The Church of England is now beyond parody. You couldn’t make it up. If I’d predicted this may occur say five or 10 years ago, you would not have believed me – I’m unsure I’d have believed it myself! How can the CofE discriminate against one in all its own ordained clergymen for upholding CofE doctrine? Yet that is what has actually happened within the case of Rev Dr Bernard Randall.
Rev Dr Bernard Randall was employed as a chaplain in a faculty. Four years ago, back in 2020, he preached a sermon advocating tolerance of various views on identity politics. It is price quoting from the sermon itself which might be read or watched online here:
“Now when ideologies compete, we must always not descend into abuse, we must always respect the beliefs of others, even where we disagree. Above all, we want to treat one another with respect, not personal attacks – that is what loving your neighbour as yourself means. By all means discuss, have a reasoned debate about beliefs, but while it’s OK to try to persuade one another, nobody needs to be told they have to accept an ideology. Love the person, even where you profoundly dislike the ideas. Don’t denigrate an individual simply for having opinions and beliefs which you do not share.”
Unfortunately, the college was so captured by LGBT ideology that it couldn’t tolerate someone suggesting that they need to tolerate individuals with different views! Yes, that is right, preaching tolerance was not tolerated and Dr Randall subsequently lost his job. That is why he’s pursuing legal motion against the college for unfair dismissal.
Not content with forcing Dr Randall out of his job, the college pursued him further, referring him to Prevent – the federal government’s counter terrorism unit – in addition to the Teaching Regulation Agency, the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer), the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and the local Diocese of Derby as a safeguarding risk. Dr Randall has now been vindicated by all of those organisations, aside from one – the CofE.
Dr Randall continues to be branded a safeguarding risk by the CofE, despite being vindicated by Prevent, the TRA, the LADO and the DBS. This has prevented him from engaging in any ministry or preaching in any church within the country. He has been blacklisted by the CofE for 4 years, at great personal cost and with no apology and no attempt to interact him in regards to the issues.
The local diocese even went to this point as to brand its own teaching a safeguarding risk! This beggars belief. It’s like a satirical comedy sketch – except it’s for real.
Dr Randall after years of being blacklisted by the CofE with no explanation felt he had no other option than to launch a discrimination claim against the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Rev Libby Lane. Just before an unprecedented tribunal hearing was to listen to a case against the bishop for alleged discrimination against Dr Randall over his beliefs in CofE doctrines, the hearing was blocked by the President of Tribunals, Dame Sarah Asplin. She declined to offer a full explanation for blocking the hearing, but did say that the best way Dr Randall’s case was handled was ‘highly unsatisfactory’ and ‘flawed’ and that the choice needs to be reviewed, suggesting people from outside the diocese should review it.
Evidence has now emerged from Dr Randall’s claim of discrimination that he was branded a safeguarding risk by the diocese with none reasons being given. Safeguarding policies were clearly not followed. Bishop Lane has been informed that the method and her involvement in it was ‘highly unsatisfactory’ and ‘flawed’ and needs to be reviewed. There is evidence that Dr Randall has been discriminated against by the diocese due to his ‘certain theology’. Dr Randall is merely upholding CofE doctrine, so it suggests the diocese is biased against its own doctrine because it believes it to be a safeguarding risk.
The case was referred to the Archbishop of Canterbury who downplayed the problems. A legal officer later told him that he was ‘plainly mistaken’ and had ‘misunderstood the scope of his powers’ after he said there was no disciplinary case for the Bishop of Derby to reply over the method that led to Dr Randall being blacklisted.
It is now over six months for the reason that decision to dam the tribunal hearing. Dr Randall stays blacklisted and has heard nothing farther from the diocese. Dr Randall is due to this fact now applying for a judicial review of the choice to dam a tribunal hearing into whether the Bishop of Derby discriminated against him for his orthodox belief in CofE doctrines. This, he feels, is the one option left open to him to try to acquire justice and the liberty to minister again.
This is a most absurd state of affairs for the CofE. All the evidence points to the CofE discriminating against Dr Randall for upholding CofE doctrine. This has been apparent for some years now. Yet there was no apology and no try to clear him. The CofE has had 4 years to apologise and check out to rectify the situation. Instead they’ve ignored or downplayed it. It seems intent on keeping Dr Randall blacklisted for so long as possible.
I hope Dr Randall’s judicial review succeeds. The Bishop of Derby has overall responsibility for safeguarding within the diocese. She has known about this case for 4 years and he or she has done nothing to assist Dr Randall. She knows that no reasons have been provided for blacklisting Dr Randall. She knows that safeguarding policy was not followed. She knows that her diocese branded CofE doctrine a safeguarding risk. She knows that Dame Asplin has described the procedure as ‘highly unsatisfactory’ and ‘flawed’. Yet she has done nothing.
I’d argue that the Bishop of Derby is complicit in discriminating against Dr Randall for his orthodox Christian beliefs, that are according to CofE doctrine. And if that is indeed the case, then that is an untenable position for a bishop to be in. If she has any conscience or integrity she should resign. If she considers CofE doctrine to be a safeguarding risk she should resign. If she believes Dr Randall to be a safeguarding risk she should explain why. Given several secular organisations have vindicated him, I doubt there are any cogent reasons she has. In that case she also needs to resign.
If the Bishop of Derby had any integrity she would have resigned by now. But I think integrity is quite lacking amongst bishops as of late. After all, a lot of them want to vary the CofE doctrine on marriage, the doctrine they vowed to uphold. Many of them signed an open letter arguing that clergy needs to be allowed to interrupt their ordination vows by entering same-sex civil marriages – a transparent breach of the CofE doctrine that marriage is between a person and a lady. It isn’t any surprise that one in all those bishops was the Bishop of Derby. Every one in all the 44 bishops who signed that letter is in breach of their ordination vows and may resign in the event that they had any integrity.
So, I’m not holding my breath waiting for Libby Lane to resign. But I’m holding my breath for the judicial review because I feel that she does have a case to reply.
More essential than getting Libby Lane to resign is getting Dr Randall back in ministry. The CofE has had loads of opportunities to reinstate him. They should do it now. No more delay, no more process. An apology also needs to be made. Its treatment of him is appalling by any measure. Dr Randall needs to be fully cleared and vindicated since it is precisely people like him we want in ministry.
Tim Dieppe is co-author with Beth Peltola of Questions to Ask Your Muslim Friends, published by Wilberforce Publications, 2022.
