Vicar of Dagenham issues statement on non-ordination of Chelmsford candidate

http://chelmsfordanglicanmainstream.blogspot.com/2007/07/vicar-of-dagenham-issues-statement-on.html

[Chelmsford Anglican Mainstream] 17 July 2007--It is with great regret that we make it known that Richard Wood was not ordained Curate to Dagenham Parish Church on 1st July ’07 as planned.

Richard was willing to accept the legal authority of the Bishop of Chelmsford and swore canonical obedience to him during his ordination retreat.

However, because of the Bishop’s patronage of the campaigning group ‘Changing Attitude’ (an organisation that campaigns for the inclusion of practicing homosexuals in every area of church life), Richard was not able, on the grounds of conscience, to give assurances that he would personally receive communion with the Bishop after ordination. He was therefore told he was ‘free to go’ from the ordination retreat at 4:00 pm on the day before his ordination.

The Bishop of Chelmsford had earlier been asked by Mike Reith, on Richard’s behalf, to allow him to be ordained by another bishop. The Bishop declined that request.