In May 2023 a leaked report  written by a leading Methodist, Meg Munn, revealed that a  culture of discrimination and sexism is rife within the Methodist Church. The report  claimed that  women in the Church are being 'belittled' by lewd men with a 'misogynistic and toxic' attitudes”.

The culture that Meg Munn exposed is the same immoral culture that Jane Stacey took note of a decade ago during her review of sex abuse cases in the Church.

However, we only have the leaked report – the Church will not publish the original copy of Meg Munn’s allegations.    Perhaps Church House is uncomfortable with the allegation that “Some men are comfortable with having the misogynistic privilege and are content to benefit from it.”

This is the unacceptable face of the Methodist Church to which you belong.

Meg Munn has been a member of the Methodist Church for some 30 years. She is the Chair of the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Panel.  As a member of Parliament, she was the Chair of the now defunct Methodist All-Party Parliamentary Group. During the first decade of the century, in the Blair government, she held the post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Women and Equality). In that role she  established the Equality and Human Rights Commission and saw through the Equality Act of 2006. She later gave evidence which was incorporated in the Equality Act of 2010.

She is a leading female member in the Methodist Church. As a strong proponent of human rights, she knows a breach of human rights when she sees one.

The Equality Act that she promoted is an integral  part of the nation’s  human rights legislation. It outlaws direct or indirect discrimination and harassment in employment, vocational education and the provision of goods and services. It protects people from abuse by employers.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s decision in 2013 -  that Methodist Ministers are not employed by the Church  - largely took away the protection  that ministers enjoyed under the Equality Act.  The consequence of this is that it is not unlawful for  the Methodist Church to act in such a discriminatory manner. Meg Munn cannot be happy to see that the Church she loves so well is legally capable of such misogynistic discrimination.

While the national Press carries such lurid headlines, the true significance of this leaked report has been overlooked. The leak shows that there is a growing revolt among decent Methodists against those in power within the Church.

It is clear that some people in the upper reaches of the Church hierarchy have had enough of the cover-ups that those they work with have created over the past two decades. The old rules of confidentiality are being overturned  - in order to save the sagging reputation of the Methodist Church.

The scandal is not confined to a few cases where an overbearing man has dominated a frail female. The malady is systemic. There is discrimination over gender, age - and anyone who will not shut up about the Church's ills. A Church that proclaims its "justice, openness and honesty" (Standing Order 1100. 2) consistently hides its dirty secrets.

The current leak alleges that the Methodist Church can no longer be “seen as a safe place'. The case studies show that senior leaders are guilty of a 'failure to respond' to allegations of abusive or discriminatory behaviour. Where have we heard that before?

Most significantly, such quotes clearly come from persons deep inside Church House. If this were not so, newspapers such as the Times would not rely upon them.

The background to the Munn  report is of particular interest. It began with just one case. The review was set up after Rev Steven Wild, the District Chair in  Cornwall  was suspended with full pay in September 2021 while an investigation took place into his conduct.

Rev Wild said he was 'deeply saddened' at his treatment by the Church. He said “I categorically deny that I have ever - or would ever - intentionally behave in a way that would bring the Church that I have loved and faithfully served for over 40 years into disrepute.”

This may well be so, for Steve Wild was – and is - a popular figure in the South West. However, there is another possible aspect of his story.

Rev Wild was stationed as Chair of the Cornwall District in 2008.  In his first year in the post the District began the case of Rev Hayley Preston, the Superintendent minister in Redruth.  There had been some local criticism of her.

Harley Preston suffered a sorry fate. Proper procedure, as in the Standing Orders,  was not followed and discrimination  occurred as a result.  Instead of allowing Rev Preston  to answer the complaints against her,  the Church decided to simply abolish her station. Hayley Preston was thus removed without any further difficulty.  Her critics had got rid of her. 

It seemed to some that the mission of the Church in Cornwall was more important than the human dignity of the Superintendent in Redruth.

To this day we do not know why Hayley Preston was discriminated against in this manner. However, because of the current scandal of the leaking of Meg Munn’s report,  we now know that such discrimination against women has actually taken place. We also know that a "cover-up" has been instigated - for why else would the report need to be "leaked"?.

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