Religious Left

BBC News A vicar in Gwynedd has been reprimanded by the Archbishop of Wales for blessing a gay civil partnership between two women. The service was conducted by the Reverend Jim Cotter at St Hywyn's Church in Aberdaron, with the approval of the local church council. A complaint was made to the Archbishop who wrote to the Rev Cotter telling him he had exceeded his authority. The vicar said he had been given approval by the local church council to carry out the ceremony in July, and he was not aware of any opposition locally. full article

BACKSTORY by Darren Devine, Western Mail Wales Online A SENIOR clergyman has threatened to quit rather than work alongside the man who could become the UK’s first openly gay bishop because he says homosexual acts are “sinful and wrong”. Canon Peter Jones said he would consider his position should the Dean of St Albans, Dr Jeffrey John, become the new Bishop of Bangor. Mr Jones, who is Vicar of Conwy in the diocese of Bangor, hinted the appointment of Dr John would lead many others to walk away from the Church in Wales. full article

BBC News, Wales Stephen Price, 25, of Clydach near Abergavenny, was bullied out of his job at Coleg Trefeca in Brecon by his manager Mair Jones, aged 40. A Cardiff tribunal heard Mrs Jones called him a "stupid poof" and gave him pink fairy toilet paper as a gift. The money was awarded for constructive dismissal and injury to feelings. The church had denied Mr Price's claim for sexual harassment, constructive dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. The tribunal's panel ruled the church's internal investigation into Mr Price's claims of harassment was unfair, unbalanced, confused and contradictory. " He started as a cheerful and enthusiastic young man and there is no evidence of a vindictive side to his nature nor that his claims were fabricated " Dr Rachel Davies, judge full article with video

BBC News United Kingdom Stephen Price, 25, of Clydach near Abergavenny, claims he was bullied out of his job by Mair Jones, 40, because she made anti-homosexual taunts. He had told the hearing he was forced to quit as the assistant manager because of Ms Jones's non-stop comments about sex, which included calling him a "stupid poof" and telling other staff he "batted for the other side". But giving evidence on Wednesday, Ms Jones said she did not even know Mr Price was gay and denied driving him away from the centre. The tribunal heard that an internal church investigation had upheld claims of aggressive behaviour, foul language and bullying by Ms Jones, who had worked at the church centre for 10 years. But the Presbyterian Church of Wales failed to take any disciplinary action against her. full article