.Why are our Church leaders reluctant to use the Bible. 

The story I am going to tell is I can assure you a true one, even though it is beyond belief.

Trent  College near Nottingham is a private education facility, claiming  a Christian ethos.  Dr Bernard Randall, an Oxford graduate, ordained Minister of the Church of England, was appointed Chaplain. He would lead services and teach Scripture as stated in the Bible, and according to the Articles of Religion of the Church of England, and offer pastoral care.

The school had also engaged an organization called educate and Celebrate, which implemented LGBT policies, a committed body in which one of its leaders called for the smashing of heterotically activity, which of course refers to heterological sexuality. They demand schools adopt a gender neutral uniform policy, and believe children should not refer to each other as ‘boys and girls’ to avoid offending transgender pupils.

In consequence of Dr. Randall being asked by a pupil if they had to believe all the policy, Dr Randall referred to this in a sermon. He told the pupils they were not compelled to accept an ideology they disagreed with, but should show respect for other people’s opinions. I wonder how many pupils were transgenders, and if the school was so bigoted they could defend one viewpoint, but not another.

Insultingly,  Dr Randall claimed the school told him that any future sermons would be censored in advance. And warned that chapel services would be monitored to ensure requirements were met.  Such extreme action is not even taken by totalitarian countries. This was a disgraceful statement to make.

 The school decided that Dr Randall’s sermon as harmful to LGBT students, dismissed him,  and reported him to ‘Prevent’, a  national Police body formed to deal with terrorism and extreme radicalization.

Police investigated, and stated there was no counter terrorism risk or signs of radicalization.    From my own knowledge of Police, they probably thought someone in the school had lost the plot in reporting an equally balanced article as terrorist.   

After being sacked, Dr Randall alerted his diocese, but to his disappointment, there was little response or support. He had hoped his bishop Libby Lane,, the first female bishop, would at least support him on theological grounds, but he states she kept her distance.  It was suggested she either does not agree with the Church’s teaching (and the Bible’s teaching) or was morally unwilling to get involved, either of which are not the qualities that might be expected from a bishop.

A newspaper discovered documents, which suggest there were concerns about reputational risks to the Church.

The Church ordered a safeguard investigation, and Dr Randall was interviewed when summoned to a meeting when a woman saw him, and she later wrote that the Chaplain consistently demonstrated his inability and unwillingness to accept a different viewpoint.  This just illustrates how little attention is paid to Scripture, how or WHY should he have a different viewpoint. He is an ordained man of the Church. And as such must adhere to what the Bible states.

Fortunately this was a man of commendable principle, unlike this interviewer, for the Church’s Canon law and the Bible create a different approach to relationships

 Despite his opinion being supported by Church law and Scripture, it is his commendable opposition to consider or accept a different approach to relationships, which is the stated view of the Church of England.  This a reputational risk to be managed by the church which is under the Bishop Lane of Derby .

The bishop is quoted elsewhere as adding ,Specifically, risk as considered for if/when Rev’d Randall may be approached as a person holding a position within the diocese, if presented with a request for support by a vulnerable adult or young person struggling with a sexuality relationship issue, the response by Rev Randall may result in further anxiety for the individual involved, due to the manner in which he communicates his strong Christian beliefs regarding sexuality and related issues, including the use of canon law and scripture to reinforce his opinion.

Let us analyze this startling explanation.  If a person approaches any clergyman/woman, and is struggling with a sexual issue, that person should be approached with, the caring manner previously displayed by Dr Randall. Who should be told, he could only tell what the Bible tells, as there is no other answer.  If is a question about marriage, the enquirer is told it is only between a man and a woman, and if a sexual issue it  still only between a man and a woman, within the bounds of marriage. We in the Church are not here to give popular answers sought, but to tell the truth,  as most of us do gently in  compassionate manner. There is no point in our existence if we are just going to make things up to please people.  We are here to serve Jesus Christ, who would have no reluctance in supporting truth rather than platitudes

Here we have two clergy people, a bishop to whom a Bible has little to offer, and the predominant concern is a popular reputation of the Church; here Is a man devoted to his vows loyalty to Scripture and the Church’s officially stated doctrine.

 Dr Randall is an Oxford graduate whose life is now in ruins, devastated and hurt.  The  reference to Prevent must have terrified him, a respected ordained Churchman being accused of terrorism, and the imagined consequences for him and family.. It was irresponsible for a man having charge of a school to take such drastic and unnecessary action.

When men and women are ordained, most are overjoyed and commit heart and soul, and the prospect of being  faced with the consequences of giving sincere and accurate guidance, to the pupils, should have life shattered by other misguided people.  When ordained we VOW to teach in accordance with the Bible. And we  will banish all false doctrine. Perhaps the bishop and many other of her episcopal colleagues, should be reminded of these vows.

As this service outlined the Anglican Church’s view of marriage being between man and woman, and was delivered after students questioned the school’s new policy on sexual diversity, I hope and pray the Chaplain wins his appeal and sues the Bishop successfully. This Chaplain is not permitted to preach in the Cathedral, being sacked by his employer has no income. 

Once again, we have a church which is more concerned with its own reputation, and with a bishop who presides over a profoundly flawed safeguarding process, which compounds the injustice; and a victim who is driven to the depths of despair, and made to feel utterly, utterly worthless.

But for the first time we have the Church of England adducing Scripture and Canon Law as a safeguarding risk.

It is safeguarding, as it exists in the Church which is a risk. I declare by my own experience is that it is a complete waste of time, money, causing more distress than is necessary. I have been on such a course, and am still wondering why .But if you don’t attend you cannot act in the Church.

We are supposed to be intelligent men and women in the Church, and the basics should be obvious to anyone with a brain.  Much of the examples shown have nothing to do  with the Church, and if anyone who offends, it invariably is a  police natter, unless as in this case, for civil compensation  

A big anomaly exists, in that several cases have occurred which should have been acted upon under safeguarding, but were not properly handled.

Dr Randall will be represented by the Christian Legal Centre, a devoted body committed to the defence of Christians wrongly accused because of their faith.

Acting under the name of Christian Concern, the Chief Executive Officer is Andrea  Williams, a committed Christian barrister, supported by other men and women. Many Christians owe much to the work of these devoted people, who have saved persecuted Christians from arrest and all kinds of penalties.

They are not supported by the Church or government, but rely on donations from fellow Christians or supporters. Any Christian willing to support a charity, or more so this hard working Concern, should do so, you can never know when you will be needing help.

Donations can be sent to Christian Concern, 70 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8AX