Vicar admits financial irregularities, a safeguarding failure and setting up a breakaway church

Martin Shipton

The former vicar of a “happy clappy” church established by a former Bishop of Llandaff has admitted making irregular payments to himself and his wife, breaking safeguarding rules by revealing the identities of children signing up to a church app and setting up a breakaway church without permission.

A disciplinary tribunal of the Church in Wales decided that Rev Ryan Forey, formerly of the Citizen Church in Cathays, Cardiff, must undergo safeguarding training and be supervised by an experienced cleric for two years before he has another opportunity to hold a responsible position in the Church.

The Citizen Church was established in the wake of the pandemic by June Osborne, who was the Bishop of Llandaff from 2017 to 2022. The Bishop had high hopes that a more informal approach to worship would result in a bigger congregation. The target demographic was students and young professionals.

But concerns soon arose about the way Rev Forey was running the church.

Financial payments

The tribunal judgment stated: “The first charge relates to improper financial payments which the respondent [Mr Forey] made to himself and to his wife. Between October 2020 and February 2024 when he was the chair of charitable trustees of the PCC [Parochial Church Council] of Citizen Church, payments were made to himself or his household that were not reimbursement for legitimate expenses and were not permitted under the governing documents of the PCC or the Constitution of the Church in Wales. He authorised monthly payments of £300 to himself and the clergy team in lieu of occasional office fees for services that the team did not conduct.

“The justification for this was that the nature of Citizen Church and its congregation meant the clergy did not conduct many marriages, burials etc and therefore they did not receive the fees that ordinarily they would have if ministering in a more traditional parish context.

“He arranged a further £500 per month to be paid to his wife as a ‘clergy spouse allowance’. Such conduct was conduct giving just cause for scandal or offence and represents a breach of the provision of the Constitution and/or of the Clergy Terms of Service.

“The second charge relates to the time when the respondent, as vicar, arranged for the development of a mobile application which contained several functions. One function was for signing into events at the church and was used by the children’s team for children who attended services and events.

“Concerns were raised during the app’s development that the app did not comply with GDPR requirements and on launch it was found to display the names of users, including children (and including looked-after children) to all other users when signing in.

“Despite concerns about the safeguarding risk and noncompliance of the GDPR being raised with the respondent, the app was used between February 2023 and March 2023. The respondent declined to take the app down as he said it would be a backward step for Citizen. The charge in relation to these matters is brought on the basis of conduct giving just cause for scandal or offence.

“The third charge relates to the respondent assuming the role of pastor of a ‘breakaway’ church formed by him from within the staff and members of Citizen with the intention or objective of continuing his ministry outside the Church in Wales and Anglican Communion. He took deliberate steps in preparation for seceding from the Church in Wales while he was still in post as vicar of Citizen. Following his resignation the community he founded outside the Church in Wales briefly began to meet as “Be Church” Cardiff.”

Misguided belief

In his submissions to the tribunal, Mr Forey said that he authorised the payments covered by the first charge out of a genuine, albeit misguided belief that they were permissible, having seen similar practices used in previous churches he had worked at prior to ordination with no objection. These payments were never concealed and were recorded in Citizen’s budgets which were approved annually by the PCC. He accepts however that the arrangements should have been subject to clearer governance and external advice and regrets any adverse impact these decisions have had on Citizen and the Church in Wales more broadly.

The judgment said: “As to the second charge he takes full responsibility for allowing the use of the app and accepts that as vicar, he bears ultimate responsibility for the issues that resulted. The primary function of the app was a communication tool and the ability to sign in children was secondary. He accepts that when he was spoken to about the data privacy issue, his response may have come across as dismissive. He says that this was a particularly difficult time for him given his wife was suffering a miscarriage around this time.

“Once a member of staff had made a commitment to the PCC that the sign in process for children would be made private or the feature would be taken down until it was fit for purpose, safe and confidential, the respondent instructed that the use of the sign in feature be discontinued shortly thereafter, thereby limiting the harm arising from the misconduct.

“The respondent says that the setting up of a church outside the Church in Wales was an action born out of hurt, vulnerability, and a crisis of faith in his future in the Anglican Communion. He cites ambiguity surrounding the accusations made against him, a lack of clarity and support from church leadership, and the nature of personal criticisms directed to him. He suffered from untreated ADHD and felt that establishing an independent church would enable him better to continue his ministry. He accepts he was wrong and is now determined to pursue his ministry within the Anglican Communion.”

‘Disaster’

John Pockett, a prominent Church in Wales worshipper, said: “Like others, I have had serious concerns about the Citizen Church for a long time. I wrote twice to the current Bishop of Llandaff, Mary Stallard, but did not even receive an acknowledgement. It’s clear to me that the Citizen Church project has been a disaster.”

In a statement Mr Forey said: “In November 2024, I was referred to the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Church in Wales. By this time I had been out of ministry for nearly a year, while my family, friends and I endured a season of gossip, rumours and online trolling where fake social media and email accounts were created to fuel a narrative.

“It hasn’t been easy, but we chose to stay quiet and trust that the Holy Spirit would advocate where necessary.

“I did make mistakes; I make no excuses for them. I’ve also learned from them. Over these past 20 months out of ministry, I’ve been growing in these areas, focusing on my family and reflecting deeply.

“I’m 35 and God willing, I have another 35 years ahead of me in ministry. As painful as it is , I believe failure – in God’s hands – can become one of the greatest lessons in leadership.”