Mike Pilavachi | |
|---|---|
 Pilavachi in 2022 | |
| Born | Michael Pilavachi 7 March 1958 |
| Alma mater | St Mellitus College |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Church | Church of England |
| Ordained |
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| Laicised | 2024 |
Congregations served |
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Michael Pilavachi, MBE (/ˌpɪləˈvɑːtʃi/; born 1958)[1] is a British charismatic evangelist, former Anglican priest and author. He is the co-founder and former leader of the Soul Survivor charity based in Watford, England.
Pilavachi founded the Soul Survivor summer festivals in 1993, which subsequently ran every year until 2019 and grew to a yearly attendance of around 32,500 young people. Pilavachi was known for encouraging direct contact with the Holy Spirit and practicing this at the festivals. Pilavachi and others from his former church established the Soul Survivor Church, Watford, where Pilavachi served as pastor.
In May 2023, Pilavachi was suspended from ministry while under investigation for safeguarding concerns, having stepped back from ministry the previous month. In July 2023, Pilavachi resigned from his role at Soul Survivor Watford, and in September the investigation concluded that Pilavachi had abused his power in the Church to foster inappropriate relationships with young men. Pilavachi had participated in full body massages while straddling the young men and participated in wrestling matches of up to 20 minutes at a time.
- ^ Silverman, Rosa; Leake, Natasha (2 October 2024). "How Soul Survivor's predatory pastor Mike Pilavachi hid in plain sight". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 November 2024.