Bishop of Southwark hears Evangelical Protest over Preferment

Evangelical clergy and laity from Southwark diocese met the Bishop, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, on Monday, to protest about the lack of Evangelicals in senior clergy posts.

Bishop Chessun asked the Southwark Diocesan Evangelical Union to arrange the meeting (News, 23 March). Evangelicals are unhappy that, in the past year, six senior positions have been given to clerics whom they consider to be liberal, particularly on the issue of sexuality: the Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Revd Jonathan Clark; the Bishop of Woolwich, Dr Michael Ipgrave; the Dean of Southwark, the Very Revd Andrew Nunn; the acting Arch­deacon of Southwark, Canon Dianna Gwilliams; the Sub-Dean, Canon Bruce Saunders; and the Diocesan Director of Ordinands, Canon Leanne Roberts.

The Revd Stephen Kuhrt, Priest-in-Charge of Christ Church, New Malden, and the chairman of Fulcrum, who attended the meeting, said on Monday evening: “A great deal of concern was expressed at how out of touch Southwark diocese has become with Evangelicals, and particularly with the promo­tion of so many who are working to revise the Church’s traditional position on sexuality. . .

“After a good hour of people making their points, Bishop Christopher responded. Rather than addressing the concerns raised with any clarity, he instead made a series of general and rather vague points about his hopes for the diocese. My impression was that Bishop Chris­topher is not necessarily capable of under­standing Evangelical concerns, and now has very few people around to help him with this.”

Mr Kuhrt said that he told the Bishop that the appointments “couldn’t have done more” to encourage “separatist movements” in the diocese. Read more