This is an account of the abuse of a lesbian member of the congregation at a London Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) church plant and the ongoing victimisation of a gay priest in North London who dared to confront the diocese with the reality of the lesbian’s experience and other cases of abuse.
Rachel Gillingham, the Christian lesbian who suffered abuse, wrote an article for ViaMedia news this week about her treatment at St Luke’s Kentish Town after she came out to the Vicar and other church members.
Rachel’s story had already been covered in the local press and by the Church Times and Pink Paper.
The Camden New Journal headline: ‘Forced out’: Lesbian told being openly gay did not meet church’s behaviour rules. Investigation at Kentish Town church as vicar says group leader dating another woman would be sinful.
Islington Tribune headline: Kentish Town church facing backlash after sexuality row.
PinkNews headline: A lesbian was left needing counselling after she was pushed out of the Church of England for daring to be openly gay.
Church Times headline: After coming out, ‘I had PTSD symptoms’ says lay leader in church-plant.
Rachel Gillingham, who describes herself as a thirty-something Christian and lesbian started worshipping at St Luke’s, Kentish Town in the spring of 2016, a conservative, evangelical church church-plant from HTB. Three years later she came out as gay to herself and other friends. She was by then the leader of a “hub” group and decided that she need to come out to the incumbent of St Luke’s, the Revd Jon March, asking him specifically whether, if she was in a same sex relationship, she could still lead a Bible study group. Although “surprised” by her revelation, Mr March initially told Rachel that she could continue to lead and was welcome at the church.
Later, however, in a “traumatic” meeting with other hub leaders Mr March told them they were to live “beyond reproach.” In Rachel’s case, this meant she was not being permitted to be in a same-sex relationship. At this meeting, Rachel asked Mr March three times whether living beyond reproach meant that she could no longer lead the hub group — a question that was met with deflections or silence. Her subsequent declaration that “As a result of that I will leave St Luke’s,” was also met with silence.
In January 2020, Mr March asked Rachel and other leaders to meet to discuss the Bible study groups. They were told that, as leaders, they needed to be ‘beyond reproach’. When Rachel pushed him on what this meant for her, he told her that her social media posts about equal marriage and having an affirming theology were a problem. She felt she was being silenced. Mr March justified himself by saying that he had to follow the Church of England’s and the bishops’ teachings on traditional marriage.
By the end of this meeting she was distraught, sobbing and feeling devastated. She was left with the clear message that because of her sexuality she could not lead a Bible study group and was not welcome at the church.
Diocese of London investigation
Rachel eventually complained about the way her situation was handled by Mr March and St Luke’s in an email sent the church wardens and Bishop of Edmonton the Rt Revd Rob Wickham, copied to Mr March. The Bishop of Edmonton suggested an informal investigation be set up to examine Rachel’s complaints about the lack of engagement from the vicar and how fearful she was that this could happen to someone else in order to ensure that lessons were learnt and this didn’t happen again. Note that +Edmonton recommended an ‘informal’ investigation. One of the curious elements of this case, as we will see later, is that no one thought Mr March should be the subject of a complaint through the CDM (Clergy Disciplinary Measure).
After the informal investigation, Rachel had several meetings with Rob Wickham, Bishop of Edmonton, and a meeting with Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London. The investigation report concluded that while Mr March failed in his pastoral duties to Rachel, his actions or inaction did not equate to an abuse of power. The report agreed that there had been pastoral failings in his handling of the situation. It said that Mr March would benefit from, and has agreed to, training in handling “difficult conversations” on conflict on this or similar issues.
Eighteen months later many of the recommendations had still not been carried out. The church was asked to consider drafting a policy, to be agreed by the PCC, “in relation to sexual identity and practice and the practical out-workings for leadership and congregational life at St Luke’s”. One of the most central – that “a risk assessment should be undertaken regarding the vulnerability of members of the LGBTQI+ community, including children and those with mental health issues,” had not been started, let alone completed. Out of desperation Rachel went to local newspapers hoping this would raise the profile of her story and achieve the outcome the bishops seemed so reluctant to undertake. She is still waiting for the recommendations to be fully implemented.
