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| The Archbishop of Wales (right) and gay pride supporters, the sub-dean of Bangor and former Mayor Source: Twitter |
Martin Shipton writes in Nation Cymru:
"Questions are being raised about the judgement of Archbishop of Wales Andy John after the emergence of concerns relating to potential financial irregularities in his home diocese of Bangor.
"Several Church in Wales sources have independently contacted NationCymru to criticise the Archbishop for creating a situation where one cleric – the Rev Canon Siôn ap Rhys-Evans – was effectively running both the diocese of Bangor and its cathedral. He has been on gardening leave since February 29."
Continuing their mushroom method of management the church remains silent about the absence of the sub-dean of Bangor.
Shipton continues, "One Church in Wales source told us: 'The Church is doing its best to keep a lid on this and make sure it doesn’t become a public controversy. But the fact is that the Archbishop made a serious mistake when he appointed Sion Rhys-Evans as the Sub-Dean of Bangor Cathedral in 2021. The fact that he’s in charge of both the cathedral and the diocese is a major problem and he may live to regret it'."
The archbishop's judgement has already been called into question for ignoring the teaching of the Church having remarried after his divorce form his first wife. Also for appointing an assistant bishop who is engaged to another man implying future marriage which contrary to the teaching of the Church in Wales.
Not the symbol of unity his flock expects.
Financial irregularities are just the tip of this particular rotten iceberg, I would imagine.
ReplyDeleteAppointing the Assistant Bishop nicely paves the way for the ridiculous liberal anti-Biblical and un-Christian agenda of same-sex weddings to become reality, probably alongside a push to make it compulsory for clerics to perform such ceremonies regardless of their personal convictions.
Which will hopefully be the final nail in the morally bankrupt coffin of the Church in Wales and see it either implode and disappear without trace, or finally allow the growing number of younger, more conservative Bible-believing clerics and ordinands to reset and restart. The latter seems highly unlikely, sadly - they are far more likely now to join the RC or Orthodox.
Personal convictions?
DeleteSounds about right.
But Randy Pandy's biggest problem is his lack of a brain.
I should have written (pun intended) after that!
DeleteGive it fifteen months and the missing mincer will make a reappearance as an Archdeacon in the St. Asaph diocese.
Delete"younger, more conservative Bible-believing clerics and ordinands" may also choose to join evangelical churches
DeleteI'd like to know how the 'curate-dean' is paid. Does he do one of the roles pro bono? Or is he HfD in the Deanery but paid as Diocesan Secretary? Lots of questions about this highly irregular state of affairs. Will someone at GB have the guts to raise it, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing this is unconstitutional on several fronts let alone pushing the boundaries of charity law viz. conflict of interest.
DIM DIOLCH
I really feel for the people of Bangor Cathedral, both those still there and all those who have left over recent years. They are the ones who have had to bear the brunt of his bad decisions and the disastrous situations that followed in their wake. As to this latest one, well it’s never a good idea to give any one person control over all the key institutions in any Diocese, especially when said person is more obsessed with playing pre Vatican 2 dress up than serving the people of God. It’s not my style (or tradition) but I’m not against a bit of clerical silliness in dressing up. But let’s not forget what a priest is and is for in the process.
ReplyDeleteThe glittering image of a fancy Gammarelli’s curé hat is no substitute for the true splendour of a compassionate, approachable, empathetic priest faithfully present at the death bed of one of God’s people in a humble terraced house in a back street somewhere. When, I wonder, was the last time His Grace the Archbishop or His Eminence the Extremely Sub(par) Dean was present in such a place with no airs and graces, just humbly serving?
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ReplyDeleteWhilst Bangor might be a ‘cause célèbre’ at present (the Sub-Dean’s antics regrettably raising his brand and that of the cathedral and diocese for all the wrong reasons), dare I suggest that this level of amateurishness is prevalent through the Church in Wales? Look to the West and see what happens when you let “incomers” spend money without due regard…
ReplyDeleteCayo
You miss a third title in matters 'financial' which the run-away sub-dean ap-Rhys bestowed on himself; that of Canon Treasurer of Bangor cathedral. Wearing this hat and having hand-picked a crony flock of inept and sheepish 'Chapter' he alone knew the full extent of cathedral and his own 'deanery' spending. Fed with only account 'summaries' rather than full accounts the lame-sheep of his Chapter were left seriously in the dark and too sheepish to take him to task
ReplyDeleteThere are those in the diocese who wonder if there was any connection between the sudden resignation of archdeacon Andrew Jones and the present shenanigans at Bangor [££] What's not widely known is that Ven Andrew abruptly 'resigned' [or quit] his trusteeships of two key C-in-W significant funds BEFORE quitting as Archdeacon suggesting that he had some problems with their accounts and propriety. Having failed to have his concerns properly addressed he then quit at archdeacon, parish priest and diocese of Bangor. This while Sion ap Rhys was on his first spending spree.
