Bangor farce moves to Monmouth diocese

Church in Wales bishops                                                                                                                   Source: Church in Wales

1 Timothy 3

"Now a bishop must be above reproach, married only once, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money."

On 29th of July the Church in Wales Bangor charade moves to the diocese of Monmouth, the see of the second most senior bishop after the bishop of St Asaph, for the election of the 15th Archbishop of Wales.

Concerns have been expressed over the venue for the election but that the pantomime takes place in Monmouth appears curiously appropriate give the obsession of the bench with sex and same sex marriage and firsts. The bishop of Monmouth is a partnered lesbian who uses the Holy Eucharist to promote her sexual preference under the banner Beware! Our God welcomes all.

All, that is, who share the views of the bench. Believers in biblical orthodoxy are not welcome. There is no longer a pretense of twin integrities. Those promises were broken years ago.  

Despite the elaborate electoral college procedure, Buggins' turn usually prevails but given the advancing age of the three most senior bishops who knows.

The choice beyond Buggins' turn is lamentable. It could have been avoided had the bishop of Bangor not delayed his retirement until after the new archbishop is appointed but there is no transparency, only rumour and speculation indicating self interest rather than the interests of the Church. 

Given their penchant for 'firsts', the second most senior bishop, the bishop of Monmouth, would as archbishop give the bench two more firsts but a very long way from those of the past when firsts were in Theology,

Postscript 29.07.2025

 

New Archbishop of Wales to be chosen amid cathedral concerns BBC News

Something rotten in the diocese of Bangor?

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

The Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, announced he was retiring 'with immediate effect' on Friday, 27 June, following a 'turbulent period for the Bangor diocese' but did not intend to retire as Bishop of Bangor until 31st August.

Back in 2022 I wrote in Disaster looms closer: 

"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...

"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."

From Beyond a joke last year:

The latest 'first' for the Church in Wales is History is made as Church appoints its youngest ever bishop. Emphasising his same sex relationship we are told that in his spare time, 'David enjoys spending time with his fiancé, Marc Penny, and his cat, Gordon'. Not a 'first'. That record goes to the bishop of Monmouth who lives with her same sex partner.

From the BBC's article Church in Wales calls for investigation of diocese: While there is no suggestion the archbishop behaved inappropriately, the church's representative body said there must be a "change in leadership, procedures and governance in the Diocese of Bangor".

The full facts are concealed by the publication only of summaries of 'two critical reports' but the resposibility for this sorry state is the archbishop's resulting from his appointments which appear to have been based on sexuality rather than sprituality to fullfil his stated dream of Same-sex Church in Wales marriage within five years'. 

Andy John appointed an assistant bishop to run the diocese of Bangor while he concentrated on his duties as archbishop. He now has none while Bangor has a bishop and an assistant bishop

As senior diocesan bishop he, presumably, will be resposible for organising the election of the new archbishop.

His meddling looks set to continue along with that of his mentor, Barry Morgan. 

The farce continues.         

Postscripts 

6 July 2025 Exit painful amid church crisis, says ex-archbishop BBC news

10 July2025 Statement on recent media coverage Church in Wales, Provincial News

                    

                    BBC Wales investigates on July 10 2025 BBC iPlayer

11 July 2025  New Dean appointed to Bangor Cathedral Church in Wales

                    From AB archives Theology today

                    Ex-Archbishop was aware of sexual assault allegations BBC News

22 July 2025 Election of the Archbishop of Wales Church in Wales, Provincial News

Election farce

 

Standing in the rain outside 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced that there would be a General Election on 4 July, 2024.

Inclement weather was not the only thing Rishi Sunak was forced to deal with. He had to battle against a loud speaker which almost drowned him out as protesters played 'Things Can Only Get Better'!

Protesters now do as they please, disrupting the free movement of traffic, defacing works of art and public monuments, all under the guise of free speech.

Those of us who are sick and tired of protesters who abuse our freedoms to beat us over the head with will have ample opportunity to demand to know from candidates what they and their Parties propose to do to defend true British values against such abuse.

