Vicar in Unholy
Row
Inner Western
Courier, 30th July 2009
A GAY ex-evangelical preacher was
banned from speaking inside Dulwich Hill’s Holy Trinity Church last
Sunday by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.
Anthony Venn Brown was to speak
inside Holy Trinity about reconciling his sexuality and his faith, but
the Sydney diocese stepped in two days beforehand, preventing him from
speaking inside the church, although he was allowed to speak after the
service in the church hall.
A diocese spokesman maintained Mr
Venn Brown was not banned from the church.
“As he is not a licensed
Anglican minister the parish was informed he would not be allowed to
preach in an Anglican service. This policy is not unusual,”
he said.
But Holy Trinity’s the Rev Father
Dave Smith said many people who spoke at church were not licensed and
this was the first time the diocese had banned anyone from the pulpit.
“We’ve had all
sorts of people speak here - Anglican, Catholic,
Pentecostal, Muslim no problem.
“When I asked the archdeacon
why, it wasn’t entirely clear that it was
simply because Anthony was homosexual.
“There was talk of him promoting
‘the homosexual lifestyle’ — whatever
that is. The archbishop has gone out on a limb on this issue and I
wasn’t to be seen to be undermining him.
“I just wanted to open a
discussion.”
Sydney Anglican Archbishop Dr
Peter Jensen has refused to recognise the
gay American bishop Gene Robinson and backed a break with North
American churches over the issue. Mr Venn Brown said he understood the
diocese’s view but added that it would drive some Christians to leave
for less bigoted churches.
“There are many people now in
churches who have gay and
lesbian sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and work colleagues. They
know they’re not evil: just same sex-orientated,” Mr Venn
Brown said.
“These people move
out of the Anglican Church and it attracts
hardliners.”
Mr Venn Brown underwent 22 years
of exorcism and courses on turning
straight before accepting he was a gay Christian. Gay Christians often
battle with feelings of shame, he said.
“I
wish when I was 16 I’d had someone to tell me: ‘That’s OK. I just
want to help you live a good life as a good man’.”
Inner
Western Courier
July 30th 2009
by Marie Sanson |
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