Drakeford's Pride Cymru

Welsh First Minister at Pride Cymru August 2022  Source: Twitter                                  August bank holiday traffic traffic congestion around Newport  Source: ITV 

  
On the left, no doubt enjoying the crush, First Minister, Mark Drakeford, can be seen in one of the "best photos from Pride Cymru" says Wales Online. 

Mr Drakeford prides himself on cancelling the desperately needed M4 relief road around Newport in South Wales. 'That decision is over', he said, as though the decision mattered only to him. He added, 'There is no point in people hankering back to it'. It may be over for him. For others it is still the obvious solution to a desperate problem.

On the right, the usual bank holiday traffic chaos on the M4 around Newport, the gateway to Wales. 

When Drakeford vetoed the proposed extension he said, instead he would be "concentrating on the alternatives" for solving the major traffic problems in the area. 

A "Network of Alternatives" suggested upgrading the South Wales Main Line and building six new stations between Cardiff and the River Severn, improving train services between Cardiff, Newport and Bristol:

"The rail backbone would be supported by new rapid bus and cycle corridors across the region, especially within Newport. Taken together, over 90% of Cardiff and Newport’s population would live within a mile of a railway station or rapid bus corridor if the proposals are taken forward. Many these recommendations can be delivered through upgrades to the existing rail and road network.

As part of their strategy "Ministers believe “road user charging” schemes are one potential way of encouraging people to use public transport, walk or cycle instead of driving but Newport City Council "does not support the implementation of a local toll on the M4".

Removing local traffic from the heavily congested M4 is not going to help through traffic held up by frequent accidents because there is no diversion apart from the inappropriate Southern distributor road, another accident black spot. 

It is not clear to me what Drakeford's strategy would be if/when these additional public transport facilities are provided if people do not use them. Something for him to consider in his retirement as he prides himself for saving a few toads and newts thought to be in danger if the proposed bypass had gone ahead. Also for those people stuck in queues on the M4 because there is no proper alternative way around the many road accidents.

So far there has just been more chaos affecting the Welsh economy with people missing events, finding themselves on the wrong side of the Prince of Wales bridge instead of listening to a pop concert. 

One can only imagine the congestion if Cardiff had pursued their desire to host the Eurovision Song Contest there. 

Others still see the M4 relief road as the obvious answer to a major problem. Drakeford's pride is the obstacle. 

The chaos continues.

Fit for purpose?

Bishops of St Davids, Bangor, Swansea & Brecon (Archbishop), Monmouth, St Asaph and Llandaff.                                                              Source:Twitter

The bishop of Bangor, Andy John, must have thought himself most fortunate when, after 2,000 years of tradition and scholarship, it fell to him to find Biblical support for church gay marriages. A revelation that eluded doctors of the Church and biblical scholars for generations before him.

Of course the bishop could be mistaken but that would not occur to the episcopal pygmies who currently constitute the bench of bishops in the Church in Wales. For them the bishop of Bangor has provided evidence that the Church should conform to the world as they pursue their policy that 'It is pastorally unsustainable for the Church to make no formal provision for those in same-gender relationships'.

Why is there so much emphasis on same sex relationships in the Church in Wales? The bishops believe that the Church is out of step with society so the Church must change to conform with society. The crumbling edifice reveals the lie.

If the bishops taught the faith as they should, the Church would not be seen as irrelevant.

The bishop of Bangor writes:
 Those who experience same sex attraction or orientation will describe how, in a committed and loving relationship, they find not only love but grace and peace growing in their shared life with their partner. They experience the very fruit of the Spirit identified by St Paul as a mark of God’s presence and blessing (Gal 5:22-23). Jesus himself provided a kind of litmus test: it is ‘fruitfulness’ which reveals the authenticity (or not) of any claim to communion with God and grace (Matt 5:16-17). If the fruit of a relationship is growth in godly character, in what sense can such a relationship could be considered ‘against the will of God’?