Sadly the defamation laws and assumption that unlike 'Private Eye' Ancient Briton doesn't have insurance against it prevents many of us more curious and insightful to fill in the gaps as I suspect journalist Martin Shipton has more to say on the matter too. The Archbishop of Wales should be in no doubt that his D-Notice over any clergy openly discussing what's already known is simply adding confirmation to the knowledge that he is simply an idiot from cloud cuckoo land and completely out of his depth. Time to be honest dear Andy ... before your stupidity forces your downfall and further ridicule
Don't be so timid William.
DeleteSpeak your mind openly and either put your suspicions into the form of direct uncomfortable questions, or make sure you sprinkle the words "alleged" and "allegedly" in amongst your suspicions.
Old military training taught that there are [allegedly] seven ways of killing a man with a newspaper. There are even more ways of skinning a cat but to share some confidences and insights with a Subversive Canon - who might or might not be a member of Bangor cathedral's cosy nest of unquestioning gullible, naive and easily fooled - isn't one of them. And who do you suggest might risk their cosy livings or stipends and break ranks to answer those 'uncomfortable questions'? This is an Archbishop who is vexatious and vindictive. He knows vendetta.
DeleteAs for sprinkling of 'alleged' or 'allegedly'; there is no 'alleged' about it. The chronicle of events is there to be excavated if you dig deeply enough into the various websites [Companies House and Charity Commission being a good start] sites and use a certain degree of sleuthing acumen [oh and of course have the contacts within to join the dots].
Don't be lazy SC: go out and ask your own 'uncomfortable' questions and prove yourself truly 'subversive'.
Had you been reading or contributing to the revered Ancient Briton's blog as long as I have, you would know full well my home Chapter is Llandaff.
DeleteI did my share on dishing the dirt on the dodgy dealings of Bonaparte and Captain Peacock and the fraudulent Organ appeal.
If you can't play nicely with allies then go and play elsewhere.
@ Subversive Canon
DeleteAll praise Canon for your outspoken exposures of yore although I can't for the life of me remember if they had any impact or not - Llandaff past or present.
However as a somewhat cautious person by career and nature I am choosy in those I take as 'allies' and unless told otherwise by AB to go and 'play elsewhere' I will continue to contribute if I think my comments have any pertinence.
But you have confirmed my perception of 'chapter' canons whether Llandaff or Bangor: weaklings. Submissive rather than Subversive. Play nicely you suggest? How are you at the game of Poker?!
Old Bill and Subversive Canon - what an odious exchange of views.
DeleteBenllech
Depressing news for anyone thinking Bangor has seen the back of the imposter Sion ap Rhys-Evans (Yes Old Bill: others of us have our cathedral 'insiders' too). Despite all outwards appearances of it being deserted, shutters drawn and abandoned, the bachelor-boy's city centre and gloriously upgraded {his costly instructions} deanery mansion is still as he hurriedly deserted it. Wardrobes still full of gaudy clothes, canned food abandoned in his kitchen cupboards and - a source assures - even his bed linen ready to slip back into. Nothing out of place except that the RB has disconnected his access to his beloved church-in-wales and cathedral e.mail addresses depriving him of insight into what's going on. Not the rationale of a man who has quit for good and sped off to his gay lover in London ... and nor either of Bishop Andrew and his ruthless reputation of booting wayward or dissenting clerics out of their Vicarages within only days of their sackings or resignations. Ven Andrew Jones and Andy Jones's own early Chaplain/Secretary Rev Emyr Parry will attest to that.
ReplyDeleteUnless it's explained, it's odd behaviour indeed. I certainly couldn't abandon my house for four months without my girlie wardrobe and cosmetics.
. . . and booting a vicar's wife and four children out of the vicarage after the vicar fled the country with another woman . . .
