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About us
MACSAS is a support group for women and men from Christian backgrounds who have been sexually abused by Ministers or Clergy, as children or as adults.
We support both survivors who have remained within their Christian communities and for those who have left.
MACSAS Committee member profiles:
Dr Margaret Kennedy, Founder
Dr Margaret Kennedy founded MACSAS in the late 1990s following requests from clergy abuse survivors who attended Christian Survivors of Sexual Abuse (CSSA), which she also founded in 1989. Margaret's background is in nursing, learning disability nursing, social work, and before her retirement, lecturer and trainer for multidisciplinary professionals on protecting disabled children from abuse.
Margaret was awarded the Emma Humphries Award in 2004, a prestigious feminist award for her work raising awareness of sexual violence against women within society and within Churches. She has raised the issues of clergy sexual abuse of adult women worldwide and completed her Phd on The Well from Which We Drink is Poisoned - clergy sexual exploitation of adult women in 2009.
Margaret is a survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated by an Anglican Chaplain when she was a student in 1980. She reported her abuse officially in 1995, and in April 2011 she received compensation from the London Anglican Diocese. Part of the settlement includes holding a service, planned and organised by herself and to which all clergy sexual abuse survivors abused as adults are invited to attend later this year. She is using part of her compensation to fund an International MACSAS Conference in 2012 in Dublin, Ireland, focusing on clergy sexual abuse and exploitation of adults.
Helen Charlton, Treasurer
Victim of sexual exploitation within the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Helen has been involved with MACSAS for nine years. She runs her own business and is also an advocate. Helen lives in the North of England.
Anne Lawrence, Barrister
Anne has been a member of the MACSAS committee since 2003. She is a survivor of clergy perpetrated sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. In 2011 Anne pulled together the MACSAS Survey findings and wrote “The Stones Cry Out”, a critical analysis on the response to victims of abuse within Churches in the UK, which was launched in May 2011 and is available to download on our News page.
Anne was also a member of the working party that produced the Church of England Policy and Guidance document “Responding Well to those who have been sexually abused” which was launched at the General Synod on 11th July 2011. Further procedures are to be developed for responding specifically to those abused within the Church. Anne also represents MACSAS in the current talks with the Catholic Church on developing procedures for responding to victims of abuse with the Catholic Church.
Anne is a barrister in private practice specialising in public law, education and community care law.
Noel Chardon, Pastoral Outreach Co-ordinatorNoel is a foundation member of MACSAS.
Quickly rejecting the abusive Irish Catholicism and its teaching congregations of his school days, he developed a life focus in Eastern Rite liturgies and worship. In the 1970s he worked in Ethiopia during famine, revolution and coup d'etats. He led an Ethiopian group of students to support the Sisters of Charity in establishing the "Home of Peace", an orphanage for abandoned babies in Addid Ababa. He describes meeting with Mother Theresa during this violent discord as a pivotal life experience. Widely travelled, Noel made several visits to Russia in the Soviet era meeting with many covert Orthodox faith communities.
Noel does a weekly shift on our Helpline and organises MACSAS fundraising. He frequently meets with survivors and members of the clergy alike who find his easy, open style approachable and engaging. He is a retired teacher and Rogerian client centred counsellor.
Colin Mason, Pastor & Counsellor
Colin has a passionate desire to help others resolve issues around clergy sexual abuse and did his counselling training placement with One in Four before qualifying and continued seeing clients within that client group who have been victims of sexual abuse at some stage in their lives. He co-Pastors a small fellowship in South East London alongside his wife Yvonne and aims to bring a greater awareness to the issues of clergy abuse within the black led churches.
Yvonne Mason, Pastor, Counsellor and social worker
Yvonne, like her husband Colin, has worked with people who have experienced sexual abuse in her training as a counsellor and as a qualified social worker. She has a strong interest in using her skills in helping black led churches to implement preventative measures and offer support on issues around clergy sexual abuse. She co-Pastors a small fellowship in South East London alongside her husband Colin.
Julian Whiting
An ex-police officer with over 15 years experience in business and event directing. Voluntary work also with the following charities: NAPAC, JIGSAW4U, The Besom Trust and Cheer Trust working with children and families.
Julian also organises talks and debates: www.nested.org.uk
David Greenwood, Solicitor
David Greenwood heads a dedicated team of lawyers working with Psychologists and Barristers to obtain compensation and to assist survivors of child sexual abuse plan their future. He works closely with individual clients throughout the country and has had great success with co-ordinating a number of large and small group actions against church organisations.
David works mainly on actions against public sector departments, church organisations, foster carers, and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. He has been dedicated full time to this work since 1998. He is presently involved with pursuing claims of cover ups which could go to the very top of the Catholic church.
Jordans Solicitors: Tel: 01924 868911 / Fax: 01924 868915
Email: david.greenwood@jordanssolicitors.co.uk
www.jordanssolicitors.co.uk / www.childabusesolicitor.com
The MACSAS Committee
- Dr Margaret Kennedy, Founder
- Tracey O'Rourke, Chair
- Helen Charlton, Treasurer
- Anne Lawrence, Barrister
- Elis King, Secretary
- Noel Chardon, Pastoral Outreach Co-ordinator
- Colin Mason , Pastor and Counsellor
- Yvonne Mason, Pastor, Counsellor and social worker
- Julian Whiting
- David Greenwood, Solicitor