New First Minister's shame

New Welsh Labour leader and First Minister nominee, Vaughan Gething Source: BBC

 Gaining 51.7% of the vote, Vaughan Gething secured a narrow victory over his cabinet colleague to secure the top job in Welsh politics, First Minister of Wales.

It is not an auspicious start. WalesOnline reported that Gething "received a huge £200,000 donation from a man whose companies have been convicted of environmental offences. On the same day that he received the donation, one of the donor's companies submitted an application to build a large solar farm in Cardiff that would require Welsh Government approval." 

The First Minister nominee has refused to return the donations arguing that they were "within the rules". He has since declared another £51,000 in donations.

They may be within the rules but not in the spirit of good government.

Nation Cymru reported that the offences entailed "illegally dumping toxic sludge in the Gwent Levels, a sensitive wetlands landscape near Newport", regarded by former First Minister, Mark Drakeford, as a 'fantastic wild haven' equivalent to the Amazon rainforest for sheer diversity of wildlife.

Toxic sludge to kill off wildlife but not the much needed M4 relief road which Drakeford killed off.

It can only get worse with plans to raise the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96. 

As Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons argued, if Westminster were expanded in the way planned for the Senedd it would have more than 2,000 MPs. 

But it gets even worse. Described by the bishop of St Asaph as 'bad news' for democracy, from 2026 votes will be cast for parties instead of individual candidates enabling the Labour Party to tighten its grip in Wales despite its lamentable record, particularly on NHS waiting lists. 

There was a time when Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer regarded Welsh Labour as his "blueprint" for power but no longer. He has twice declined to repeat his claim.

No surprise there. 

Postscript [23.03.2024]

Nation.Cymru reports that "New First Minister Vaughan Gething is facing his first major constitutional clash with the UK Government over a controversial Bill that would enforce a gender-balanced Senedd by law and allow election candidates to self-identify as the gender of their choice."

Self-identifying gender balance! Completely crackpot.

Bishop of St Davids election

St Davids Cathedral (photo by Toby Pickard)                                                                                     Source: Church in Wales

This beautiful photograph of the sun setting over St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire was published in a Provincial News item, Election of new Bishop of St Davids. It is also symbolic of the sun setting on Christianity in the Church in Wales.

The election of the previous bishop of St Davids was all about politics. It ended in disaster.

In another Provincial News item, New team for Panel as it widens access to ministry, the Church in Wales announces that "A senior journalist and Lay Canon is the new chair of the panel which selects people for ordained ministry."

Their aim is 'to increase the number of vocations and for new priests to reflect the wonderful diversity of our communities'.

Diversity along with inclusivity and equality have come to supersede all else in the Church in Wales.

A commentator under my previous blog entry sarcastically referred to 'eccentric congregations in Pembrokeshire' which, given the context of the comment, implied that traditional, orthodox Christianity was eccentric.

That does not augur well for the election of the next Bishop of St Davids later this month.

Postscripts 

[16.10.2023]

BBC News article St Davids chooses successor to 'never trust a Tory' bishop

[17.10.2023]

The Archdeacon of Carmarthen, The Ven Dorrien Davies, is to be the next bishop of St Davids.

https://twitter.com/ChurchinWales/status/1714294224538181736

Brass Neck Barry

Archbishop Barry Morgan at the 900th anniversary celebration of the Papal decree that two trips to St Davids were the equivalent of one to Rome.  Source: Twitter

On Saturday, 22nd July 2023, St Davids diocese held an Extraordinary Diocesan Conference (EDC) to "canvass LMAs' opinions on the qualities they would like to see in the person elected as the new Bishop of St Davids".

Those qualities would been regarded as obvious based on faith and tradition before politics divided the Church in Wales.

The man regarded by many as responsible for the mess the Church in Wales finds itself in is archbishop Barry Morgan who is suspected of trying to influence opinion long after his retirement.

With the election of a new bishop approaching and a reputation for creating division Morgan made an ill-judged appearance at the special service to mark the 900th anniversary of the Papal decree that two trips to St Davids were the equivalent of one to Rome, something I would have thought would have meant little to him as a protestant.

