must be held to account for either their silence, their refusal to consider the testimonies and evidence of victims, their participation in the abuse, and/or their defense and protection of the abuser rather than the victims, and potential future victims.
The current elders at GFM are responsible, not only for their compliance in matters of unrighteous behavior, slander and unfounded accusations and excommunications, but also for their complacency in taking care of the members of the church they oversaw, and their lack of understanding of, or adherence to, true biblical behavior and accountability, especially of leaders and elders. Any fellow GFM members, or other people who were aware of what was happening at the time, but who held their tongues through fear of the opinions of others, of loosing face or popularity or position, especially within the church environment, also are guilty of facilitating the ongoing abuse.
Many members joined in the slander and excommunication etc, without solid evidence or any good cause, simply to remain safe in their own comfort zones, and to be seen as a faithful member of the congregation. They enabled and added to the abuse, encouraging it to be normalised , and by default to be considered appropriate and acceptable behaviour to engage in by many of the congregation.
Others who enabled abuse to thrive at GFM were the closely associated and well known church and ministry leaders who were made aware of the abuse long before Kevin Williams left, but who wanted nothing to do with the victims or their concerns. Among those high-up in such ministries as I’ll Be Honest and Grace Community Church, there was no one who wanted to assist GFM’s victims or to investigate the situation properly. They refused to hold Kevin Williams to account, despite him being a prominent speaker within those ministries, for years sharing a pulpit with many of these pastor and speakers at conferences, during his trips to San Antonio etc, and being listed and featured as a respected preacher on their online ministries.
Even more shockingly, there were even those who, when reached out to by victims asking for help, rather than investigating the claims, instead actually sent the communications they had received directly to Mr Williams, to alert him to what his victims were saying and doing. We can only assume this was so that Mr Williams could stop them and make an example of them, which is of course exactly what happened. These victims were made to suffer further instead of being aided by those who had the power to help them but who would not. It also ensured others were less likely to speak out, as the consequences of doing so were clear. There was no one to believe you and no one to help you, in fact all that would happen is you would likely be humiliated, shamed and belittled for attempting to tell the truth. It seems this is still the case today within these church circles.
As hard as it is to say the following, there is a portion of blame upon some of us too, that is, some of GFM’s victims. Although we have better reason than most for our own silence over the years, perhaps some of us have unwittingly, enabled the abuse to continue for a long time at GFM. Sometimes it may be that we felt unable to speak because our own suffering was too great at the time, sometimes we may have remained silent through doubt others would believe us, sometimes through fear or a natural and understandable desire to avoid revisiting the uncomfortable truths, along with the pains, of the past.
Truth be told, perhaps some of us wanted to distance ourselves from the shame of having been, at some time, a part of the GFM culture, and of only leaving when we found ourselves a target for the abuse or experienced things that affected us personally.Perhaps there is also still a degree of fear, fear of what will be said about us (once again in most cases) in retaliation if we do speak out.
The elders have, in 2021, many months after Mr Williams left GFM, issued very private official GFM apologies for “allowing” the abuse at GFM, almost entirely putting the blame at the feet of their former pastor. But, they have so far made every effort to avoid publicly declaring the innocence of the victims, the guilt of Mr Williams, and of the church who were actively involved in the abuse oftentimes, particularly the elders/leadership.
This means they have refused to clear the names of all those whose reputations were irreparably and publicly destroyed because of the accusations and actions of GFM, and to alert any potential victims to the dangers the main abusers involved so that history does not repeat itself in the future.
But they are not alone in this.
Many of those who have left GFM, also privately made amends with former victims, acknowledging their own and the churches guilt, often saying how they wish they would have stood up for victims, and how sorry they were not to have done so.
Yet it is still a rarity for one of them to be willing to stand beside victims, especially those who have been and who are still speaking out about the past and present suffering of GFM’s victims, with a desire to bring that suffering to an end, and to prevent further abuse at the hands of those responsible.
The few who have dared to speak out have been noticed by Mr Williams and his present supporters, and have suffered further, fresh public slander and abuse, and yet till those who know the truth remain unwilling to step forward to defend them. For those still suffering, this rubs salt in the wounds and adds insult to injury.
There is a time for personal healing. The Lord understands our pains and wishes to heal our hearts and revive our spirits. BUT, we cannot afford to be silence for long where others still suffer. Silence empowers and enables abusers, dismisses victims, and disables potential future victims.
We encourage everyone to stand up for truth and for other victims when you are able to, but please do not feel condemned if that time is not now because you yourself are in too much distress from your own experience. Feel free to contact the admin here if you need anyone to talk to who can relate to your situation, and who are willing to listen to all you need to say, and who can also point you in the direction of those who can offer more specific help where needed. Help can also be found through your local GP, who can refer you to counselling services that may assist you in your recovery.
But, for those who are in later stages of healing, who feel they have successfully moved on in life, please be challenged.
It may simply be a matter of having to step out of your comfort zone, to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, and also to prevent further abuse at the hands of those who have abused you. God alone is our judge, but what we do to the least of these, we do to Him, we must never forget that.
You
Are
NOT
Alone
Support For Those Abused by Grace Fellowship Manchester Church Members & Other Abusive Groups& Individuals
Who Are Enablers?
