January 23, 2012
Dean of St Albans, Jeffrey John, may take legal action against the Church of England on discrimination grounds after twice missing out on becoming a bishop. In 2003, the gay cleric who is from Tonyrefail in South Wales was forced to withdraw from becoming Bishop of Reading following protests from traditionalists over his sexuality. He was later in 2010 one of the candidates for the post of Bishop of Southwark but was rejected. It was later reported that this was again due to his sexual-orientation. Martin Reynolds a friend and retired south Wales priest has criticised the way Dr John has been treated and has said that the Dean of St Albans may take the matter to court. He said: “My view is that his own attempt to get to the bottom of this matter completely failed,” He added: “He was left with no other alternative to find the truth than to use legal proceedings.” Mr Reynolds who is an advisor to the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement also mentioned that Dr John had not publicly criticised the church and had not discussed these issues with the press. The threat of legal action has however drawn criticism from some members of the clergy. The Reverend George Pitcher stated in a column he wrote in the Daily Mail that Dr John’s legal action “threatens, in his impatience and ill temper, to put back the cause of homosexuals in the church by a couple of decades, maybe more”. He added: “Dr John’s putative litigation smacks of naked ambition dressed up as equality campaigning,” The Church of England has so far declined to comment.