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.

More rank hypocrisy from the Bench

"The Archbishop of Wales and the Church in Wales’s four serving diocesan bishops are calling on the UK’s political leaders to commit to the rule of law and work together to secure the prosperity of our country." 

- Provincial press release

Full statement HERE.

It is a bit rich when the Bishops of the Church in Wales place on record their "evident concern for the well-being of our democratic processes and constitution in the United Kingdom" when the Bench of bishops regularly ignores democratic processes.

Consultations in the Church in Wales have been regularly ignored when the results have not accorded with the wishes of the Bench. 

Extract from an entry on 9 August 2016:

"Diocesan meetings were organised at considerable expense to discuss a Code of Practice designed to cater for faithful Anglicans who, on theological grounds, were unable to accept the ministry of women bishops. The wishes of the majority were ignored, see True to his word: "Over my dead body!". Then there was the farcical taking of opinions about allowing same sex marriages and/or blessings in church, see Marriage: Dodgy discipleship?. Barry and his bench sitters simply did what they wanted when the result did not fit their secular agenda, see Bishops' rank hypocrisy. So why should anyone expect other than a predetermined outcome this time?" 

Physicians, heal thyselves springs to mind again.

Time to put an end to this farce

Sticking together? Bishop Richard Pain (centre) with Archbishop John Davies to his right and Bishop Gregory Cameron, both former college
 chums at the former St Michael's Theological College, Llandaff.    Source: Bishop hat-trick South Wales Argus

Enough is enough. 

February, the month suggested when the Bishop of Monmouth was likely to take up his duties again, has come and gone. Nine months of impasse. Nine months when Anglicans in the diocese of Monmouth have been left with an absent bishop raising questions about the need for six diocesan bishops. 

If Bishop Pain were to be 're-born' in the diocese of Monmouth after his senior clergy have lost confidence in him he would return to office with no moral authority. He should heed advice and retire.

According a Church Times report the bishop is "spoken well of by his flock", unlike the abuse directed by his supporters at those who properly used the established complaints procedure authorised by the Church in Wales.

Claims of smoke without fire make no sense unless intended to rubbish complaints of those who in conscience believe they have a genuine grievance. 

The South Wales Argus reports: Some churches are preparing to withhold parish shares until problems in the Diocese of Monmouth are resolved.

They should have been doing that already in protest against the secularisation of the Church in Wales which has perverted the faith of many for personal satisfaction.

Meanwhile the Church in Wales descends further into obscurity.

Church in Wales Christmas farce

Photo: CinW

You could be forgiven for thinking this is a lineup of hopefuls demanding a part in a Church pantomime farce. In many ways it is.

Not to be outdone by their sister group, Women and the Church (WATCH), now more popularly known as Women in the Church (WITCH) having achieved their goal of feminizing the Church of England, this group is determined to do for the Church in Wales what WATCH has done in England but with nothing in return in the form of alternative Episcopal oversight as enjoyed in England. Indeed bishops of The Anglican Mission in England are not welcome in Wales. Bizarrely, homosexuality, same sex marriage and dialogue with Imams are all more acceptable to the liberal minded Church in Wales (CinW) episcopate.

Having achieved their aim, WATCH tried to unpick the agreement which enabled women priests to become bishops. Under that agreement everyone in the Church of England was to be given the opportunity to flourish. WATCH then tried to dictate the terms of the agreement until the ombudsman stepped in and sent them packing.

In the CinW pantomime the wicked WITCH, eagerly aided by the Archbishop of Wales, scuppered the chances of everyone being given the opportunity to flourish as soon as the goal of women bishops was achieved. Contrary to the wishes of the majority of CinW members, no provision was made for members who did not support the non-Biblical innovation of women bishops.

The pantomime plot is to convince everyone that "there is a long way to go before women – lay and ordained – achieve equality in the church", a prejudiced attitude that has no evidence to support it but with the Archgenie waiting in the wings to work his magic it is a claim that will no doubt gain support among the nodding majority. The aim is based on a process of positive discrimination so that even the most abysmal female candidate is preferred over outstanding male candidates, especially men who continue to follow the Apostolic teaching of the Holy Catholic Church.

The irony in the plot is that there is discrimination in the Church in Wales but it is not against women. They are the cause of the discrimination which is against cradle Anglicans whose faith has been sidelined to accommodate entrists using Anglicanism to promote their brand of feminism.

Note the comments of the Venerable Christine Hardman who "played an important role in getting the legislation to allow women to be Bishops passed by the Church of England". Her inauguration as the new Bishop of Newcastle took place on Saturday. From a report of the event:

Growing up on a London council estate, a young Christine Hardman admits she had nothing to do with religion. Church was so far removed from her life growing up, it was guarded behind a huge fence. “Church didn’t touch our lives on that council estate,” she said. “We weren’t a church going family and the only church on the estate had a big fence so I had nothing to do with it.”

"It was devastating, I felt so sad that the picture the outside world have of the Church of England was that message, that women can’t be Bishops I didn’t want people to see the church like that,” she said. Rev Hardman worried that the church would never be able to attract young people to worship and was alienating people with an idea which many found offensive".

Perhaps she had not noticed that the outside world could not care less about the Church except when applying their secular standards to a faith that has no interest for them until a convenient opportunity for advancement is spotted by some.

Similarly the Venerable Peggy Jackson had no religion before her husband deserted her. She said, "I was at a low in my life, I thought I would give the Church a go and I found the most wonderful welcome. I was feeling desperate and it was a lifeline at a very black time." Her thanksgiving is to punish cradle Anglicans who do not accept her interpretation of the Christian faith by seeking to exclude them.

So having "given the Church a go" the women of  WITCH, WATCH, MAECymru or whatever and their sidekicks remain as determined as ever to force their agenda at any cost, even the demise of Anglicanism in Great Britain.

What a farce!