Following his manoeuvring, St Davids was the first diocese in the Church in Wales to elect a woman bishop which would have been anathema to any pope. 

Joanna Penberthy's episcopacy has been a disaster from her mean minded attempt to get rid of elderly male clergy to her political posturing which culminated in her “Never, never, never trust a Tory” comment which attracted widespread derision. 

Described by Barry Morgan as the best person to be a bishop, she is another divisive figure who has advanced feminism over faith. She is reported by the archbishop to be "in good heart" as she prepares to retire to Cornwall following extensive periods of sick leave. 

The retirement of Provincial Assistant Bishop David Thomas, author of  'A Noble Task', gave archbishop Morgan the opportunity to decree that there would be further provision over his dead body for faithful Anglicans who, on grounds of conscience, were unable to receive the sacramental ministry of women, thus reversing assurances which led to the ordination of women and their elevation to the episcopacy in the Church in Wales.

I am not clear what message the archbishop was trying to convey in his presidential address to the EDC other than a facilitator would be listening to the views of people in St Davids diocese. 

Hopefully the errors of the past will be heeded by putting faith before politics. To that end, all Anglican views must be heard, including those excluded Anglicans who, in the words of St David, Keep the Faith.

73rd Bishop of Llandaff

The 73rd Bishop of Llandaff, Mary Stallard                                                Source: Church in Wales

The 73rd bishop of Llandaff is to be the feminist campaigner Mary Stallard, currently assistant bishop  in Bangor. Someone already committed to the secular strategy of the bench.

A popular choice judging by the reception of the assembled mini-crowd made up of those who, presumably, are prepared to go along to get on.

Some of the comments already received under other threads have been less than enthusiastic to say the least.

Bishop Stallard was appointed by Andy John after his elevation to archbishop to run his diocese while he was busy running the Province. This despite the Church in Wales Review recommendation to cut the number of dioceses.

By implication the archbishop will now be considering who to appoint as his new Asst bishop.

Unless nobody else could be persuaded to take on the job one can only speculate on the quality of the other candidates. 

Presumably men are no longer eligible in the Church in Wales.

Postscript [24.01.2023]

ELECTORAL COLLEGE: BEHIND THE SCENES By Rev'd Zoe King, Electoral College member and Ministry Area Leader in Barry.

For a list of Llandaff College members click HERE.

Joanna Penberthy creeps back

Source: Church in Wales

 

From Church in Wales Diocesan news:  Join Wales' Christingle service and help Faith in Families led by the Bishop of St Davids, Joanna Penberthy.

Nothing it seems prevents bishops of the Church in Wales from continuing as they please. 

In a previous entry, The future of the Church in Wales from the Archbishop in waiting? I quoted  Andy John's statement:

“I think the question whether Bishop Joanna resigns is done and dusted”, Bishop Andy states. “She made clear that she regretted what she had to say… I think if we cannot provide a way in which people can acknowledge wrongdoing, learn from their mistakes, and come back, then it begs questions about whether we believe people can change. Whether or not we think the Christian faith is about second chances. To me, fundamentally, it’s about that. And those who are baying and frothing at the mouth seem to me to be part of what I think is quite pernicious in society: which is that we dress up in virtue – or in the language of virtue – a kind-of campaign to persecute.”

This may explain some of the facial expressions when the statement of Bishop Andy’s election as Archbishop of Wales was read out. Joanna Penberthy can be seen beaming but not quite as ecstatically as June Osborne who could not wait to signal her approval of the 'wonderful news'.

Looking markedly less thrilled were the bishop of St Asaph and his compatriot in the GB gay blessings saga, the bishop of Monmouth. Following their 'success' at GB perhaps they believed the Pink News article headline, "Cherry Vann, the Bishop of Monmouth, is in the running to be elected the Church in Wales’ first lesbian archbishop." 

Cherry may have been led to believe that her election would be another Church in Wales stitch up, a foregone conclusion as apparently was the GB same sex blessings vote when she arranged a victory dinner in advance of the debate. 