From Gal 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." St Paul continues: "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

In the preceding verses Paul writes: "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh....So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Setting the tone of things to come in the Diocese of Monmouth following the appointment of the third woman bishop in the Church in Wales, the diocese has re-tweeted a Pride Cymru recruitment poster advertising a Volunteer Recruitment Day to be held on Saturday 25th January, the same day as that set apart for the consecration of Cherry Vann as the 11th bishop of Monmouth.

Such advertising goes way beyond sympathy for any perceived errors in the past. It is using the Church to further a Pride Cymru recruitment campaign, demonstrating the growing confidence of LGBT campaigners in the Church in Wales as they look forward to their next celebration in the so-called 'Faith' tent.

No doubt the new bishop of Monmouth and her fellow women bishops, LGBT campaigners Joanna Penberthy and June Osborne, see this as the road to salvation. It is not. It is the reverse.  

As chief shepherds, bishops should be leading their flocks to Christ not walking away from Him, thus putting the souls of the faithful in peril. By doing so they clearly demonstrate that they are not fit for purpose.

Postscript [21.01.2020]

Following the appointment of Cherry Vann as bishop-elect of Monmouth, the Church in Wales press office and the Diocese of Monmouth declined to comment on whether the cohabiting bishop-elect was in a partnered same-sex relationship.

There has been no such reticence following the meeting of the Sacred Synod. From a Provincial News update on the bishop's forthcoming consecration: "Bishop Vann lives with her civil partner Wendy and their two dogs, Macallan and Sadie", a point casually reported by BBC News as though it were a regular occurrence rather than a departure from established Church policy.

The bishops of the Church in Wales are clearly determined to create a sense of normality around same sex relationships despite the fact that their proposals were rejected in a consultation exercise and at Governing Body.

The journey

Yesterday saw the twentieth anniversary Pride Cymru parade through Cardiff streets, supporting the LGBT+ community on the pretext of raising awareness of equality and diversity,

Away from the hype the reality is different. LGBT+ fully permeates Church and State.

The last bastion of Christianity in the media, the BBC's Songs of Praise, has been eased out of prime time viewing to a short lunch time slot. It has further alienated viewers after it featured a same-sex wedding.

This is pure propaganda in a process turning this

into this

After 20 years of 'being proud and together', the LGBT+ community still insists on raising "awareness of equality and diversity" as if they have not noticed the rainbow flags on government buildings and in shop windows.

The rainbow flag is displayed everywhere from the 

vote catching First Minister of Wales

university chaplaincy

police

and Church

culminating in a full circle preparing the next generation

aided by the Church, 'where love matters', allegedly.

Equality and diversity? Pull the other one.

Images from Wales on Line, Church in Wales and Twitter


Postscript [29.08.2019]

Question put down for Church in Wales Governing Body meeting 11 - 12 September 2019:

"During August the Diocese of Llandaff and the Church in Wales actively supported and promoted the Faith Tent at Pride Cymru via social media, various press releases and the presence of a number of clerics at the event. As part of the event there were three sessions of "drag queen storytime". The drag queen in question has YouTube videos entitled "Good Christian bitches" and "the most underrated type of gay sex" as well as a number of other videos containing explicit material contrary to the Christian faith. Despite this speaker being a "third party" - the Church in Wales support for the entire event was unequivocal. Does the Church in Wales affirm the lifestyle this speaker promotes or is the Church prepared to simply overlook the usual high moral standards expected of speakers at events it promotes?"

Thank God somebody is prepared to stand up for the Church at GB saying what needs to be said to defend the Christian faith instead of simply 'going along to get on'.

Postscript [11.09.2019]

This bland response from the bishop of Llandaff tweeted from Governing Body:

@ChurchinWales @BishopJuno of @LlandaffDio answers a question about @PrideCymru, saying the Church had a duty to minister to the whole community and support such major  events. "We are seeking to engage with a section of society which the Church has not always treated well in the past" #govbody

If that is all she said she evaded the question put.
I have seen no evidence that the Church has treated the gay community badly in the past. Quite the contrary. By contrast traditionalist Anglicans have been treated abysmally with encouragement from the bench.

