More than half the board members of UCCF who initiated an investigation into two staff members nearly a year ago have departed within the last month, it has now emerged.
Five of the nine trustees who were in place last December when the probe was launched – Stephen Rigby, Glynn Harrison, Jenny Charteris, Abigail Joy Marthinet-Glover and John Stevens – have all stepped down since 11th September, with Stevens and Marthinet-Glover resigning yesterday (October 2nd).
UCCF (the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) aims to ‘help students [in] reaching students with the good news of Jesus,’ its website says. It announced last December that it was suspending two staff members, Richard Cunningham, its National Director, and Tim Rudge, its Field Director, while ‘a formal independent investigation’ was undertaken to ‘establish the facts’ in relation to ‘various allegations’. It was made clear that ‘the allegations do not relate to matters of sexual misconduct.’
Charteris and Stevens were Vice Chairs of the UCCF board of trustees. John Stevens is also National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) and has also just stepped down as an Associate Editor of Evangelicals Now. Glynn Harrison is a well-known professor, psychiatrist, author and academic. None of those who have resigned have so far made any comment about the reasons for their resignations.
In January this year, the UCCF board announced that it had ‘appointed an independent employment barrister, Hilary Winstone of Old Square Chambers, to lead the investigation into allegations that have been made.’ The statement went on: ‘Hilary has already begun work and wants to proceed quickly in order to minimise the period of uncertainty for all concerned.’
In mid-September, EN was told that further developments concerning the investigation were imminent and were expected by October 1st – but no further public statements from UCCF have been forthcoming.
Since the investigation was launched, two new board members have been appointed - Jai Padam in June 2023 and Simon Day in January 2023. Simon Day is now a vice-chair.
EN has approached Chris Willmott, Chair of the UCCF trustees as well as board members who have resigned, and Hilary Winstone, the investigating barrister, for more information and comment.
On 24 August, Willmott stated on behalf of the board: ‘We are acutely aware that significant time has passed since our last update … considerable effort continues to be spent on working through the appropriate steps we must take before we can share the specific outcomes publicly.’
He added: ‘We recognise the time elapsed is hugely challenging for everyone involved, but that time is critical in ensuring we honour the need for sound process and just outcomes for all concerned. Several other factors including illnesses and fragmented availability of key people during the summer have added to the delay.
‘It remains our intention to say more about the conclusion of the investigation as soon as we are able.’
And in June he said: ‘Throughout this comprehensive process, we have sought to address the needs of all parties, operating within the constraints of their availability and that of the investigator. The trustees have invested substantial time to expedite that process, and continue to do so.
‘The level of confidentiality under which we are operating at this stage is necessary and appropriate for the type of process we are in. We are acting in a way that takes account of, and seeks to balance, the needs and rights of all parties caught up in this process, including those who have raised concerns.
‘In that regard, it is important to understand that complainants have requested a very high degree of confidentiality as a condition of participation, which we are honouring. Disregarding that would jeopardise the trust placed in us and could cause harm.’