Although we are concerned about any abuse, particularly spiritual because it is so overlooked and minimalised in the church generally, our main concerns and experiences relate to the former pastor of Grace Fellowship Manchester, and the elders and congregation there. However, the following would apply to any similar abusive situation.
Where there has been any type of abuse, for justice to be carried out and for righteousness to prevail, anyone who was aware and did nothing to stop the abuse must be held to account for either their silence, their refusal to consider the testimonies and evidence of victims, their participation in the abuse, and/or their defense and protection of the abuser rather than the victims, and potential future victims.
The current elders at GFM are responsible, not only for their compliance in matters of unrighteous behavior, slander and unfounded accusations and excommunications, but also for their complacency in taking care of the members of the church they oversaw, and their lack of understanding of, or adherence to, true biblical behavior and accountability, especially of leaders and elders. Any fellow GFM members, or other people who were aware of what was happening at the time, but who held their tongues through fear of the opinions of others, of loosing face or popularity or position, especially within the church environment, also are guilty of facilitating the ongoing abuse.
Many members joined in the slander and excommunication etc, without solid evidence or any good cause, simply to remain safe in their own comfort zones, and to be seen as a faithful member of the congregation. They enabled and added to the abuse, encouraging it to be normalised , and by default to be considered appropriate and acceptable behaviour to engage in by many of the congregation.
Others who enabled abuse to thrive at GFM were the closely associated and well known church and ministry leaders who were made aware of the abuse long before Kevin Williams left, but who wanted nothing to do with the victims or their concerns. Among those high-up in such ministries as I’ll Be Honest and Grace Community Church, there was no one who wanted to assist GFM’s victims or to investigate the situation properly. They refused to hold Kevin Williams to account, despite him being a prominent speaker within those ministries, for years sharing a pulpit with many of these pastor and speakers at conferences, during his trips to San Antonio etc, and being listed and featured as a respected preacher on their online ministries.
Even more shockingly, there were even those who, when reached out to by victims asking for help, rather than investigating the claims, instead actually sent the communications they had received directly to Mr Williams, to alert him to what his victims were saying and doing. We can only assume this was so that Mr Williams could stop them and make an example of them, which is of course exactly what happened. These victims were made to suffer further instead of being aided by those who had the power to help them but who would not. It also ensured others were less likely to speak out, as the consequences of doing so were clear. There was no one to believe you and no one to help you, in fact all that would happen is you would likely be humiliated, shamed and belittled for attempting to tell the truth. It seems this is still the case today within these church circles.
As hard as it is to say the following, there is a portion of blame upon some of us too, that is, some of GFM’s victims. Although we have better reason than most for our own silence over the years, perhaps some of us have unwittingly, enabled the abuse to continue for a long time at GFM. Sometimes it may be that we felt unable to speak because our own suffering was too great at the time, sometimes we may have remained silent through doubt others would believe us, sometimes through fear or a natural and understandable desire to avoid revisiting the uncomfortable truths, along with the pains, of the past.
Truth be told, perhaps some of us wanted to distance ourselves from the shame of having been, at some time, a part of the GFM culture, and of only leaving when we found ourselves a target for the abuse or experienced things that affected us personally.Perhaps there is also still a degree of fear, fear of what will be said about us (once again in most cases) in retaliation if we do speak out.
The elders have, in 2021, many months after Mr Williams left GFM, issued very private official GFM apologies for “allowing” the abuse at GFM, almost entirely putting the blame at the feet of their former pastor. But, they have so far made every effort to avoid publicly declaring the innocence of the victims, the guilt of Mr Williams, and of the church who were actively involved in the abuse oftentimes, particularly the elders/leadership.
This means they have refused to clear the names of all those whose reputations were irreparably and publicly destroyed because of the accusations and actions of GFM, and to alert any potential victims to the dangers the main abusers involved so that history does not repeat itself in the future.
But they are not alone in this.
Many of those who have left GFM, also privately made amends with former victims, acknowledging their own and the churches guilt, often saying how they wish they would have stood up for victims, and how sorry they were not to have done so.
Yet it is still a rarity for one of them to be willing to stand beside victims, especially those who have been and who are still speaking out about the past and present suffering of GFM’s victims, with a desire to bring that suffering to an end, and to prevent further abuse at the hands of those responsible.
The few who have dared to speak out have been noticed by Mr Williams and his present supporters, and have suffered further, fresh public slander and abuse, and yet till those who know the truth remain unwilling to step forward to defend them. For those still suffering, this rubs salt in the wounds and adds insult to injury.
There is a time for personal healing. The Lord understands our pains and wishes to heal our hearts and revive our spirits. BUT, we cannot afford to be silence for long where others still suffer. Silence empowers and enables abusers, dismisses victims, and disables potential future victims.
We encourage everyone to stand up for truth and for other victims when you are able to, but please do not feel condemned if that time is not now because you yourself are in too much distress from your own experience. Feel free to contact the admin here if you need anyone to talk to who can relate to your situation, and who are willing to listen to all you need to say, and who can also point you in the direction of those who can offer more specific help where needed. Help can also be found through your local GP, who can refer you to counselling services that may assist you in your recovery.
But, for those who are in later stages of healing, who feel they have successfully moved on in life, please be challenged.
It may simply be a matter of having to step out of your comfort zone, to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, and also to prevent further abuse at the hands of those who have abused you. God alone is our judge, but what we do to the least of these, we do to Him, we must never forget that.
