Makin Review

The Iwerne camps were a series of Christian holiday camps were run in the Dorset village of Iwerne Minster from the 1940s until 2020, which aimed to spread conservative evangelical Christian faith to boys from Britain's most prestigious boarding schools. John Smyth had attended a camp whilst he was at university in the 1960s, and subsequently took a leading role in their organisation. On 2 February 2017, Channel 4 News broadcast a report from Cathy Newman alleging Smyth had violently assaulted boys and young men in England and Africa. In England, Smyth had contacted the victims through his involvement in Winchester College and the camps, and, after a period of "grooming" that could last several years, subjected them to prolonged beatings with a cane in his garden shed, assisted by a former Winchester pupil, Simon Doggart. == Commissioning ==

Although the camps were not an official Church of England activity, many of the organisers and speakers were ordained Church of England clergymen. The review was planned to start in August 2019 and finish by May 2020. It actually commenced in November 2019, but completion was significantly delayed. == Authors ==

The report was authored by Keith Makin and Sarah Lawrence, both of whom have experience in abuse inquiries and cases. == Publication ==

In October 2024, the Church of England announced that the review would be published on 13 November 2024. However, it was actually published on 7 November 2024. It amounted to 253 pages plus 245 pages of appendices. In an interview with Times Radio on 15 November 2024, Cathy Newman stated that the review had been leaked to Channel 4, which prompted the Church to publish it earlier than initially announced. Publication was reported by many media outlets, including the BBC, Channel 4, The Times, and The Guardian. == Conclusions ==

Smyth was described as "arguably, the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England". He was found to have abused between 115 and 130 boys and young men, and was active from the mid-1970s until close to his death in 2018. Psychological analysis by Dr Elly Hanson concluded that "the beliefs and values of the conservative evangelical community in which John Smyth operated are critical to understanding how he manipulated his victims into it, how it went on for so long, and how he evaded justice." This included "intrusive and intense one-to-one mentoring of boys and young men" and "a focus on personal sinfulness, producing a default sense of guilt, defectiveness, submission and indebtedness to God". == Aftermath ==

On 7 November 2024, following publication of the review, a number of Smyth's victims released a public statement through Andrew Graystone. On the same day, Cathy Newman interviewed Justin Welby on Channel 4 News. Welby apologised for the church's failings and indicated that he had considered resigning, but would not be doing so. On 9 November 2024, a petition was launched on Change.org calling for Welby's resignation. The petition was started by three members of the house of clergy in General Synod: Rev Robert Thompson, Rev Ian Paul, and Rev Marcus Walker. They noted that the Makin Review had concluded that Welby bore responsibility for the failures of the Church of England relating to Smyth. The petition received widespread coverage, including by the BBC, Channel 4, and The Guardian. On 11 November 2024, Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Newcastle, also called for the resignation of Justin Welby. She felt that the Church's response to the Makin Review had been disappointing, that its leadership was failing, and that the Archbishop's position was untenable. On 20 November 2024, Keith Makin gave his first interview since the publication of his review. Makin said he was pleased with the review's impact and indicated that he had heard from a number of Smyth's victims, who felt that Welby's resignation was the right outcome. == Related reviews and publications ==

Scripture Union commissioned an independent case review into its role in the camps. It published the executive summary in March 2021. The Titus Trust, the successor to the Iwerne Trust which had financed and effectively run the camps at which Smyth contacted many victims, released a document in August 2021 detailing its role and actions. Andrew Graystone, a theologian and journalist, wrote a book, Bleeding For Jesus: John Smyth and the cult of the Iwerne Camps, which was published in August 2021. Winchester College commissioned an independent review into the abuse committed by John Smyth, which was published in January 2022. == References ==