Three times CofE guidance has been used to discredit faithful Christians

Communications Officer Chris Joyce outlines three times that the Church of England’s Valuing All God’s Children guidance has been cited against faithful Christians standing up for a Biblical understanding of sex and gender.

The Church of England’s controversial guidance, Valuing All God’s Children is supposed to protect children from bullying.

In reality, it damages them by its support for trans ideology.

But the guidance has another pernicious effect. The trans-affirming guidance has been used in legal proceedings to discredit three Christian Legal Centre clients – and likely many more faithful Christians we don’t know about.

1. Rev. Dr Bernard Randall

Rev. Dr Bernard Randall was dismissed from his role as school chaplain and reported to the government’s terrorist watchdog, Prevent, for a sermon he delivered at Trent College secondary school, which stated that pupils should be free to disagree with LGBT ideology.

With the support of the Christian Legal Centre, Bernard took Trent College to court for discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and unfair dismissal.

At the Employment Tribunal, earlier this year, the CofE’s Valuing All God’s Children guidance was used against Bernard to discredit his beliefs.

Further to this, the Church of England has branded Bernard as a safeguarding risk. The Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Libby Lane, has also refused the ordained chaplain permission to officiate in church services.

The Church of England’s treatment of Randall is now the subject of separate legal action.

2. Nigel and Sally Rowe

Christian parents, Nigel and Sally Rowe, raised concerns with their son’s CofE primary school after a 6-year-old child was allowed to cross-dress and identify in the opposite sex. A letter to the parents from the school told them that their own 6-year-old son could be labelled as ‘transphobic’ for failing to acknowledge this pupil in the opposite gender.

Despite an attempt by their local diocese to use VAGC to disregard their concerns, the Rowes were recently awarded £22,000 in legal costs and secured a commitment from the government to reform transgender policies in primary schools.

In an open letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the brave parents are now calling on the CofE to urgently scrap its trans-affirming guidance.

3. Hannah

‘Hannah’, who cannot be named for legal reasons, lost her job as a primary school teacher after raising safeguarding concerns over a child that was socially ‘transitioning’ gender at her school.

In her interactions with the school, VAGC was used in an attempt to discredit Hannah’s concerns and validate the school’s affirmation of the child’s ‘transition’.

One section of VAGC which was raised, and cannot be read as anything other than advocating for affirming children as young as five if they wish to identify as the opposite gender, can be found on page 20 of the CofE guidance:

“In creating a school environment that promotes dignity for all and a call to live fulfilled lives as uniquely gifted individuals, pupils will be equipped to accept difference of all varieties and be supported to accept their own gender identity or sexual orientation and that of others. In order to do this it will be essential to provide curriculum opportunities where difference is explored, same-sex relationships, same-sex parenting and transgender issues may be mentioned as a fact in some people’s lives.”

With the support of the Christian Legal Centre, Hannah is now seeking to challenge her unfair dismissal at an Employment Tribunal.

‘Untold damage is being done to children’

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern said: “The Church of England’s failure to speak clearly and truthfully about creation – humanity as male and female, equal but different – has for years been used to discredit faithful Christians.

“Valuing All God’s Children references Genesis 1:27 whilst not acknowledging that it states that God created humans to be “male and female.” The CofE should be encouraging schools to recognise and respect the differences between the sexes. CofE schools should encourage children to accept and thrive in their God-given created sex.

“Yet when faithful Christians speak or act in line with both the Bible and science, often seeking to protect children from harmful ideas, they are told by authorities that they are simply doing what the Church of England told them to do.

“The NHS Tavistock clinic is rightly being shut down for adopting an unquestioning affirming approach to children who wish to identify as the opposite sex. Valuing All God’s Children encourages schools to do the same.

“The NHS now accepts evidence that most children will grow out of gender incongruence as they pass through puberty. By contrast, Church of England guidance encourages schools to adopt an affirming approach with no reference to medical evidence whatsoever.

“We call on the CofE to scrap Valuing All God’s Children urgently, before yet more harm to children and reputational damage to the CofE is done.”

Petition

Please sign our petition urging the Archbishop of Canterbury to withdraw the Church of England’s trans-affirming guidance.

View other articles

|

Share

Take action

Join our email list to receive the latest updates for prayer and action.

Sign up

Find out more about the legal support we're giving Christians.

Find out more

Help us put the hope of Jesus at the heart of society.

Donate now