A group of clergy and churchwardens in the Free Church of England has urged their Primus, John Fenwick, to step down this month.
The signatories to a letter sent in February, passed this week to Anglican Ink, have also threatened Bishop Fenwick with a complaint to the Charity Commission for England and Wales about his alleged failure to follow ‘normal processes of accountability’.
The letter went to the FCE’s General Council, which is elected by Convocation, the denomination’s governing body. Among the 15 signatories, who include half of the UK FCE’s active clergy, include Steven Hanna, a former Church of England vicar who is now minister of Christ Church Exeter, Peter Sanlon, also a former CofE vicar, now the FCE’s director of training, and the churchwardens of Christ Church Exmouth, one of the FCE’s largest UK churches.
The letter declares: ‘We are concerned that leadership decisions being taken by the Bishop of the Northern Diocese and our Primus are endangering the peace and future flourishing of our Church.
‘At a recent General Council meeting, a bishop shared concerns that had been reported to him about Bishop John’s leadership. In response Bishop John gave a lengthy justification, without apology, as to how his behaviour could be defended – but that does not alter the fact that numerous churches are stepping away from our denomination due to his behaviour.
‘Similarly, a number of former CofE ministers are opting to join AMiE (the Anglican Mission in England) rather than join the FCE, saying their reason is primarily due to his leadership. It is undeniable that he has, regrettably, been a cause of disunity.
‘We are a small denomination with a meaningful role to play – but we are repeatedly told that he is the primary reason for difficulties we face. This is not a personal comment or a personalised attack – it is the reason people give for leaving or choosing not to work with the FCE.
‘The Northern Diocese itself, after 15 years under his leadership, is in a parlous state, having only 7 congregations, at least two of which have fewer than 7 members.’
The signatories, who mostly serve churches in the FCE’s larger Southern Diocese, also raised concerns about ‘a number of cases of ignoring normal processes of accountability’ which they said the Charity Commission expects the FCE to uphold. They claimed one FCE member told them that ‘there are several prima facie compliance issues which we feel are being ignored and if not addressed will leave no recourse but to report to the Charity Commission’.
They added: ‘There has been more than one instance of information being withheld from General Council, which prevents trustees from discharging their charitable duties.’
Church of England evangelicals in the 19th Century formed the Free Church of England because of their concern about growing Anglo-Catholic influences. The FCE’s founding Declaration of Principles states:
‘This Church accepts the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, with such revisions as shall exclude sacerdotal doctrines and practices. This Church, as a Reformed and Protestant Church, doth hereby re-affirm its constant witness against all those innovations in Doctrine and Worship whereby the primitive Faith hath been from time to time defaced or overlaid, and which at the Reformation were disowned and rejected.’
The signatories to the letter urging Bishop Fenwick to step down in April, when he turns 70, alleged:
‘The standards of our denomination have been ignored and undermined by our Primus doing such things as publishing a document online that seeks to explain away the plain meaning of some of our Principles; omitting parts of creeds he has published; declining to oppose prayers for the dead. His books sometimes undermine a plain reading of the Principles – but he insists on them being read as a condition for ministry candidates joining the FCE.’
The Bishop of the FCE Diocese in South America, Josep Rossello, was among the signatories. AI reported last week that the FCE South American Synod, representing growing churches in Brazil and Venezuela, voted to break links with Bishop Fenwick.
Bishop Fenwick and the Bishop of the FCE Southern Diocese, Paul Hunt, were invited to comment on the letter urging the Primus to step down. But they have not replied.
Julian Mann is an evangelical journalist based in the UK and author of Christians in the Community of the Dome
Did you ask the signatories’ permission to publish a private letter, Julian?
I did not, Mr Paice.
The whistleblower disclosure that led to this news story is about the governance of a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The FCE Convocation Charity qualifies for all the benefits that being a registered charity brings under UK law. Surely reporting on a leadership crisis in a registered charity counts as a matter of public interest?
AI reported no private details about the signatories’ family or medical circumstances. To show the seriousness of the situation in the denomination, three signatories were named with their FCE roles. They are prominent clergy exercising public ministry. The two churchwardens who signed the letter were unnamed but the church they serve was.
It might also be worth mentioning that countries, such as China and Saudi Arabia, where there is no free press that can report news of real public interest that someone somewhere wants to suppress (all the rest is advertising, as the saying goes), do not tend to be particularly pleasant places for Christians to live in.
