Displaying items by tag: Bernard Randall

Rev Bernard Randall, a former chaplain at Trent College in the UK, has been granted a full retrial after a court overturned a 2022 ruling which upheld his dismissal. He was removed from his position after delivering a 2019 sermon encouraging students to debate and engage critically with LGBT teachings introduced at the school. The controversy began when the school adopted guidance from Educate and Celebrate, an organisation aimed at embedding gender identity and sexual orientation into school culture. In response, Randall told students that they should not feel compelled to accept ideologies conflicting with their religious beliefs. He was then dismissed, reported to a government counter-terrorism programme, and barred from ministry within the Church of England. Supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), Randall filed a lawsuit in 2021 alleging discrimination and unfair dismissal. The initial tribunal ruled against him; however, the recent decision by Judge James Tayler found evidence of anti-Christian bias in the original panel, leading to the retrial.

Rev Dr Bernard Randall lost his job for disagreeing with LGBT ideology. As Trent College’s chaplain, his job was to ‘be the particular voice and embodiment of Christian values which are at the heart of Trent’s ethos’. Educate and Celebrate, a pro-LGBT 'inclusion' charity, was invited to train school staff. Bernard researched the group and feared the worst but kept an open mind and went to the training. It was as bad as he feared. In line with his school role as 'the voice of Christian values', Bernard raised concerns to management. He was ignored. When a pupil asked him to address the issue in chapel he agreed to preach and encouraged students to respect others' views while ‘not being obliged to accept someone else's ideology’. And the ‘Christian’ school suspended him for gross misconduct. The Christian Legal Centre is supporting Bernard. His tribunal, due in June, was postponed because the school's lawyers didn’t comply with court orders.

Rev Dr Bernard Randall, a former chaplain of Christ’s College, Cambridge, is taking Trent College to court for discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and unfair dismissal after the school reported him - without his knowledge - to the government anti-terror watchdog for a sermon he gave at the school on ‘identity politics’. There has been widespread bewilderment as the story has been covered by newspapers and the internet. How can such a reasonable sermon from a Christian minister provoke the treatment he received? How can you be labelled a terrorist and eventually lose your job in a Christian school for advocating freedom of belief? He says his story sends a message to Christians: ‘You are not free to talk about your faith. It’s not enough to just “tolerate” LGBT ideology. You must accept it without question; no debate is allowed without serious consequences.’