Ex-Acts 29 CEO Stephen Timmis, wife charged with alleged rape from 18 years ago when he led UK church

More than six years after Acts 29 removed him as CEO amid allegations of “abusive leadership,” Stephen Timmis and his wife, Janet, have each been charged with eight counts of rape allegedly committed 18 years ago while he led a church in Sheffield, England.

A statement from South Yorkshire Police said the couple face “eight counts of rape against one victim” following “a report of non-recent sexual abuse.” The charges stem from offenses “alleged to have taken place between May and September 2008, while Stephen Timmis was a church leader at the Crowded House Church,” an independent congregation in Sheffield, England. Police did not say whether the person making the allegation was a member of the church.

“Our inquiries have led us to believe there may be individuals in the community who may have previously been members of the church, with information which could be relevant to our investigation,” the statement added. “We are appealing for anyone with concerns or information to come forward. Anyone with information will be offered appropriate support as required.”

Stephen Timmis, 68, and Janet Timmis, 61, were released on bail and are scheduled to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Dec. 1.

The Crowded House Church, founded by Timmis in 2000, is an influential Reformed Evangelical church that has been rebranded as Redeemer Church Sharrow Vale. Timmis resigned as an elder in the church in February 2020 following allegations of leadership abuse.

In a statement to The Christian Post on Tuesday, leaders of Redeemer Church Sharrow Vale said they became aware of the charges last Thursday and are “shocked and saddened” by the news.

"On Thursday, the leaders of Redeemer Church Sharrow Vale became aware of the charges against Stephen and Janet Timmis. The charges relate to offenses alleged to have been committed in 2008 while Mr. Timmis was a leader at the church then known as The Crowded House. We are shocked and saddened by this news. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected,” the leaders said.

They further noted that they are “cooperating fully with South Yorkshire Police and urge anyone with information which could be relevant to their investigation to contact them either by phoning 101 or through their online reporting system.”

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is being asked to quote investigation number 14/229723/24 when they contact authorities.

The church leaders further pointed to a 98-page independent learning review commissioned by elders of the church in 2020 and stated that the elders and trustees of Redeemer Church Sharrow Vale “continue to endorse the findings of the Learning Review and implement all of its recommendations.

The review, which was conducted bythirtyone:eight, an independent Christian safeguarding charity, noted that no allegations of criminal or illegal conduct had been made. But it concluded that Timmis’ leadership and the wider church culture left many members feeling pressured to conform, with too little accountability and nowhere for people to raise concerns. Timmis declined to take part in the review.

It found that a lack of accountability was “the single most significant factor in creating a climate in which nothing could be questioned,” and that the church’s mission often came at the expense of pastoral care. The reviewers recommended substantial reform in safeguarding and governance along with a change in church culture that prioritized listening.

Timmis would go on to co-found Eastside Community Church in Sheffield in 2022, where he served as a leader and trustee as recently as this year.

Eastside Community Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CP.

When asked what she admired most about her husband in a 2009 interview, Janet Timmis described him as a Gospel-centered “man of integrity.”

“He always has time for people,” she said, highlighting how ministry work often kept her raising their now four adult children “single-handedly.”