No doubt from his statements the "bullying" bishop of Llandaff and bishop of St Davids will feel more secure under archbishop Andy than they would have under their junior, Cherry Vann, but Andy could surprise everyone now he actually holds the reins of power, such as it is. 

Next though should be the long awaited Bishop Graham Jones report of the investigation into the departure of the former bishop of Monmouth. 

An August update claimed the bench expected "to make progress quickly over the summer period" and to complete their work "in the autumn". Presumably 2021!

Postscript [10.12.2021]

Something fishy again?

I see the fulsome acclamation of the election to archbishop of the bishop of Bangor by the 'bullying' bishop of Llandaff has been rewarded with a personal archiepiscopal tweet to the diocese. 

Perhaps June will now feel as secure as Joanna appears to despite their behaviour.

Church in Wales election farce

The Bench of Bishops. From left: Bishop June Osborne, Bishop Joanna Penberthy, Bishop John Lomas, Bishop Andy
John, Bishop Gregory Cameron and Bishop Cherry .  Source: Church in Wales

 

Following the return to work from sick leave on 1 November of the bishop of St Davids and the confirmation in Sacred Synod on 22 November of the Archdeacon of Wrexham, John Lomas, as bishop of Swansea and Brecon, the Church in Wales moves to the next scene of their ecclesiastical farce, the election of the next archbishop of Wales followed by the early retirement of the bishop of St Davids if any semblance of decency remains in the Church in Wales.

What a choice! Apart from the new bishop of Swansea and Brecon none of the candidates would normally have a chance of being elected Archbishop based on performance and beliefs. 

But this is the Church in Wales. Assuming there are no skeletons in the cupboard bishop Lomas may be the only bishop untainted by secularism. 

However, the bench are frequently quoted as being of a 'single mind' on important issues so presumably the bishops have satisfied themselves that they can count on the support of the latest addition, thus perpetuating the rot.

In October 2010 I wrote in Deception in the church: 'Ali Bari and his band are out to rob traditionalists of their heritage'. Faithful Anglicans have simply been dumped. Deprived of fellowship and spiritual wellbeing. Instead their bishops promote secular causes under the mantra, Jesus loves me. 

Around the same time WalesOnline reported: "Between 2011 and 2012, the number of adults attending Church in Wales Sunday services fell by 5%, from 33,783 to 32,171."

In 2004 the figure was 41,771. By 2018 that figure had dropped to 26,110 with a predicted extinction date for the Church in Wales around 2040.

All tarred with the same brush, the new archbishop might as well be appointed using a silver bodkin in a blindfold pricking ceremony saving the electoral college much time and money.

Any chance of a true man of God?

The Church in Wales' Bench of Bishops. (Facebook/ The Church in Wales)                                                                                                        Source: Pink News

The Church in Wales meets tomorrow (1st September) to elect/appoint the 10th bishop of Swansea and Brecon following the retirement of archbishop John Davies pictured above in the gold chasuble and mitre.

The chances of electing a spiritual man of God who bears witness to true biblical teaching appears unlikely given the current trajectory of the bench.

Obsessed with the promotion of same sex relationships it is likely that the bench will seek again to further strengthen their hand in readiness for the forthcoming vote on same-sex blessings at Governing Body. 

Now that women have achieved parity on the bench they will have to think of another reason for appointing a fourth woman. Based on experience so far the church in Wales cannot afford to make another mistake. 

The bishop of St Davids has managed to offend many in her diocese while occupying much of her time campaigning as if she were still a Labour candidate having previously failed badly to get elected with just 5% of the vote in 2015.

The bishop of Llandaff has resolutely 'done it her way' here, here and here, to mention a few examples. Like the bishop of St Davids she is a strong LGBT+ campaigner who has condemned others as guilty of prejudice and hatred for not agreeing with her liberal views.

The bishop of Monmouth celebrated and preached on Saturday (28th August) at a Pride Cymru Eucharist held at St John's in the centre of Cardiff where the vicar is transgender. The Gospel reading was taken from Mark 12, The Greatest Commandment which presented the bishop with the opportunity to justify her same-sex civil partnership. *

The divorced and re-married bishop of Bangor claims to have found Biblical support for church gay marriages. If past practice is followed he will be the next archbishop of Wales.

