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A rainbow of hoops under the Majestas in Llandaff Cathedral Source: Church in Wales/Llandaff
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"Our purpose is therefore to: Worship God and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. In so doing, we welcome all who come here, irrespective of gender, race, creed or sexuality, in order that we might share and pass on our rich Christian heritage and the joy of Christian Faith." - From the Llandaff Diocese Mission Statement.
From the 2014 Trustees' Report (page 5) in the Llandaff Diocesan Board of Finance Accounts which can be found on the Charity Commission web site.
"Public benefit
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 4(1) of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, "Charities and Public Benefit". The Board believes that, by promoting the work of the Church in Wales in the Diocese of Llandaff it helps to promote the whole mission of the Church (pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical) more effectively, both in the Diocese as a whole and in its individual parishes, and that in doing so it provides a benefit to the public by:
• providing facilities for public worship, pastoral care and spiritual, moral and intellectual
development, both for its members and for anyone who wishes to benefit from what the Church
offers; and
• promoting Christian values, and service by members of the Church in and to their communities, to
the benefit of individuals and society as a whole."
It difficult to reconcile Dr Morgan's eager promotion of same sex unions with the 'Public benefit' referred to in the Trustees Report. He should explain how it is helping 'to promote the whole mission of the Church (pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical) more effectively'.
Estimates of the number of homosexual people in the UK vary but taking 6% as the most reliable estimate, they will not all attend church let alone the Church in Wales. Of those who attend, few in my experience have expressed any desire for a church 'wedding'.
The accounts show that a grant of £12,579 was made to the 'Bishop's mission fund'. Donations are made to this fund 'primarily from collections taken at induction and confirmation services, and Gift Aid is claimed where appropriate. All monies received are paid over to the Bishop to be used at his discretion'.
I understand that it was this "Mission" fund which was used to finance the Llandaff clergy school in Oxford. If the Archbishop believes that mission funds are best spent on advancing same sex unions he should think again and ask the LGBT lobby to fund their own campaign not use money given to fund the mission of the Church.
The Church Times recently carried an article headed "Dr Morgan gives Bishops’ response to same-sex unions" in which he said: "The debate on same-sex relationships was not over. The issues around human sexuality that are being debated will not go away, and the pain is not over. We do believe that we are called to live in love and charity with one another, whatever our experience or convictions on this issue."
The only lack of love and charity is towards anyone who dares to take a contrary view and support traditional marriage. There lies the true pain.
GoForitGerwyn
ReplyDeleteYou know, it ought to be possible to promote traditional marriage without having to be so negative about homosexuals. If the percentage is 6% or 1%, it's irrelevant - we're talking about fellow human beings here many of whom have experienced hardship and persecution within and beyond the church. As for church funds being wasted on gays, how much giving within the church comes from the pink-pound? They have every right to a claim to use it. Let's be more charitable, AncientBriton. You're far too binary in your understanding of these issues and present issues framed in an all-or-nothing approach. You can be pro-gay and pro-the-homosexual without undermining your understanding of marriage; you just might be asked to extend that traditional approach in generosity towards others. Just a thought - not in anyway meant to be lacking in charity towards you. Have a lovely day.
Hypocrite!
DeleteHomosexuals who do any giving of "pink" £s "have every right to a claim to use it" (although they were given to the Church for the Church to use them).
But according to you - on the previous thread - the straight white middle class married old ladies who have given 50 years of service in a variety of different ways don't even have the right to question how their money is used or to query the annual accounts to see how their "blue rinse" £s are spent?
They can just expect a nasty letter from the Dean for their trouble rather than "generosity towards others".
"You know" -'GoForItGerwyn' - I think you are Reverend Gerwyn!
ReplyDeleteDon't think so Simple Soul.
DeleteOn his best day Gerwhine writes like a 15 year-old, agreed?
GFiG writes like a lower sixth former.
GoForitGerwyn
ReplyDeleteOut of the mouths of babes .... lower sixth former, I'll take that as a compliment, given my advancing years.
Hypocrite? I don't think so. The pink pound abounds in the collection plates of our churches. I just claiming a little of it on behalf of homosexuals. I wasn't for one minute saying that others could not claim 'rights' to use the monies. AB was yet again disenfranchising homosexuals within the church in the above blog.
As for the letter, I do stand by my personal view that there was probably a need for it and that sometimes it's necessary to point to the log in the eyes of those who are too quick to malign. That's quite pastoral in fact - didn't Jesus say something along those lines?
Let's hope the lady reflects, repents, amends and gets her sash back. Let's also hope that if it's the one I am thinking of, she learns a little bit of grace from this episode. Be warned though, gentleman remove your hats when entering the Cathedral - it much displeases God but if you are a homosexual and a hat-wearer, there's no hope I'm afraid.
Have a lovely evening.
This is a pathetic attempt to confuse matters away from the skullduggery going on in the annual accounts and smacks of desperation.
DeleteTreat it with the contempt it deserves and ignore it.
The ears in the walls report that Gerwhine has disappeared from Llandaff yet again.
DeleteIs it "gardening" leave this time?
Bull boy ++Bazza can't use "compassionate" leave this time, he played that card when trying to conceal Janet Henderson's departure.
You do have a bee under your bonnet about homosexuals, pink pounds, disenfranchising homosexuals, Gerwhine and yourself.
DeleteIs there a link?
No.
DeleteJesus didn't "say something along those lines".
You have made the same blunder as the biblically challenged 'Lawabiding' at the Llandaff DBF.
I recommend a "Bible for Beginners" class for you GFiG.
Indeed Christ said the exact opposite, i.e., remove the log from YOUR OWN eye before trying to remove the splinter from the eye of another.
Advice clearly ignored by Gerwhine the pastorally challenged glove puppet.
With the logs in his eyes the witless wonder won't even see the handbags coming.
I'm a lay person so don't understand the deep theological debates around gay marriage.
ReplyDeleteFor me, being a Christian is about having chosen to lay aside my own desires, wishes and biases, in order to follow and serve God.
The problem with this whole debate (and the ordination of women etc) is that it is all built on a worldly understanding of my rights. We have tried to mirror the world, therefore I feel like doing it, I not only have every right to do it, but the church must bless me in doing it. Whatever “it” is. “It” is often defined by the Archbishop. Personally I find the bit in the bible about forgiving others very inconvenient, I don’t like it at all. But as a Christian, I am choosing to obey the Bible, not my own wishes.
The episcopal church of the USA allowed gay marriage, and has shrunk in numbers since, now the debate has moved on to allowing threesomes. Why not, I feel like it, this is how God has created me. There are currently people in the UK arguing for legalising paedophilia with consenting children. Once we base things on my feeling and my rights, where do we stop?
Interestingly churches that are teaching that life style does matter to God, that sin is sin, are growing. They are often full of young people too. The truth is, that church is full of sinners. We need to be patient and loving with one another, but acknowledge that we all need to move towards a holier life style, whatever our issues.
There is great pain on both sides of the debate, yet only one side has their pain acknowledged by The Archbishop. There are many of us as evangelicals that will have no choice but to leave the CiW once it votes for gay marriage. That is very painful. There has been debates (biased) and votes, yet the Bench push on with their own agenda regardless. How odd that the Bench has an official zero tolerance to bullying policy……..