The chair of Christian Aid has stepped down from his role following the publication of a report by the national safeguarding team of the Church of England.
On Friday, the charity announced the resignation of John Sentamu who had been its chair since November 2021 after retiring as bishop of York the previous year.
In his resignation letter to the trustees, Sentamu said he was concerned that recent events could “become a distraction from the vital work of Christian Aid”.
Civil Society understands that Sentamu was referring to the findings of the Independent Learning Lessons Review, published last month, which concluded that he had “failed to act” as bishop on sexual abuse allegations made by a teenage boy against the late priest Trevor Devamanikkam.
Christian Aid said that vice chair Maggie Swinson will take over from Sentamu as interim chair until a permanent chair is recruited.
Christian Aid: ‘We understand the reasons for his resignation’
Patrick Watt, chief executive of Christian Aid, said that “given recent events” the charity understands why Sentamu resigned.
“During his tenure Sentamu gave generously of his time, as he steered the organisation through a change of chief executive, and a review of its strategy. He has played a critical role in our campaigning on climate justice, and on a just peace for Ukraine, and has brought Christian Aid’s work to the attention of new audiences,” he said.
“Sentamu recently visited Sierra Leone where he saw first-hand the work of Christian Aid’s partners and met with government and religious leaders to discuss our programmes to strengthen women’s political participation, support livelihoods, and promote community peacebuilding. His visit reinforced our relationships in the country, and inspired staff and partners.”
Safeguarding report
Following the publication of the review in May, the diocese of Newcastle asked Sentamu, who was then its honorary assistant bishop, to “step back from active ministry until both the findings and his response can be explored further”.
The review said that the survivor was repeatedly abused as a 16-year-old boy by Devamanikkam in the 1980s and had disclosed his abuse in a letter to two members of the clergy including Sentamu, who both “failed to act on his disclosures”.
Sentamu rejected the findings of the review, saying that its author had a “fundamental misunderstanding of the jurisdictional, pastoral and legal responsibilities of diocesan bishops and archbishops in the Church of England”.
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