Jonathan Fletcher is very well-known within the Anglican part of conservative evangelicalism, though maybe less so among independents. He was the minister of Emmanuel Church, Wimbledon, from 1982 to 2012, but perhaps the single most influential Anglican conservative evangelical across a much wider spectrum of conferences, camps, and churches. Many flocked to his church, to his mentoring ministry, sought his patronage, with loyalty rewarded for a lifetime. Key appointments, speaking engagements, and organisational roles would all come the way of a loyal servant.
The revelation of the nature of his behaviour requires humility and repentance. The details are distressing, but also shocking. Simply how was he enabled to get away with such ungodly, inappropriate, and exploitative behaviour for so long? We all know that independent churches have also seen their share of unacceptable behaviours.
Emmanuel Wimbledon certainly got the tone right in their response to a report on the case under the auspices of Thirtyone:eight. The elders and trustees express their devastation and profound sorrow at the hurt, and offer an unreserved apology. They draw attention to lack of accountability, failure to respond to concerns, and arrogance. They add:
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