23 October 2024
In September 2024, the Lewisham Interfaith Forum (LIF) held its annual Peace Walk through the borough with the Bishop of Woolwich, The Rt Revd Alastair Cutting, participating. The Peace Walk stopped enroute at places of worship and community initiatives, where invited. One of these was a local food bank run by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). This was done in good faith, out of a desire to foster unity and highlight several examples of the good work that is going on in Lewisham.
It has become evident that UCKG’s participation in this event has caused concern among those who’ve experienced abuse in UCKG congregations. This is something we deeply regret and we’re sorry for the distress this situation has caused.
It has been enormously helpful to meet with Rachael Reign, to hear about her experiences and those of the people she represents, and to understand better the issues involved in this situation. We’re hugely grateful to Rachael and others for having the courage to step forward and share their stories. It has been helpful to learn from this situation about the ways in which we seek to work with other faith groups and organisations – and how these align with our commitment to high standards of safeguarding and prioritising the needs of survivors.