The Electoral College and Governing Body need to reject self serving interpretations of the Bible and take a stand against bishops who reject traditional beliefs as a means of pushing their queer theology in the Church in Wales.

Postscripts

[01.09.2021]

* Bound together in love. Cherry Vann, Bishop of Monmouth, reflects on 'Love' in her address at the Pride Cymru Eucharist. 

[02.09.2021]

Doers of the Word? - Definitely not. 

The sorry state of the Church in Wales and its 'woke' leadership is summed up in under 5 mins on Anglican Unscripted 683 starting around 13.30 mins.

[03.09.2021]

The decision about the next Bishop of @Swanbrec will be made by the Bench of Bishops.

https://twitter.com/ChurchinWales/status/1433755108874072066

The senior bishop, Andy John, explains

https://twitter.com/ChurchinWales/status/1433762233218129932

Based on their previous performance the Church in Wales is spiritually dead.

The future of the Church in Wales from the Archbishop in waiting?

Archbishop in waiting? the Bishop of Bangor. Picture: Church in Wales. Source: The National Wales

The future of the Church in Wales, or, more accurately, the future of the Church in Wales according to Andy John, Bishop of Bangor, is predicted in an 'exclusive' interview with The National Wales. 

Others insist the Church in Wales has no future. Not surprising given the mess created by the bench of bishops with their secular obsessions. 

In 2015 the Church Growth Modelling blog forecast that attendance figures for the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Church of the USA (TEC), indicated extinction dates around 2040. 

Aged 57, if Buggins' turn prevails, Andy John will be the penultimate Archbishop of Wales leaving another to do the final sweeping up. Gregory Cameron, the next most senior bishop after Andy John is 62 so he is likely to miss out as is the Tory loathing bishop of St Davids, Joanna Penberthy who is 61.

At 68 the bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne, will soon be drawing her pension leaving only Cherry Vann, Bishop of Monmouth, who is 62.

Depending on his/her age the next bishop of Swansea and Brecon could also be the last Archbishop of Wales.

The new Bishop of Swansea and Brecon is to be elected this month* leaving the way for the election of the new Archbishop but if St Davids were to become vacant there would be a further delay. 

That may account for Andy John's extraordinary statement:

“I think the question whether Bishop Joanna resigns is done and dusted”, Bishop Andy states. “She made clear that she regretted what she had to say… I think if we cannot provide a way in which people can acknowledge wrongdoing, learn from their mistakes, and come back, then it begs questions about whether we believe people can change. Whether or not we think the Christian faith is about second chances. To me, fundamentally, it’s about that. And those who are baying and frothing at the mouth seem to me to be part of what I think is quite pernicious in society: which is that we dress up in virtue – or in the language of virtue – a kind-of campaign to persecute.”

Having found ''Biblical support for church gay marriages" the divorced and re-married bishop of Bangor can no doubt justify anything he fancies. 

In his interview for The National, Andy John was asked about the draft Bill which had been outlined at Governing Body (GB) in December. If passed by a two-thirds majority it would allow a five-year trial period for priests who would like to hold a service to bless a same-sex couple after their marriage or civil partnership.

Did the bishop of Bangor hope the motion will be approved? "Very much so", he replied before adding, "I think this will make us a more generous Church, which will make us a Church that provides space for people who demonstrate by their lives that they can be wonderful disciples of Jesus Christ when they want to live in love with a person of the same sex. I fail to understand… I fail to really understand why that is problematic.

Building up the pressure before the next meeting of GB, the former archbishop of Wales John Davies told ITV that it would be  a "slap in the face" for gay Christians if the church does not consider introducing services of blessing for same-sex couples.

"Simply to say", explained the archbishop, "that because it's always been so it must never change I think is a slap in the face to an awful lot of people who see something valuable in the church, but to some extent still feel rejected by the church."

That simply does not hold water. 

