A place to record your experience, in your own words.
If you have been part of an independent church — past or present — you are welcome to share your account here. Whatever it was.
Why this exists — and who’s behind it
This project was started by someone who watched people they love be harmed inside an independent church — and, in some cases, cut off from their own families. It isn’t a campaign, it isn’t run by a journalist, and it isn’t connected to any church, denomination, or organisation.
The reason for asking is simple: there is nowhere for people who’ve been part of these communities to compare notes and find out whether their experience was theirs alone — or part of something wider. This is an attempt to find out, honestly, by listening.
For now I’m staying anonymous — deliberately. This should be about the accounts people share, not about me, and keeping my name out of it helps protect the people who come forward. You can still contact me privately at any time (details below).
Share your experience
You’ll record a short audio account in your browser. Nothing is published — see below.
We’re not starting from a conclusion
The aim is simply to listen — to build an honest, first-person record of what it has been like to be a member, in people’s own words. Those experiences may be positive, difficult, mixed, or somewhere in between. All of them are valid, and all are welcome here.
Over time, a collection of accounts can show whether there are patterns worth understanding — or whether there aren’t. We don’t know yet, and we’re not assuming. That’s the point of asking.
Your account is yours. Nothing you record is published automatically, or at all, without a clear and separate decision — and we’ll explain exactly how that works before you begin.
How it works
Record
Speak naturally in your browser. You can pause, play it back, or start again.
Review
We turn your recording into a written summary. You read it, edit it, and confirm it reflects you.
Decide
You choose how you’re identified — or stay anonymous. It’s stored privately. Nothing is published without you.
How you’re identified is up to you
Choose what you’re comfortable with when you submit:
Your privacy — and one honest exception
Your recording is private and securely stored. We don’t share it, and we don’t publish anything without a separate decision and your agreement.
There is one important exception, and we’d rather be plain about it: if something you tell us suggests that you, a child, or another person is at risk of serious harm, we may have to share that information with the police or social work services to keep someone safe — even without your consent.
Please also note that recordings are reviewed later, not as you speak — we aren’t able to respond in the moment.
If you need help right now
If you are in crisis, or someone is in immediate danger, please contact the people below — they can help straight away.
- Emergency: 999
- Police Scotland (non-emergency): 101
- Samaritans (24/7): 116 123
- Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87
- NSPCC (concern about a child): 0808 800 5000
- Childline (under 18): 0800 1111