Christ Church Oxford Trustees could be personally liable for £85K each
Followers of the Dean Martyn Percy story will recognise it as a tragedy not only for the individuals concerned, but also for Christ Church Oxford and the Church of England.…
Martyn Percy
If Martyn Percy kills himself, the Church of England will have blood on its hands
465 years ago today, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was burned at the stake for 'heresy'. 15 years ago today, on the 450th anniversary of that fateful day, the Archbishop Cranmer blog was born. It has been a long, sometimes fruitful, sometimes…
Martyn Percy is a ‘sex pest’: Christ Church Oxford in new attempt to oust the Dean
The Governing Body of Christ Church Oxford has been supported by the Chapter of the Cathedral in a vote to convene another internal tribunal to oust Dean Martyn Percy. There…
Martyn Percy cleared again: CofE safeguarding goes from tragedy to farce
It has been reported that the Church of England’s Director of Safeguarding, Melissa Caslake, has tendered her resignation after only 18 months in the post, and will be leaving at…
Church of England clears Martyn Percy of all safeguarding allegations
The Dean of Christ Church Oxford, The Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the discharge of his safeguarding responsibilities in respect of his various…
Lead Safeguarding Bishop to critics: “You don’t understand”
Considering the experiences they have been through, and the historically indifferent responses of the Church of England to their suffering, many of those who survived sexual abuse are surprisingly positive…
Calls for Charity Commission to intervene in CofE safeguarding saga
"After many attempts to secure reform of the National Safeguarding Team and the secretive Core Groups of the Church of England, we reluctantly reach the conclusion that there is no…
Martyn Percy is challenging an entire cultural mindset of establishment privilege
Reflecting upon the developing Dean Martyn Percy story, I called to mind the famous observation by Abraham Lincoln upon the institution of slavery which was defended at the time by…
Christ Church vs Martyn Percy: a conspiracy of lawyers, divine PR, and the purgatory of CofE Safeguarding
The story of injustice being inflicted by the Church of England upon Prof Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, has been grinding on now for over three months, and…
Cottrell and Carey: why is some safeguarding secret, while others are thrown to the media?
It was announced yesterday that the Rt Rev'd Stephen Cottrell, who next week is to be formally installed as the 98th Archbishop of York, had been investigated over a past…
Christ Church’s PR agency colludes with FT journalist (and alumnus) to defame Dean
There has been progress (of sorts) in the ongoing dispute between Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, and the College’s Governing Body. The Charity Commission has ordered both parties to…
Martyn Percy: Synod challenges Christ Church abuse of CofE safeguarding process
This letter is currently being circulated to members of General Synod of the Church of England, in advance of their virtual meeting in July. There will be two Q&A sessions,…
Christ Church dons launch new attack on the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics and Public Life
Christ Church Oxford and the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics and Public Life have been working together in scholarly harmony for over 12 years. The Centre is a highly regarded…
The harrowing of Martyn Percy (part ii): Church of England colludes in bullying
The harrowing of the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church Oxford, ought to have ceased with his vindication in the judgment of Sir Andrew Smith. Professor Percy…
The harrowing of Martyn Percy: Oxford University denies natural justice to the Dean of Christ Church
Look here upon this picture, and on this. These images are not separated by years, but a matter of months. You may wonder how the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy,…
Nigel Biggar on the degeneracy of academic civility
Professor Nigel Biggar has written for the Times: 'Vile abuse is now tolerated in our universities'. He tells us: "The spitting hatred I suffered over my views on empire shows…
‘Sorry’ seems to be the hardest word: apologetics and apologies in the Bishop Bell case
This is a guest post by the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. _________ An apology is a written or spoken expression of regret and remorse;…
Safeguarding: why is the Church of England’s institutional compassion so constipated?
This is a guest post by Martin Sewell, a retired child protection lawyer. _______ A few weeks ago I wrote about the way in which the Church of England had…
How Bishop George Bell became a victim of Church of England ‘spin’ and a narrative of ‘decisive leadership’
This is a guest post by The Very Rev’d Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. _______ Some may begin to wonder how exactly the Church of England’s National…
Mawer, Percy, and the See of Sheffield: what if Conservative politicians had supported Philip North?
Sir Philip Mawer's report on the circumstances surrounding the nomination of Bishop Philip North to the See of Sheffield makes interesting reading, in particular what it means for the 'mutual…