Anglican Priest Secures Settlement Over Blacklisting for Comments on LGBT+ Ideology

The Rev. Bernard Randall, an Anglican priest in England, has regained the right to serve in public ministry after a legal settlement overturned a Church of England safeguarding blacklist. The resolution came after a seven-year legal battle, culminating in a ruling by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London on March 4, 2025. Judge James Tayler overturned a prior tribunal decision and ordered a full retrial, while also directing Trent College to cover £20,000 in court costs.

The settlement, finalized by the Christian Legal Centre representing Randall, marks the end of a contentious period for the 53-year-old priest. Randall had been barred from public ministry due to a safeguarding record linked to his 2019 sermon on LGBT+ ideology at Trent College, an independent school with a Church of England ethos. The legal challenge centered on the school’s response to his teachings and the broader curriculum changes it implemented.

The conflict began in June 2019 when Randall was dismissed as school chaplain following a chapel sermon in which he encouraged students to critically examine modern LGBT+ ideologies from an orthodox Christian perspective. This sermon followed a series of events at Trent College, including staff training sessions in June 2018 led by Educate and Celebrate, an advocacy group promoting queer theory and challenging traditional views on gender and sexuality.

During these sessions, the group’s founder, Elly Barnes, urged staff to “smash heteronormativity” and integrate queer theory into the school’s curriculum, including the nursery. Randall raised concerns about the compatibility of this approach with the school’s Christian foundation. Despite his objections, the school leadership adopted the gender identity curriculum in January 2019 and excluded the chaplain from further discussions.

In June 2019, a student asked Randall why transgender ideology was being taught in a Christian school. In response, he delivered a sermon titled “Competing Ideologies,” which emphasized traditional Christian teachings on marriage and identity while advocating for respectful dialogue. This sermon became the focal point of the legal dispute, with the school asserting that it violated safeguarding policies.

Randall’s legal team argued that his actions were consistent with his role as a chaplain in a Christian institution, where he was expected to provide pastoral guidance and encourage critical thinking. The case highlights the tension between institutional policies on gender and sexuality and the role of religious educators in upholding traditional teachings.

The resolution of this case underscores the importance of accountability and the need for fair treatment of individuals within religious and educational institutions. It also raises questions about the balance between progressive curricular changes and the preservation of a school’s foundational values. As the legal process concludes, the focus remains on ensuring that all stakeholders are treated with dignity and that institutional policies align with their stated mission.

Source: Read the original report