In 2010 we interviewed Steve Timmis, the founder of The Crowded House church in Sheffield and former chief executive of the Acts 29 church-planting network.In 2020, allegations of spiritual abuse, bullying and controlling behaviour emerged. Timmis was removed from his leadership role at Acts 29 and subsequently resigned from The Crowded House. An independent review by the safeguarding charity Thirtyone identified serious failings in the church’s leadership culture and safeguarding practices.In October 2026, South Yorkshire Police announced that Steve Timmis and his wife Janet had each been charged with eight counts of rape against one person, relating to alleged offences between May and September 2008. These are criminal charges, not convictions, and the allegations have yet to be tested in court.These developments are deeply troubling, particularly for those who have reported experiencing abuse and those whose faith and lives were shaped by Timmis's ministry.We hope Nomad can be a safe space for people to process their faith journeys, including the painful experience of discovering that trusted Christian leaders may have caused harm.We have therefore considered deleting this interview. On reflection, whilst we're not advising anyone to listen to this episode, we have decided to leave it in the Nomad archive as part of an honest record of our own faith journey, with all its messiness.

Released on 10 Jan 2010