Victim’s Defender confronted with CDM
Father Robert Thompson, Vicar of St James’ Church, West Hampstead, in the same Deanery, was asked by Rachel to be her supporter and advocate during the informal investigation, read Rachel’s blog about her traumatic experience and offered her support. When Rachel began to blog about her experiences Robert re-tweeted these reiterating Rachel’s call for transparency in relation to sexuality in any parish in the church. As a result of this he was contacted by others to thank him for making this public as they had experienced similar abuse at St Alban’s Fulham and St Peter’s Brighton, both HTB plants.
Some weeks ago, a complaint for misconduct was raised against Fr Robert Thompson under the Clergy Discipline Measure. A complaint must be made in writing to the diocesan bishop or the relevant archbishop. The diocesan registrar (legal adviser to the diocese) then advises on whether the complaint is of “sufficient substance” and whether the person making the complaint has a proper interest to bring the complaint. The substance of the complaint is that Robert harassed, intimidated and abused Mr March by posting Tweets commenting on the abuse experienced by Rachel Gillingham and retweeting sections of her blog.
In Sex, Power, Control: Responding to Abuse in the Institutional Church, Fiona Gardner describes how the many victims of abuse in the church and their supporters have been seen as trouble-makers, while the perpetrators of the abuse are often seen as the victims of unjustified attacks (p140). Gardner notes that “speaking out does the abuser no harm but there is a backlash against the complainant in the eyes of the Church.” The hierarchy of the Church of England, the College of Bishops, when dealing with cases of abuse, has repeatedly prioritised the defence of the reputation of individual bishops and of the Church rather than recognising the need to prioritise victims and deal effectively with the abuse perpetrated on them. This seems to be exactly what has happened to Rachel Gillingham and Robert Thompson. Rachel’s abuser has not been effectively dealt with by the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, nor by the Bishop of Edmonton the Rt Revd Rob Wickham, who instead pursue Robert, a gay priest.
Confidentiality and secrecy
Gardner describes how a “belief in regimes based on power and control is fortified by the hierarchical way in which the Church is structured and the emphasis on organisational rules and arcane governance. This then creates a self-generating patriarchal world and at times a self-governing world, apart and distinct from those outside. Changing this immediately evokes resistance, and it is only when public pressure becomes too great that the Church has reacted. The institutional church demands obedience and commitment to its ways, and this can include hushing things up and hoping the trouble will die down.” (p133)
The Bishop of London is clearly hoping that by imposing stringent confidentiality clauses on the investigation of Rachel Gillingham’s experience and Robert Thompson’s support for her and his calling it out publicly the abuse perpetrated at St Luke’s Kentish Town will remain unknown in the wider Church and those involved in the abuse will continue in their ministry untouched. I do not understand why Robert Thompson is subjected to a CDM investigation, but no such action is taken against the Vicar whose behaviour towards Rachel, a member of his congregation, resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Holy Trinity Brompton connection
A spokesman for Holy Trinity Brompton, asked for a comment about Rachel’s experience at St Luke’s, said it was under a different area of the Diocese of London and operates independently of HTB and: “Therefore it would be inappropriate to comment.” This is despite both St Luke’s and HTB’s websites referencing one another as part of its “family of churches”. Rachel Gillingham said that HTB churches avoid talking about what they term “hot topics” from the pulpit, so as not to frighten off congregation members. “It’s very much that they are liberal in their choice of music and the instruments that they use and the seating that they have. But in terms of their values and theology they are not liberal.” Most HTB churches and church plants have a policy of never talking from the front about ‘hot topics’ such as LGBTIQ+ people.
Changing Attitude England was recently contacted by a lesbian member of the congregation of Holy Trinity Brompton who reported a similar scenario. When she began to have doubts about HTB’s genuine commitment to welcome everyone she contacted Nicky Gumbel, the Vicar, asking what the church’s policy was on LGBTIQ+ people and equal marriage. Mr Gumbel declined to commit himself to an answer.
Changing Attitude England campaign
Changing Attitude England is actively campaigning for a different outcome to the Living in Love and Faith process to which the House of Bishops is at present fully committed. Our goal, to achieve full equality in ministry and relationships for LGBTIQ+ people, transforming the anticipated outcome at the General Synod meeting in November 2022 when the House of Bishops present their proposals following the current phase of the Living in Love and Faith process.
We will campaign vigorously for the next eighteen months, reporting the repeated failure of bishops to deal effectively with abuse against LGBTIQ+ people in the Church and their projecting blame onto the victims of abuse.
To become active in our campaign please join Changing Attitude England on Facebook .