No generosity has been shown by the bench to an 'awful lot of people' who have been slapped in the face by a myopic bench of bishops, eager to impose their own liberal agenda at the expense of faithful Anglicans un-churched by the Church in Wales. 

As the recently retired Archdeacon of Llandaff, Peggy Jackson, a late convert to Anglicanism, put it with all the charity she could muster, "individuals with conscientious difficulties over women’s ministry will simply have to make personal decisions and individual choices, to find accommodation as best they can." (The naked truth).

There have been no 'second chances' for traditionalists who remain outside in the cold in what the bishop of Bangor refers to as 'a kind-of campaign to persecute'. It is clear why. The Church in Wales is at odds with the vast majority of Anglicans, let alone Christians. Anglicans in the Church in Wales who seek to practice their faith in common with the majority of Anglicans are an embarrassment to a bench of bishops preoccupied with fleeting secular fads and fancies.

As bishop Andy told his interviewer: "The pandemic has reminded the Church of its purpose: to serve. “Our job is to argue for a more humane, compassionate, loving society, and to be unafraid and to be unapologetic about that." His colleagues have “done remarkably well” during Covid-19 too. And it is hard to disagree. Even more so considering that – in his words – that the Church in Wales is “a bit like an oil tanker: it takes ages to turn us around”.

In a nutshell. The Church in Wales has set its course - to extinction.

The interview ends with: "A very confident and unapologetic message from a bishop who is very confident and unapologetic. With the possibility of him at the helm, perhaps this Welsh oil tanker will chart the right course, after all."

The interview started with the interviewer's confession: "I don't generally do God, I tell Andy John." Exactly the sort of people the bench look to for support and justification.

If ever the Church in Wales needed a transfiguration it is now.

* Correction: Election of new Bishop of Swansea and Brecon
 The election is to be held in September.
https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/election-new-bishop-swansea-and-brecon/

What-a-mistaka-to-maka!

Captain Alberto Bertorelli and Private Helga Geerhart in the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo

In the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo, Capt. Bertorelli's response to his latest faux pas was, "What-a-mistaka-to-maka", sentiments that could well be shared by the former Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, having done everything possible to ensure that his favoured candidate Joanna Penberthy was elected to the office of Bishop of St Davids.

A political appointment to advance the cause of feminism in Wales, Penberthy's 'election' was a disaster. Labour politician and LGBT+ activist, she unashamedly uses a sacred office to promote her own secular causes. Any hint of criticism is simply brushed aside as prejudice and discrimination.

Part of her antipathy towards Tories may result from her being placed bottom of the poll with 5% of the votes as the Labour candidate in the 2015 Blackmoor Vale election in Somerset. While the two Liberal Democrat candidates received 37% the two Conservative Party candidates were elected with 59% of the votes, a sizable majority 'never to be trusted'. 

The bishop's position is untenable but she doesn't have the balls to do the honourable thing and resign to pursue her secular interests outside the Church. 

Following an unprecedented wigging by the Church in Wales one would have thought that the bishop would have put the Church before her own self interests but there is no indication that she is considering her position.

The diocese of Winchester had a remedy. Will St Davids follow their example?

Postscript [06.06.2021]

"The Church in Wales is a joke within the Anglican world" - the Rev George Conger on Anglican Unscripted. Starting at position 37.20, George Conger explains that the diocese of St Davids has an average Sunday attendance about the same size as his Deanery in North Western rural Florida. 

He explains how the 'aggressively, left wing' bishop of St Davids, Joanna Penberthy has tweeted on average 20 or 30 times a day, over 40,000 times in the last few years, wearing her emotions and her politics on her sleeve in a Conservative area. Her one notable feat is that she is the first woman bishop in Wales. Click on the link for a withering commentary on the state of the Church in Wales today.

Election of a new Bishop of Monmouth announced

It has been reported in the South Wales Argus that the process to elect a new Bishop of Monmouth will commence in September, 2019.

Members of the Electoral College will meet from Tuesday, September 17 to elect a new bishop.

