New revelations have raised serious concerns about the Church of England’s ongoing blacklisting of Anglican priest and school chaplain Reverend Dr. Bernard Randall over two sermons he preached six years ago.
In the sermons covering marriage and competing ideologies, he said it was ok for children to debate and disagree with gender identity teaching as preached on marriage.
That allegedly led to complaints by some students and staff.
SERMONS CONSIDERED AN ACT OF TERRORISM
It seems the Church wasn’t so open-minded on the issues he spoke about, and incapable of forgiveness as it began years of persecution.
Dr. Randall was soon dismissed as chaplain at Trent College in Derbyshire on the grounds of redundancy, after his sermons were considered an act of terrorism by the school and the Church.
He was referred to the UK’s counter-terrorism program Prevent.
SERMONS FOLLOWED SCHOOL PRESENTATION BY LGBT GROUP
His sermons followed the invitation of controversial and later discredited LGBT group Educate and Celebrate into the Christian school to promote, in their words: “the need to ‘smash heteronormativity” to even nursery-aged children.
The group’s leader encouraged teachers to chant those words out loud.
Bernard Randall refused to join in.
Educate and Celebrate was shut down in January last year amid growing concerns over it being allowed to work with children.
Just recently, one of its patrons, Stephen Ireland, was jailed for 24 years for a series of sex offences against children.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RULE NO SAFEGUARDING CASE TO ANSWER
Meanwhile, Dr. Randall is still considered a safeguarding risk by the Church of England (CofE).
That’s after six years of hearings in courts, tribunals, statutory bodies, the school and the Church.
Dr. Randall repeatedly pointed out that that his sermons reflected official CofE doctrine on marriage, not personal opinion.
Prevent, the Teaching Regulation Agency, the Disclosure and Barring Service, and the Local Authority Designated Officer for Safeguarding all concluded that he has no safeguarding case to answer.
Police advised he posed “no counter-terrorism risk, or any risk of radicalisation.”
CHURCH CONTINUES TO BAR PRIEST FROM PREACHING AND MINISTRY
Despite an absence of any evidence that he ever has, or ever would, harm a child, the Church of England continues to bar him from preaching and ministry.
In an open letter, the UK’s Association of Christian Teachers wrote: “Dr. Randall’s sermon was not persuading children to alter their stance on LGBT issues.”
“It was suggesting that if there was a disconnect between their own stance and that of the group delivering training, that there is freedom to disagree.”
“It is deeply concerning that children are being compelled to think in a certain way, with no freedom to express curiosity or respectfully dissent.”
“This is indoctrination, not education.”
Dr. Randall’s most contentious sermon remains available online for those who want to check exactly what he preached.
IMPACT OF PERSECUTION OF PRIEST
He recently told The Mail on Sunday that his own church’s treatment of him has led to financial difficulties for his family (he has a wife and daughter) and plunged him into “long periods of despair and hopelessness.”
He said at one point he considered “self-immolating on the floor of the General Synod as a protest.”
But then he realised that the Church probably wouldn’t care.
DR RANDALL SAYS ORDEAL HAS LEFT HIM IN “SPIRITUAL EXILE”
He said he had effectively been left in “spiritual exile” by the Church of England.
“I have been punished not for wrongdoing, but for believing,” he said.
“The Church’s safeguarding process has become a tool of coercion, not care.”
“I am speaking out now because I know I am not alone, and because no one should suffer in silence for staying true to their faith.”
CALL TO RESTORE PRIEST TO THE MINISTRY
The Christian Legal Centre which has been representing Dr. Randall throughout his legal ordeal is calling for his restoration to ministry.
Chief Executive Andrea Williams said: “If the Church continues to refuse to reinstate him, they must be held accountable not only for the injustice, but as a serious safeguarding risk themselves to their own clergy.”.
“This is a clear abuse of process and a violation of his rights under both ecclesiastical and civil law.”
“The Church must now act to correct this injustice and restore his ministry.”
“MISSING WORD IN PUBLIC COMMENTARY IS ‘EVIL’”
Former CofE vicar turned evangelical journalist Julian Mann wrote in Christian Today: “The missing word in Ms. Williams’ comments is ‘evil’.”
“That is the right term to describe the CofE’s weaponisation of safeguarding to exclude a minister who upholds Christ’s teaching on the exclusively heterosexual nature of marriage as Almighty God created it.”
The Diocese of Derby said it “is working with Dr. Randall to address concerns which he has raised.”
“We have asked that Dr. Randall continues to work with the ongoing process, so that it can be concluded as soon as possible.”
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