The former CEO of Acts 29, a church planting network, and his wife have been charged in the United Kingdom with sexual assaults that police say occurred nearly 20 years ago.
Steve Timmis / Video screengrab
South Yorkshire Police charged Steve Timmis, 68, and his wife, Janet, 61, with eight counts of rape each, according to an Oct. 29 press release. Police allege the couple abused one victim between May and September 2008.
Police said the assaults occurred while Steve Timmis led The Crowded House, a church he planted in Sheffield in 1996. Investigators are asking church members and the public to contact them with any information. Police did not say whether the unidentified victim was connected to the church or what led to the charges being filed.
Leaders of The Crowded House, now known as Redeemer Church Sharrow Vale, wrote in a statement to the Roys Report they are “shocked and saddened by the news” and are cooperating with investigators. They asked anyone with information about the charges to speak with police.
Acts 29 did not make a statement on the charges and did not respond to a request for comment.
The Timmises are free on bail and are scheduled to make their first court appearance Dec. 1, police said. The couple could not be reached for comment, and the court has not released additional details about the case.
Steve Timmis served as CEO of Acts 29 for seven years, growing the network from about 300 churches to 800, according to Christianity Today. The board removed him in 2020 after about 15 people who worked for him at Acts 29 and The Crowded House accused him of being an abusive leader who resorted to bullying to control others. Timmis soon resigned as an elder at The Crowded House, and the church commissioned a review of the accusations against him.
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