DeleteOne hears that the former mayor, Owen Hurcum, pictured on the left, so impressed the Archbishop when appearing in the Cathedral that they have been appointed Sion's immediate successor.
ReplyDeleteThey're being ordained hastily this summer and St. Padarn's are backdating their theological training with a few zoom seminars in August. The Bishop of Bardsey is offering intense mentoring
Hurcum will be Bangor's first genderqueer, pansexual and agender Dean. The Deanery is to be sold as Hurcum will be bringing their 1940s houseboat back to Bangor and mooring it on the Menai Straights, sorry, Straits. The sale of the Deanery will pay for new agender vestments as the current fur trimmed Gamarelli stock are thought to be far too femine and at odds with the non-binary direction of travel.
Twll dîn
"Look busy Jesus is coming".
ReplyDeleteThe Enforcer.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/property/buying-selling/hundreds-scottish-churches-on-market-sale/
ReplyDeleteWhere are all the deviants that would be going to church if only gay blessings and marriages were to be introduced?
That's right, as predicted,they were never even interested, they were just wreckers.
The end is nigh , sell up, lots of buildings needed for new Mosques.
Bewildered
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ReplyDeleteThere is every possibility of the curate-dean returning with the former Dean of Llandaff returning to be Archdeacon of Montgomery. Clown show.
ReplyDeleteDIM DIOLCH
I should very much doubt it Dim Diolch. It might appear that insulted by ++Andrew's arrogant and ignorant refusal to explain circumstances of the curate-dean's exodus some of the 1984 Animal Farm pew-piggies have formed themselves into a group and are now closer than you might think to outsmarting Farmer Jones and his protective circle of 'fat pigs who consider themselves to be more equal than others'. The pig-stys have spent almost six months fed on nothing and up to their knees in pig shit being treated as less - not more - or even equal than others. They've now even been joined by a coulple of clergy of the diocese equally unimressed by the 'porkie-pies' tossed out as pig swill to the Plebs in the Troughs.
DeleteThese are a breed of intelligent Pigs. Their goodwill and patience is exhausted. It won't be long before the pigswill is disgorged, the truth out and poor Mr Jones in his Bishop's Palace wondering which 'swine' to blame next ... but never himself of course. Chief Porkie-Pie Sion ap-Trotter will be off to the slaughter house and as other little piggies blew the house down, so too might Mr Jones find his empire built of straw collapsed.
1984? A book worth re-reading in context of Bangor.
The latest edition of the annual accounts for Llandaff Cathedral are now available.
ReplyDeleteMakes interesting reading, not least an ex gratia payment of £70k to a former employee over a threatened Employment Tribunal.
Seems the HR department remains as useless as ever.
Is that the real reason slippery Dick the sherry resigned even after ostensibly being cleared of any wrong-doing in Christchurch?
DeleteCan't find the itemised bill for the free sherry but the bottom line is an annual loss of almost £110k.
DeleteNo
DeleteRSM
Who's being held accountable for these repeated huge losses?
DeleteLast time it was the £20k Aga along with the Capon's entertainment expenses and ex-gratia payment to his chum Mr Toad.
This time it's another HR c*ck up and PR disaster.
How long before Martin Shipton starts sniffing around again?
@Simple Simon. Do you not realize that the vast majority of the members of the Cult in Wales enjoy Martin Shipton 'sniffing around' as you put it. It is the only members get to find what sneaky, underhanded, double dealing charlatans run the organization. My invite to Martin is sniff away as much as you can, and publicize all your findings.
DeleteLoose Canon
Is H.R. advised by Messrs Lloyd and Chinnery
DeleteIt's interesting to note that despite losing huge sums yet again, the personnel establishment has increased from seven to eleven over the last year, despite allegedly paying off Mr Toad.
DeleteWhat precisely do all the gophers in the office actually do?
One can't help thinking that there's absolutely no point in leaving any sort of legacy to Llandaff Cathedral only for it to be spaffed against the south wall in ex gratia payments to disgruntled ex employees.
DeleteMary Wines must be spinning in her grave
I noticed the following on the Church in Wales Facebook page: "Archbishop of Wales calls for next First Minister to lead "with integrity and transparency" as Vaughan Gething resigns." Surely the Archbishop should look to his own, given that he has failed to be transparent and honest regarding the ongoing debacle at Bangor? The Sub-Dean saga is becoming longer than "War and Peace!"
Delete