Indian-origin bishop retires from Church of England amid misconduct allegations

An Indian-origin bishop accused of misconduct by two women, allegations he denies, announced his retirement from the Church of England on Thursday.

Right Reverend Doctor John Perumbalath, the Bishop of Liverpool who is originally from Kerala and ordained into the Church of North India in 1994, said he had sought the requisite permission from King Charles III – the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

He maintained his innocence and blamed a “trial by media” which had made his position at the Diocese of Liverpool “untenable”.

“Having sought the permission of His Majesty the King, I have today decided to retire from active ministry in the Church of England,” reads a statement by Rt Rev. Dr John Perumbalath.

“Earlier this week, I was approached by ‘Channel 4 news’ who informed me they would be broadcasting a story containing allegations of inappropriate behaviour by me against two different women. Since those allegations were made I have consistently maintained that I have not done anything wrong and continue to do so,” said the 58-year-old clergyman.

“This rush to judgment and my trial by media (be that social or broadcast) has made my position untenable due to the impact it will have on the Diocese of Liverpool and the wider church whilst we await further reviews and next steps,” he added.

The bishop stressed that his move was not a “resignation occasioned by fault or by any admission of liability” but because he did not wish the story broadcast on Tuesday night to become a distraction for his diocese.

“Having received the news of the retirement of the Bishop of Liverpool, we acknowledge his decision to take this step for the good of the Diocese of Liverpool. This is a deeply painful situation, and we hold all concerned in our prayers,” the Diocese of Liverpool said in its statement.

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, who heads the Church of England, said he respected Perumbalath’s decision.

“My thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those affected by this situation,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Church of England defended Perumbalath, saying the complaint referenced in the ‘Channel 4 News’ report was made after Bishop John had legally become Bishop of Liverpool.

“The complaint was looked into according to statutory safeguarding guidance in an NST-led process and an independent risk assessment was undertaken. This process concluded that there were no ongoing safeguarding concerns, but a learning outcome was identified with which the bishop fully engaged,” a spokesperson said.

A second complaint was said to have been brought outside a one-year deadline and refused by an independent judge. The Church also claimed there were a “number of inaccuracies” in the ‘Channel 4 News’ report on the issue.

The broadcast claimed one woman was allegedly assaulted in the Diocese of Chelmsford in Essex, where Perumbalath was Bishop of Bradwell between 2019 and 2023, and a second woman – a fellow Bishop – also claimed to have been sexually harassed.

The report pointed out that the revelations come at a time of crisis for the Church of England, with Archbishop Cottrell facing calls to quit over his alleged failure to handle historic abuse cases properly.