[2][3] He stated in an interview with Reform magazine that his parents were "militant atheists" who banned him from going to church, but nonetheless he became a Christian at 16 years old.

[6] At the same time, a group from St Andrew's went on to establish a permanent Soul Survivor church in Watford, where Pilavachi served as pastor.

[12] Also on 4 April, The Daily Telegraph reported on the concerns, adding that the allegations were related to inappropriate messages and intimate relationships with young adults involved in Soul61, a Christian gap year project.

[18] On 15 May, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said he was "deeply conscious of the impact" of the reports and backed the Church of England's investigation as being independent from Soul Survivor.

In a Facebook post announcing his resignation, Pilavachi stated, "I have taken this step because the Church needs to heal and I have realised that my continued presence will hinder that process" and "I seek forgiveness from any whom I have hurt during the course of my ministry.

[22] In addition, the report noted that a complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure had been taken out against Pilavachi, which related to "verbal interactions with a vulnerable person" and was ongoing at the time of publication.

[25] Following concerns of the Church of England's objectivity in their investigation,[26][19] in November 2023, Soul Survivor commissioned the law firm Landmark Chambers to provide an independent report into Pilavachi's conduct.

[31] In April, Matt Redman, an early worship leader at Soul Survivor, released the documentary "Let There Be Light" on his YouTube channel, which documented his experiences of abuse by Pilavachi.

[32] In the 2020 New Year Honours, Pilavachi was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to young people.