Caption corner 31 August 2018

'Proud' clergy celebrating Pride Cymru                                                                                        Source: Twitter @RoseHill797

As usual printable captions will appear under 'Comments'.

Jolly June's folly?

Source: Twitter

Last year the Pride Cymru Eucharist Service was celebrated by Joanna Penberthy, the first woman bishop in the Church in Wales. In another first, the Rev Sarah Jones, the first transgender priest in the Church of England, was chosen to celebrate Holy Eucharist in a move that could be regarded as a calculated snub to supporters of traditional marriage.

It is a mystery why someone who has complained about being "OUTed" (see the 3.45pm event, above) would want to attract so much publicity but the Rev'd Sarah Jones is not shy when it comes to preaching about same sex marriage:

From her own website: "Before ordination Sarah played on the UK acoustic music scene...Sarah also speaks to conferences and groups on a range of topics including sex and gender, social influence, leadership and diversity."

Currently Rector of St Mary’s Ross-on-Wye, St Michael’s Walford and St Michael’s Brampton Abbotts, Sara Jones has been appointed to the post of Priest in Charge of The City Parish of St John The Baptist, Cardiff, described as being at the heart of Cardiff City Centre and a significant post in the Diocese of Llandaff.

From St John's website:
"The City Parish of St John the Baptist is among the oldest in Cardiff. The church is next to city centre's covered market, and is the oldest remaining mediaeval building in the city after Cardiff Castle, dating from the 12th century.

"Cardiff University Chaplaincy and its main campus are within the City Parish."

I have found no obvious explanation for this import from the Church of England to be vicar of the capital's civic church so unless she was the only applicant it appears to be yet another case of Church in Wales politics which saw the first woman bishop appointed.

The bishop of Llandaff was appointed by the bench of bishops after the rejection of Dean Jeffrey John's candidature. Undoubtedly better qualified than the current bench, Jeffrey John's promotion of the LGBT agenda was too much for many. He also came Out4Marriage.

Barry Morgan and his bench sitters failed in their bid to get the Church in Wales to accept same sex marriage but the bishop of Llandaff has appointed an advocate of that policy to one of the most significant posts in the Diocese of Llandaff in a move that appears to be a calculated thumbing of the nose to those who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others and for life, the official position of the Church in Wales.

Church in Wales 'love' triptych

The Bishop of St Asaph (centre) launching the UK’s first LGBTQIA+ chaplaincy with the bishops of Llandaff (left) and St Davids strutting their credentials.

This triptych emphasis what is now the most important issue for bishops in the Church in Wales today, accepting minorities - as if hey were not already - provided of course they are not the minority which strive to keep the faith against all the odds.

The first woman bishop in Wales lost no time in identifying with Pride Cymru. The bishop of St Davids led a Eucharist service in the Pride faith tent which celebrated "people from different religious backgrounds and their place in the LGBT community". 

The bishop's involvement in Cardiff's Pride Cymru festival was described as "fantastic" and "extraordinary" by Cardiff University Methodist Chaplain the Rev Delyth Liddell who "co-ordinated" the faith tent. 

Years ago one of the impediments to unity for some Methodists was the presence of alcohol in Communion wine. Now it appears that homosexuality could be the glue which binds Methodists and Anglicans together, or those who are left, adding a new dimension to 'when two or three are gathered together'.

Love wins according to the pride banner so enthusiastically carried before her by the bishop of St Davids. Many of the bishops in the Church of England have fallen for that trite little phrase ignoring the wider connotations but a far greater impediment to reconciliation will be voted on after the Church of England Synod debates sharing Methodist ministers. This would mean a break in the Apostolic Succession if Methodist clergy who have not been ordained by a bishop were entitled to hold Church of England services.