In an email sent out by the Diocese of Monmouth, the Archbishop of Wales, John Davies, said: "The Electoral College for electing a successor to Bishop Richard will begin to meet in the cathedral from Tuesday, September 17.

The Argus reporter adds: "In January parishioners spoke to us about what they said were their serious concerns about what was going on within the Diocese of Monmouth after Bishop Pain had been absent from work since July 2018.

"In March some parishioners warned that they were planning to withhold parish shares until their concerns were answered and added their belief that those who raised the grievances had 'refused' meditation."

Other sources suggested that such stories were part of a campaign by the bishop's supporters against those who had raised legitimate grievances under normal Church in Wales procedures.

The length of the bishop's absence resulted in factions developing to the detriment of the diocese.

The Archbishop of Wales was aware of the issues and was actively engaged in a formal process of mediation to resolve them. He said, “For reasons of confidentiality, and out of respect for those concerned in the ongoing mediation process, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

This served only to add to speculation and encourage the spread of rumours and innuendo implied in press coverage.

The diocese needs to move on from this unhappy event without recriminations.

God forbid that another decision passes to the bench of bishops.

Archbishop of Wales

The bishops of St Davids, St Asaph, Llandaff, Swansea & Brecon, Bangor and Monmouth                                                              Source: Church in Wales

One of the bishops in this lineup is destined to become the next Archbishop of Wales when the Electoral College meets in Llandrindod Wells between 5 and 7 September. Many think it a ludicrous title when a mere 0.9% of the population regularly attends Anglican services in Wales but it affords its occupier a dignity and status to be milked for all its worth based on the example of the previous office holder.

Given Archbishop Barry Morgan's slavish adherence to the reckless policies of the former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, I am surprised that he has not suggested that 'Presiding Bishop' would be a more apt title. 

Nevertheless, under the Church in Wales Constitution one of the six diocesan bishops is elected Archbishop but not necessarily the one with the biggest hat unless it proves to be Buggins' turn.

Subsequent elections could be a different matter if the bishops ever decide to progress Section 15 of the 2012 Harris Report (Dioceses: their number and administration) as eagerly as they have attacked the parish system to introduce Ministry Areas:

"The present number and shape of dioceses may not be ideal. If we were starting again we would have three. However, the present number and configuration works and we think that the Church should continue, at least for the next four years, with the present six dioceses. ... These recommendations should be reviewed after three years, with a view to evaluating the effectiveness of the change." 

If there were only three bishops to choose from, the first female Archbishop in Wales would be more likely - or even earlier! Could it be an omen that the latest addition to the bench also carries a crosier?

If it is not to be Buggins' turn I guess there will be another episcopal vacancy next year, possibly two as I also hear that a bishop up North is seeking to escape to England. More women bishops leading to less members on current trends.

After the Llandaff Electoral College farce when the JJ appreciation society attempted to direct proceedings, I hear that lay members of the new College have hatched a nomination plan that would silence the bishops by requiring them to absent themselves from the process before voting.

The former Archbishop launched a review of the role and responsibilities of the "the demanding role", which involves "duties within the church and nationally", mainly of his own making as he carried out his personal, liberal agenda to secularise the Church in Wales.

Whatever the result, the new Archbishop would do well to concentrate on advancing the Kingdom of Heaven instead of an agenda which has resulted in a much reduced membership of 29,000 in the Anglican Church in Wales and falling at a rate of 5% a year out of a population of 3 million souls. A demanding role indeed.

What They Won’t Tell Us

Unlike the previous ‘Leaders’ debates I found this evening’s Election Uncovered: What They Won’t Tell Us programme on Channel 4 very illuminating and didn’t drop off once this time. I was initially concerned about an unexplained empty chair and the absence of Shirley Williams, one of my long time favourite politicians regardless of party (she was one of the SDP’s ‘Gang of Four’). Seeing her name as a participant was one of my reasons for watching. The other being that, as usual, there was nothing else worth viewing despite the myriad channels we appear to have on NTL plus Freesat, but that is another story. Fortunately the Baroness turned up half way through the programme having been caught up in a traffic accident.

