Statement Regarding Stuart & Chloe Glassborow

In 2022, via a whistleblowing process, a number of allegations concerning the culture in Catch The Fire London, under the leadership of Stuart & Chloe Glassborow, came to the attention of the board of trustees of the church.  
It became clear that, whilst the anointing on much of the ministry of Stuart & Chloe was recognised, there was weight to the allegations brought, and a clear lack of health in the culture and leadership of the church, and so action needed to be taken. 

In February 2023, Thirtyone:eight* was employed to conduct a formal safeguarding investigation into the unhealthy culture propagated under Stuart & Chloe Glassborow’s leadership, and the ongoing effects it has had on peoples lives.  

The investigation brought forward overwhelming evidence of the pain experienced by many under the leadership of Stuart & Chloe, confirming the concerns that had been raised, which included reports of manipulation, favouritism, lack of accountability and challenge, misuse of financial process and HR process. Concerns regarding emotional abuse and spiritual abuse in relation to these areas of their definition**; manipulation, pressure to conform, isolation, perceived requirement of obedience to Stuart & Chloe and the suggestion of their “divine position”, were also confirmed. 

As a result, based on the findings of the investigation, and the recommendations outlined by Thirtyone:eight the Board of Trustees began a HR process at which point, sadly, Stuart & Chloe resigned from their positions without recognising the great deal of pain and hurt that they had caused many individuals under their care over the years, and declining to engage with the provisions being made available to them to support a journey of change, growth, repentance and reconciliation.

We are so grateful to those who came forward sharing their concerns and their experiences as it has enabled truth to come out and for healing to begin. We acknowledge the courage, sacrifice and potential pain that it caused you to do so.  We are deeply sorry to all those who have been negatively affected under Stuart & Chloe’s leadership.  We pray that with God’s help that we will see Catch The Fire London become a healthy church, that we would learn from the experiences of the past and with robust accountability, and yielding to God, we would see God restore what was broken.

Upon the completion of the Safeguarding Investigation, Thirtyone:eight produced an extensive list of recommendations and outcomes to be adopted as part of the ongoing healing journey for Catch The Fire London. These were directed towards Catch The Fire London, it’s governance, structures, staffing and culture, Catch The Fire World, and Stuart & Chloe Glassborow.

We have a desire to learn from the mistakes of the past and through true accountability with Catch The Fire World we want to ensure the safety of anyone and everyone in Catch The Fire London.  We are committed to completing the recommendations given to ensure our practice is of the highest of standards and that this type of behaviour does not happen in the future. 

We acknowledge that for our church family, this has been an incredibly painful and confusing time and we are grateful for your support and patience as we have taken the concerns brought forward seriously. 

We understand that there may be more individuals out there who have not yet come forward.  We want to encourage you that if it would be helpful to your journey, then we will take time to listen to your story, and your truth.  Any concerns shared will be treated with the sensitivity and respect it deserves. Catch The Fire London is offering support to those affected by Stuart & Chloe’s ministry where appropriate. 

We commit to change, growth and building a strong accountability culture around our leadership. We want, desire and pray that Catch The Fire London would become the church it was destined to be. A place of healing, safety, restoration. A place where God is in charge, and man is welcome. A place of transformation and deep encounters with the presence of God. We commit to keeping God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit at the head of the church, and ourselves in a position of service to Him, and the congregants that join us.

Dan & Ashley Davison - Lead Pastors, Catch The Fire London

Catch The Fire World Statement Regarding Stuart & Chloe Glassborow

Catch The Fire World, released the following statement which can be read below or by clicking HERE: 

It is with great sadness that we release this public statement following the resignation of Stuart and Chloe Glassborow as the Senior Leaders of Catch The Fire, London.  Their resignation comes after a full investigation into their leadership by one of the UK’s largest Safeguarding Organisations.  This investigation was commissioned by the Board of Trustees of Catch The Fire London after Catch The Fire World had been made aware of serious concerns and issues relating to the leadership of Stuart and Chloe; including being informed by those raising their concerns, that they believed they had followed the biblical process Jesus outlined in Matthew 18:15-17 with Stuart and Chloe, but felt they had not been heard.  The safeguarding investigation substantiated the claims of a significant number of individuals. As a result, the CTF London Board was in the process of implementing HR’s recommendations when Stuart and Chloe resigned. 

We are truly sorry that people have been hurt in one of our churches, and it is extremely sad to hear first-hand some of the stories from the individuals.  On behalf of the entire Catch The Fire family, we humbly ask you for your forgiveness.  We want to thank the individuals for their bravery in being willing to come forward and speak of their experiences and to share their pain. 

Moving forward, it is our desire to journey with those who have been hurt in order to facilitate healing where we can.  We want to rebuild trust where this has been lost, and we pray for each and every person who has been affected that Heavenly Father would restore all that has been lost.  We take very seriously the findings of the safeguarding Investigation. We will be working not only with Catch The Fire London to ensure the implementation of necessary changes, but we are also looking at Catch The Fire World to consider how we can learn from this and ensure our churches, ministries, and missions are healthy, with a healthy leadership culture, where people can thrive as followers of Jesus and grow as healthy leaders.

John & Carol Arnott - Founding Pastors, Catch The Fire
Duncan and Kate Smith - Presidents, Catch The Fire
Steve and Sandra Long - Vice Presidents & Europe, MiddleEast and Africa Sphere Leaders, Catch The Fire

For anyone wishing to contact us regarding this statement, the investigation, or their own journey connected with this, please email info@ctflondon.com directly.

*Thirtyone:eight is a leading Independent Christian Safeguarding provider, advisory service, policy writer and research charity. For more information please go to: www.thirtyoneeight.org

**For more information on Spiritual Abuse, it’s definitions and information on the experiences of those subjected to it, CCPAS (Churches Child Protection Advisory Service) have released a paper on the subject, you can read it by clicking HERE.