Not woke enough to be a vicar so blocked from ordination

Trainee priest Calvin Robinson                Source: Mail Online 

The MailOnline reports that despite spending more than £20,000 of parishioners’ money on sending him to study theology at at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, Calvin Robinson was blocked from becoming a priest in the Church of England by a white bishop for saying that Britain is not a racist country.

Lecturing him about racism in the church, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, told Calvin, "As a white woman I can tell you that the Church IS institutionally racist."

They had been discussing the Church’s race policy, which Calvin had been vocally objecting to for some time. The bishop could not understand that as a black man, he simply did not share her – and the Church hierarchy’s – view on this contentious issue.

He says, "The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has proclaimed that the Church of England is ‘deeply institutionally racist’ and called for ‘radical and decisive’ action. Last year an Anti-Racism Task Force recommended using quotas to boost the number of black and ethnic-minority senior clergy, introducing salaried ‘racial justice officers’ in all 42 dioceses and launching ‘racial justice Sunday’ once a year."

Calvin said that he fundamentally disagreed with this approach, which is based on a faith in divisive Left-wing Critical Race Theory, instead of the teachings of Christ. I believe it is divisive and offensive.

The Bishop of Fulham, the Rt Rev Jonathan Baker, told Calvin that there had been ‘a lot of turbulence’ over some of the views he had expressed online and on TV. It was no secret that senior figures in the Church disliked him. 

Calvin said, "I am after all a traditionalist – which means I do not believe in the ordination of women – and I have never been afraid to voice my criticism of the Church’s drift away from what I, and many of its parishioners, think are its core values. I did not expect everyone to agree with me, but what I did expect is the right to express my own opinions. I had always been taught that the Church of England was a broad church."

Emails obtained via data-protection rules revealed that bishops at the very top of the Church of England had been closely scrutinising Calvin's public comments: ‘His political agenda is I guess what you would call libertarian – anti-woke, anti-identity politics, Covid-sceptical,’ the Bishop of Fulham wrote in one email. ‘His tweets get him into trouble sometimes and there have been complaints to the Bishop of London that he shouldn’t be ordained.’

Calvin was to be ordained as a deacon with a part-time role as assistant curate at St Alban’s Church in Holborn, central London. In February the Bishop of Fulham, the Rt Rev Jonathan Baker, told him the role was ‘likely to prove problematic, and would not lead to a fruitful or happy formation for you in your early years in ordained ministry’. He offered to reduce his media work but was told he would still not be able to take up the proposed role because ‘that moment had passed’.

At a meeting with Calvin, Bishop Mullally insisted the decision was not about his politics, but because his ‘presence’ on social media and TV ‘is often divisive and brings disunity’.

The Rev Kate Bottley              Source OK

Presumably the bishop of London has not noticed the ever present Gogglebox star, the Rev Kate Bottley on TV and elsewhere along with countless clergy who constantly tweet their trivia on Twitter.  

Kate is described on Wikipedia as "a Church of England priest in North Nottinghamshire, a role which she combines with her other roles of journalist, media presenter and reality television star. She appears frequently on British radio and television as well as in newspapers." 

As Calvin pointed out, it’s not just issues of race and gender. 

It seems the Church will affirm any liberal progressive secular view, but clamp down on conservative views, either political or theological.

"If you defend family values, the sanctity of marriage, all human life being sacred, or the fact that God made us male and female, you will face opprobrium" he said.

"Something has gone wrong. The established Church is entering apostasy, and the faithful masses in the congregations and the hard-working clergy deserve better."

Exactly!

Postscript [01.06.2022]

 From Twitter: Cancelled by Woke Church of England - Calvin Robinson

The penalty for keeping the faith. Welcome to the club!

Disaster looms closer

The Bishop of Bangor, Andy John, at  his Enthronement as Archbishop of Wales                                                                                      Source: Church in Wales

 This extraordinary behaviour (above) of the newly enthroned archbishop of Wales, Andy John, takes place in the sanctuary in front of the Holy Table where the holy sacrifice of the Mass takes place. 

Nothing it seems is sacred in the Church in Wales any longer. 

Little surprise then that the Church Growth Modelling blog estimates the extinction of the Church in Wales, among other denominations, in less than 30 years.

The author writes: "Sadly, the immediate future looks bleak for the Church in Wales, Church of Scotland, Episcopalians, Methodists, and older Welsh nonconformists. They need to seriously ask themselves how they have gotten themselves into a situation where extinction is less than 30 years away. What is wrong with their beliefs and practices that are stopping them from making converts? A quick about-turn is needed."

Also, "The Church in Wales contains a mixture of churchmanships, and for many years all were on the conservative side. However, in the last 25 years, it has become increasingly liberal. In common with most historic UK Christian denominations, it has steadily declined since 1960. This analysis investigates the likelihood of decline leading to denominational extinction."

By secularising the Church it has lost most of its mystery, its 'otherness'. Its bishops simply do as they please acting more like politicians than shepherds of the faithful. 

