Every 12 months UCCF ensures that 1000’s of scholars at universities and colleges within the UK are given the chance to listen to the gospel. In a recent ‘Director’s Update‘, Pete Dray, who on the time was Interim Director said, “I ponder whether, in the long run, we would look back on this era as a form of ‘golden age’ of student ministry.”
Yet, recent reports suggest this golden façade has been built on the back of unnumbered damaged lives.
According to the UCCF website, “On 20 December 2022 the UCCF Trust Board received a letter from a firm of solicitors representing individuals alleging multiple breaches of employment law by the charity, and misconduct on the a part of some employees.” Two senior members of staff, Director, Richard Cunningham, and Field Director, Tim Rudge, were suspended while an investigation was undertaken. Over fifty individuals contributed to the investigation on the premise that there can be strict anonymity.
Six months later the Board received the report. It has not been published but albeit that among the allegations weren’t upheld, UCCF admitted on the time that serious questions had been raised in regards to the lawfulness of their employment practices.
Buried within the initial 958-word statement were these words: “The Trustees and Directors apologise unreservedly to those employees whose experiences fell wanting what they were entitled to expect from UCCF, and for the hurt caused.”
The two senior employees returned to work, a latest HR Director is about to start out and UCCF returned to business, as if nothing had happened.
Yet, those watching fastidiously were raising questions on the stream of resignations from the Trustee Board of UCCF – including the Vice-Chair Jen Chateris, who said she couldn’t give her reasons due to “significant legal constraints” – not to say the lack of understanding about what had happened previously or questions on their apology to those that had suffered.
Then stories began appearing within the press, first from those that felt complicit and desired to apologise after which from those that had apparently been “pressured to resign” from their jobs “for the nice of the ministry.”
This week more claims have appeared in the general public sphere. An alleged 2009 UCCF document entitled ‘Legalities of Leavers’ supposedly outlined a necessity for “leading” junior staff, often called Staff Workers, handy of their resignation after three to 4 years in a way that might appear “mutual by consent” and protect the organisation from constructive dismissal claims.
Responding to those allegations, UCCF put out a confusing statement on Tuesday describing the 2009 document as “speaker notes for a chat by an worker for a leadership training session that month”, and insisting that they were “not then, nor after, official policy”.
If it had been official policy, it might suggest the view that these junior staff had a limited useful lifespan for the organisation and that, despite open-ended contracts, it was vital they didn’t overstay their allotted time.
The statement ended by saying, “We have fully accepted the findings of a recent independent investigation, specifically acknowledging the failings in relation to the termination of CU Staff Worker contracts of the type described on this 2009 memo. We have apologised publicly to all concerned for past failings and have modified our employment practices.”
If it wasn’t policy, then why the necessity to change their employment practices?
Elsewhere of their statement, UCCF sought to distance themselves from any suggestion of wrongdoing.
“The culture and practices referred to within the memo aren’t what UCCF stands for. Today, UCCF has latest trustees with senior HR, business, and governance backgrounds, and a latest, highly experienced Director of People is commencing work in March,” the organisation said.
New people could also be coming on board but amongst many to whom I even have spoken there are nagging worries that the culture has not modified.
Organisational culture is usually defined as what an organisation celebrates and what it tolerates. In the past few weeks, UCCF has publicly celebrated the work of Cunningham. In this statement announcing his departure after 20 years, he’s described as a visionary who “spearheaded” multiple initiatives and presided over “remarkable growth”. Statistics abound within the statement as to the success of his ministry.
Cunningham then blames his decision to step down at the top of this academic 12 months on the “huge strain on me and my family” in consequence of the investigation. The impression it gives is that those that sought justice have brought an excellent ministry to a premature close.
There has been no similar celebration of those brave enough to inform their stories publicly and no personal apology to those that have identified themselves as survivors of this culture. Instead UCCF’s recent messaging suggests that those that ask questions might be ignored or downplayed.
One ex-Staff Worker, who wishes to stay anonymous, told me, “I would like student ministry to flourish but I actually struggle to grasp what is happening. If UCCF are saying they know what happened was flawed, why are they fighting so hard not to place things right?”
Susie Leafe is director of Anglican Futures, which supports orthodox Anglicans within the UK.