Sadly, few will care any more. Many of those who did care have left the church which nurtured them; rather, the Church has left them.

Real love loses.

Barry's gay legacy

Provincial news: Pride Cymru                                                                                                                Source: Church in Wales

 After 14 years in office as Archbishop of Wales, this is his legacy. A gay pride event fronted by the first woman bishop in the Church in Wales, highlighted as Provincial news on the Church in Wales web site under the headline "Bishop celebrates at Pride Cymru". 

Supported by predominantly women clergy, the bishop of St Davids will "take part in a discussion about faith and sexuality" before "leading Pride’s first ever Communion service". Penarth assistant curate, the Revd Rosemary Hill, will be talking about "bi-sexual Christianity" and later Newport assistant curate, the Revd James Henley, will discuss "belonging in a disconnected world". On Sunday, the Revd Rhian Linecar, Cardiff assistant curate, will lead Taize sung prayer and meditation, no doubt on an 'inclusive' theme.

FaithTent coordinator, the Revd Delyth Liddell, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming our first ever Bishop to the #FaithTent this year, Bishop Joanna". 

In one small step towards the bishop of Llandaff's goal of parity, the omnipresent cleric at 'inclusion' events, Canon Aled Edwards, chief executive of Cytun, Churches Together, will talk about “Open Inclusive Nation” before leading the closing thanksgiving service.

Deemed by Archbishop Morgan to be the 'best person to be a bishop', Joanna Penberthy was reported to have been elected in a 'stitch up'. Could her LGBT credentials have been why?  The news of her election was welcomed by one gay priest on Thinking Anglicans as "Wonderful news - for Wales and for the LGBT Community in the Church".

Given that her name had been circulating months before her election it should have come as no surprise but it did for those who believed that the work of the Holy Spirit could not be manipulated. One former Archbishop actually described the loss of the vote for woman priests as the work of the Devil.

If twenty years of women priests culminating in a bishop favouring the gay community over cradle Anglicans whose only desire has been to worship as the Holy Spirit moves them, the Archbishop could have been right but on the wrong occasion.  

Presumably, then, the task of a bishop in the Church in Wales today in Barry Morgan's book is to advance Queer Theology. Joanna Penberthy has been most conspicuous by her presence at all things gay but little else from Church in Wales news reports.

Looking back, bishop Penberthy was to the fore in Victims last December and in Church in Crisis in February this year. More recently she preached at the Welsh National Eisteddfod on 'diversity', reported more accurately elsewhere as LGBTQIA+.

The first woman bishop is no longer alone. The new bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne has a similar LGBT agenda.

The bishop of St Davids participation in Pride Cymru's Gay Weekend in Cardiff brings more LGBT 'good news' from one who has become a peripatetic ambassador for the LGBTQIA+ agenda, moving from diocese to diocese to welcome those who claim to be unwelcome despite all the evidence to the contrary. It is a ploy. Their aim is same sex marriage in church.

So this is Barry Morgan's legacy. A queered church motivated by illiberal 'liberal' clergy with a bishop in St Asaph taking on the mantle of Self inflicted pain while leaving traditional Anglicans with nothing but memories to support their faith. 

Barry Morgan's successor as Archbishop must break his secularist mould and return the Church to spirituality.

Update [27.08.2017]

"Bishop's Pride Cymru involvement 'fantastic'" - Rev Delyth Liddell faith tent coordinator.

The faith tent coordinator is a Methodist minister and University Chaplain. In a BBC video interview she highlighted the leadership of the bishop of St Davids.  Liddell claimed that LGBT people "would not be allowed to receive Communion" and "would not be welcome in church" which is what made the bishop's Eucharistic celebration so "fantastic".

As a Methodist minister Liddell may be ale to back up her claim but not in the Church in Wales. In reality I suspect it is just another 'persecution' claim built on fantasy as was bishop Penberthy's claim of discrimination which on examination turned out to be nothing more than someone taking an opposing view to hers.