A Church of England minister and her Colman heir husband have been asked to step down from church activities after being named in a damning abuse report that led to the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Reverend Sue Colman, associate minister at St Leonard’s Church in Oakley, near Basingstoke in Hampshire, was aware of John Smyth’s abuse before he was ordained, the independent Makin Review found.

The review noted that Mrs Colman and her husband Sir Jamie visited Smyth in Africa in the 1990s and funded Smyth through a personal trust.

Sir Jamie was chairman of the UK Zambesi Trust, while his wife was also a trustee.

The review said: “It is likely on the balance of probabilities that both Jamie and Sue Colman had significant knowledge of abuses in the UK and Africa given their positions as trustees.”

Victims of Smyth, a lawyer who ran Christian summer camps and is believed to be the most prolific abuser associated with the Church, have called for further resignations from senior clergy members involved in the scandal.

In a statement on Thursday, the Diocese of Winchester said it had asked Ms Colman “to step back from all ministerial duties while we reflect on the findings of the assessment and work with the National Safeguarding Team to take action to manage any associated risk “.

He added: “Mr Colman has no formal ministerial position in our diocese but has been asked to withdraw from volunteering.”

The statement said Philip Mounstephen, the Bishop of Winchester, “made it clear that all safeguarding failures should be taken with the utmost seriousness, whether locally or nationally, and that the response to these failures should be proportionate and suitable”.

Over five decades in three different countries and involving up to 130 boys and young men from the UK and Africa, Smyth subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual assaults, permanently scarring their lives.

He died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018 while being investigated by Hampshire police and “was never brought to justice for the abuse”, the review said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said on Tuesday that his decision to resign – which came after days of pressure following the publication of the report – was in the best interests of the Church.

The Telegraph newspaper reported that the National Church Protection Team is looking into the actions of at least 30 officials named in the report.