Unlike the personality contest that the ‘Leaders’ debates had become, this programme looked at the hard choices that have to be made by the next Government. Four polls were conducted for the programme: Economic Recovery where 58% thought that we were on the road to recovery; Honesty in Politics where 60% thought politicians less honest than they used to be. On the question of believing the Party leaders telling the truth about the tough decisions about cuts, 38% trusted Gordon Brown, 36% trusted David Cameron and 53% trusted Nick Clegg.

On Pensions people were offered the choice between working for longer or having a higher standard of living. Of those polled 61 % opted to work longer and 23 % lower standard of living.

In what was perhaps the most surprising poll, 70% thought it perfectly possible to make cuts without harming Front line services. This was the most illuminating part of the programme clearly demonstrating that tough choices have to be made and how the parties have been reluctant to be honest with the electorate, hence the high vote.

Some people, including the Governor of the Bank of England, have suggested that whoever forms the next government will be so unpopular that they will not be re-electable. That would serve the best interests of no-one. A possible solution, ironically mentioned by Shirley Williams after her late arrival, was that there should be an inter-party unity team to agree a consensus for dealing with the financial crisis. The final show of hands vote was for a hung parliament which could be the best chance of achieving such a consensus.

What is clear is that the ‘Something for nothing’ mentality of many Britons, ancient and modern, is unsustainable. Services have to be paid for. Even with the planned efficiency savings tax rises are inevitable. For the sake of unity these must applied equitably to avoid a greater burden on the poor.

Over 120,000 children killed during election campaign

Readers of The Independent may have spotted that April 25^th was World Malaria Day, the only British sourced reference I have managed to find.

While our politicians squabble over which party is better placed to deliver the fat of the land to British citizens, in other countries over a million people die every year from malaria. Every 30 seconds a child dies, killed by a mosquito bite. During the six weeks of the election campaign over 120,000 children will have died even though these deaths are preventable. http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/worldmalariaday/index.html

Thanks largely to the efforts of the charity WaterAid all three main political parties have pledged to increase efforts to tackle the water and sanitation crisis. Whichever party wins the election it is one pledge that must be kept. http://www.wateraid.org/uk/default.asp

A Question of Balance

Once again I allowed myself to become irritated by watching Question Time on Thursday. It was like a repeat of the Carol Vorderman show in drag with that offensive little pip-squeak David Starkey ranting from a similar Tory election script. Whilst I welcome a variety of opinions (within reason) such tirades become wearisome especially when formed from a narrow historical perspective. Some will recall his 2009 dismissal of the Scottish, Welsh and Irish nations as ‘feeble’. People in glass houses….

Much was made by most of the panel, and the Chairman of course, of the links between the Labour party and its trade union sponsor Unite as a result of its dispute with British Airways. That was fair game but what are we to make of the report that the Tories have forced the BBC to drop their intensive investigation into the affairs of Lord Ashcroft in the run up to the general election? Can the implication be that they have something to hide? So much for transparency and balance.

Of course funding isn’t a problem for the really high earners in our society. A joke was made on Sport Relief last night that if every footballer donated a week’s wages we could buy Africa. Not being a fan of round ball games I may be biased but I find the astronomically high wages of footballers offensive especially given the bad example many of them set with their aggressive behaviour and disgusting habit of spitting all over the pitch which is then echoed by yobs spitting on the street and spreading diseases. “Spitting spreads germs” is a sign we ancients recall seeing on public transport.

Just as, if not more, offensive is the reported £60m bonanza for the president of Barclays. From the Telegraph: “The package is based on a £384,000 salary, but through a combination of perks including share bonuses, Mr Diamond could earn more than 150 times that amount”. Ignoring the perks, can anyone deservedly earn a salary sixteen times that of the average wage even if he does want to build the biggest investment bank in the world - especially if it is on the back of the tax payer as Vince Cable aptly put it?

David Cameron’s plan to impose a tax on banks to repay the billions used to bail out financial institutions is most welcome as is Alistair Darling’s expected Government support for a global bank tax. Whoever wins the next election and by whatever means, someone needs to do something about these greedy bankers.