The first prediction of the bishop of Bangor after his enthronement as archbishop of Wales was 'Same-sex Church in Wales marriage hope within five years'. The Holy Grail of the renewed, diverse, and inclusive Church in Wales dominated by its bench of bishops.

Perhaps this should come as no surprise from an archbishop who is a re-married divorcee who interprets scripture to suit himself and those whose main mission is inclusion of their own to the exclusion of all others.

Richard Pain, Bishop of Monmouth, Petertide  ordinations 2018                Source: Monmouth DCO

Episcopal frivolity is nothing new to the Church in Wales. 

The former bishop of Monmouth caused offence to many by his inappropriate behaviour in Eucharistic vestments.

Perhaps the bishop was unaware, or simply did not care, that in the ninteenth century a priest, Fr Arthur Tooth, was sent to prison for defending the right to use Eucharistic vestments in the Church of England. 

Such events serve to emphasise the extent to which the Church in Wales has sunk into secularism.  

In St Davids diocese bishop Joanna unashamedly carries on after her extended sick leave as if no problem with her ministry ever existed while rumours of alleged bullying continue to circle around the bishop of Llandaff.

The archbishop brushed aside the behaviour of the bishop of St Davids and rejected calls that he should launch an inquiry into the running of the Llandaff diocese following allegations of bullying.

Birds of a feather! The Church in Wales is doomed.

A feminist future for the Church in Wales

Women bishops with former TEC Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori (front right)                                                            Source: Religion Media Centre

I have commented previously on the feminisation of the Church in Wales. See other examples here and here. 
                           

From the St Padarn's Institute Annual Report September 2020 - August 2021 there are more women than men training for ordination:

"From September 2020 - August 2021 there were 28 full time and 30 part time candidates preparing for lay and ordained ministries. The average age of a person training to be a stipendiary priest in this period was 48. The average age of a person training to be a non-stipendiary priest was 57. Most training for ordination are female (70% for stipendiary ministry and 54% for non-stipendiary ministry. Since we train all whom our bishops sponsor, the numbers entering training are not directly in our control. Nevertheless we note that the historic concern that younger stipendiary ordinands tended to be men is no longer valid."

Source: St Padarn's Institute Annual Report September 2020 - August 2021

This represents yet another shift in role models for young boys in their formative years when their school teachers are likely to be women, a trend continuing in medicine and dentistry.

Following the appointment of the assistant bishop in Bangor the Church in Wales there are now four women bishops and three male bishops.

In the Church, ambitious women appear to model themselves on Eve rather than Mary. 

Ms Stallard's appointment to the episcopacy is a case in point. Asked for her views on whether or not to enshrine provisions for traditionalists in the constitution of the Church in Wales if legislation were brought forward to permit women bishops she said, "I would vote against the Bill put forward by the bishops unless it is amended to allow women to be Bishops with no special provisions enshrined in law for those who object."

Another example of the attitude championed by the former archdeacon of Llandaff, Peggy Jackson: if you don't like it, leave.

Sadly in attracting women to ordained ministry, the Church is more likely to attract 'Eves' who are intent on advancing themselves and their gender at the expense of others.

It is no accident that women taking over the Church show no compassion for those who are guided by scripture and tradition because they represent the true Christian Church, unlike the former Presiding Bishop of the US Episcopal Church Katherine Jefferts Schori used as a mentor for bishops in the Church in Wales despite being regarded as un-Christian.

Church in Wales 'loses Holy Spirit'

 

The newly enthroned Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andrew John        Source: Church Times

'There are good and kind and faithful priests in the Church in Wales but the Holy Spirit has withdrawn from its leadership'. 

That is the conclusion of the Rev George Conger, journalist and parish priest, speaking on Anglican Unscripted [Edition 730 starting at position 30.25]. 

George Conger has has been described by the Daily Telegraph 'the most knowledgeable reporter covering the Anglican world today'.

He said: "The trajectory downwards of the Church in Wales has been a long time coming, starting with 'political operator', Barry Morgan, who 'put buddies into positions of influence and authority, including bishops. Barry Morgan said we are going to have women bishops, we are going to have gay bishops, and sure enough they appointed women bishops and a lesbian bishop."

Attendance continues to decline, he says, with a collection of bishops who are 'just appalling' in their 'lack of pastoral sensitivity' and their 'lack of practical theology' while parish priests are left to care for up to seven or eight parishes.  

The sad records of the bishops of St Davids and of Llandaff do not escape Conger's attention but his main condemnation was reserved for the new primate, Andy John, who claims that the Church in Wales in five years is going to have gay marriage and the bishops are pushing the Church in that direction. It is a case of the bishops pushing until the rest of the Church  in the form of the Governing Body 'comes along side', he says. 

It was the 'road to perdition'.

The Church in Wales' main message according to its new archbishop as picked up in the media is 'Same-sex Church in Wales marriage hope within five years' as reported here, here, here, here, here, here and here.