Soul Survivor: The Sham Church and the Shepherds Who Betrayed Their Sheep
“Woe to the shepherds… who feed only themselves.”
Ezekiel 34:2
For decades, Mike Pilavachi was Soul Survivor. He wasn’t just its founder; he was its brand. His face, his voice, his humour, his stage presence - he was the movement. He was the empire. And when the truth came out - manipulation, coercion, spiritual and physical abuse, what did he do?
He skulked off. Quietly. Without a shred of real accountability. Without facing survivors. Without genuine repentance. Not a word of brokenness or heartfelt remorse for the devastation he caused.
A man who once commanded stadiums of worshippers could not muster the courage to look his victims in the eye.
Soul Survivor: Still Feeding Itself
”They feed themselves but not the flock.”
Ezekiel 34:8
And what of Soul Survivor now?
Still running. Still pulling in money. Still holding services at Soul Survivor Watford as if nothing happened. Still protecting the brand, the building, the “ministry.”
But can you call it a church anymore? A church built on silence and complicity? A church that preaches healing while ignoring the wounded in its own organisation? A church that claims change while recycling the same insiders into leadership roles? It’s not a church. It’s a sham.
The Circle That Stayed Silent
“You have not bound up the injured or searched for the lost.”
Ezekiel 34:4
Pilavachi did not act alone. Around him sat leaders who could have spoken, who could have challenged, who could have protected the sheep. Instead, they guarded the shepherd. Perhaps they spoke in passing, but they didn’t persist, they didn’t fight, they didn’t refuse to be ignored. Instead, they quietly looked the other way.
Andy Croft, co-senior pastor, still offering no full and frank admission of failure.
Ali Martin, prominent leader and insider, whose influence could have made a difference but whose silence speaks volumes.
Simon Nicholls, appointed associate pastor after promises of outside accountability - another insider in a recycled system.
The trustees, guardians of reputation rather than guardians of the flock.
They had chances to act. They had the authority. They chose loyalty to a man and an institution over loyalty to truth.
Why I Am Writing This Now
I felt compelled to write this piece after learning that Premier’s Soul Survivors podcast - an investigation into Pilavachi and Soul Survivor that was abruptly shelved before its final episodes - had been nominated for an industry award. An award. For a series that never finished. That didn’t uncover the whole truth.
That begs the obvious question: What remains on the cutting room floor? What testimonies, what evidence, what disruption to the status quo was so stark and so shocking that it couldn’t be broadcast? Survivors deserve answers. Instead, they get silence.
And Premier’s response? Instead of finishing the work and standing with survivors, they invited J.John - a man who publicly lauded, defended, and supported Pilavachi long after warning signs were clear - to be guest editor of Premier Christianity magazine. This is the same magazine that employed Megan Cornwell, who worked tirelessly and bravely to bring this scandal into the light. Megan is gone. The podcast is gathering dust. And the Christian media machine keeps turning.
The hypocrisy is staggering. Survivors are silenced while Pilavachi’s friends are platformed. Investigations are shelved while reputations are massaged.
No Repentance, No Reform
Soul Survivor once promised outside voices and fresh perspectives. Instead, it doubled down on the old guard. Survivors are still waiting for transparency, honesty, and real change. Instead, they get a machine that keeps turning over money, running services, and holding power.
This isn’t repentance. It’s not even close. It’s cowardice dressed up as church.
God’s Judgment
“ I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable.”
Ezekiel 34:10
Mike Pilavachi may have slipped away into silence. Soul Survivor may carry on with its services and workshops. Premier may continue churning out magazines, podcasts, and conferences. But God has already spoken. He is against shepherds like these.
Survivors are not forgotten. Their cries have been heard. And the leaders who chose self-preservation over repentance will one day face the only Shepherd who cannot be deceived.
The Final Word
“I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep.”
Ezekiel 34:15
Soul Survivor’s legacy will not be revival or worship or a “move of God.” Its legacy will be betrayal. A movement synonymous with one man, who fled in silence when the truth came out, leaving behind wounded sheep and a hollow shell of a church.
And Premier’s legacy? That remains to be seen. But if it continues to shelve truth, platform defenders of abusers, and silence the very voices it should amplify, it will not escape Ezekiel’s warning either.
The true Shepherd will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. But Pilavachi, Soul Survivor’s enablers, and those in the Christian media who protect institutions over people, have written their own epitaph: shepherds who fed themselves, and abandoned the flock.
And God will not forget.