When Stephen Kuhrt ensured that an historical safeguarding issue at his church in South West London was dealt with, he was totally unprepared for the reaction of his diocese. He was suspended for ‘doing the opposite of a Justin Welby’ (as he said in a TV interview in 2024). The case exposed alarming cracks in the Church of England’s safeguarding practice, and the disturbing treatment of those who dare to speak out.

This is a searing critique of the culture of a church plagued by pragmatic evasiveness, passive aggression and double standards. It exposes its fear-driven decision making, wilful incompetence and dishonesty surrounding sexuality and clerical accountability.

But this is not a book without hope, as Stephen refuses to give up on the church he has loved all his life. From parish life to national leadership, he offers a manifesto for cultural transformation, to rediscover a church rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, shaped by truth-telling, courage, and integrity, and safeguarding its most vulnerable members rather than its own institution.