‘Church authorities are saying I can’t sing Thine Be The Glory’

20 July 2021

Rev. Charlie Boyle, vicar of All Saints Church Branksome, Dorset, is facing disciplinary action and potential dismissal for allegedly not following strict Covid guidance at his church.

“The fact that someone would report me to the [church] authorities over this is quite upsetting,” he confides. Following a complaint made on Easter Sunday about him walking down the aisle singing the hymn ‘Thine Be The Glory’ without wearing a face mask, Charlie was visited by the Archdeacon of Dorset, who told him that he should leave his post and the vicarage by the end of July.

The truth is that Charlie has taken every precaution necessary to protect members of his congregation and adhere to Covid guidelines. “The way that I’ve been treated personally by the diocese of Salisbury has been very heavy-handed … when really, what we could had was just a conversation over the phone,” Charlie says.

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