I have asked Paul Hunt for 2017 to 2020 statements regarding whats happened to £30000 removed in 2017 from Emmanuel Church Morecambe. I only got the barest of details for 2020. I believe there was a statement in 2017 which was rejected by meeting. No one has seen one since. After I started asking questions the Annual Parish Meeting was conducted in undue haste. Church has been closed since Covid. I was advised of a lively parish meeting which I estimate had 2 or 3 there. A service was promised every 3 weeks but that has not happened. Church is closed and I am not hopeful of its reopening. Your idea of inviting the Pentacostals in could perhaps have saved our little church. There seems to be an obsession with Church being Anglican. Hollinwood are not Anglican but they are affiliated to FCE.
I was threatened today by Liz Fenwick the wife of the Primus. I was told they had enough to go to a Solicitor. They hoped I had deep pockets they intended to sue me to bankruptcy. All I have asked by Freedom of Information is where the £30,000 has gone and for it to be properly accounted. I am not accusing anyone of anything thats down to Charity Commission. What appeared in yesterday i Sunday Telegraph is damning. Telling Lis I can prove what I have said. Then I got an obscene FB comment that I have reported to fb.
Is it a letter that was sent or a petition that was launched?
I was Lay Reader at Emmanuel Church Morecambe until 2016 and left FCE in 2018 after being condemned by the Primus. “There is poison in our little church and two people here require poisoning and eradication”. In 2017 £30000 was removed by Primus from Church Funds. I have served FCE Freedom of Information Request about the accountancy involving that £30000 over last 4 years. Only one year was provided and I have called on Charity Commissioners to investigate. Julian Mann I will sign your petition if you want me to. I am a Calvinist Evangelical but since 2013 Church has been going steadily Anglo Catholic contrary to churches teachings. The Evangelical Catholic is some nonsense with a grain of truth to it from the Church in 1870s. It was never adopted but since 2013 we have been told its always been with us. My wife wrote a book The Free Church of England 1844-2018 available at Amazon at cost price.
I also hear that serious questions are being asked about where the money has gone from the sale of the Middlesbrough St. Stephen’s building in 2017 – which sold for £300,000 but the money does not appear in the accounts which the Northern and South Bishops both claim is holding that money on trust for the church. The FCE statement (also on this page) claims only a small proportion of that £300,000 was set aside to pay the new minister of the Middlesbrough, but the church themselves wished to use all of that money to pay their minister and this is reflected in the employment contract of Rev Jonatas. Either way, I’m told that the £300,000 is not shown in any of the filed accounts as being held on trust for the church. Indeed, apparently it does not show has having been received by Central Trust at all, following the sale of the building in 2017. Naturally that’s troublesome. I hear that the Bishops have been directly asked for some reasonable and understandable clarification as to where that money is and where it is reflected in the accounts, but that they have provided no response. Why won’t the bishops explain where the money is?
I hear it was £330,000 but Barantis has been dismissed at Middlesbrough by Fenwick. They haven’t a bulding. They are calling for return of £200000 as they are still continuing with Barantis. Farnham, Leeds, Leigh on Sea, Teddington and Workington want to. Leave Central Trust. Some parishes have gone to Evangelical Connexion or gone fully independent. The clergy of the churches that have gone the FCE has withheld clergy pensions. The FCE have said the Pensions Ombudsman has ruled in FCE favour which is doubtful.
I am told that the land registry record show it sold for £300K in May 2017. Perhaps there was also £30K in the church accounts – as was the case in the church in Morecambe? Fenwick is clearly a megalomaniac and not comfortable with anyone being in the FCE who can read accounts. If £300K has gone missing, the authorities should be able to work out what happened to it – along with the Morcombe missing funds. I simply do not understand why any trustee would not explain their accounts when asked – unless they are hiding something?
I call upon Bishop Primus Emeritus John Mclean to come out of retirement and take over. Bishops Fenwick and Hunt have taken FCE into disrepute. I further call upon Disciplinary Cannons to be invoked against Bishops Fenwick and Hunt. Removal and expulsion is a rarely used cannon. Last invoked Bishop Bentley Taylor in 2003.
I hear that Bishop John is steadily getting rid of any ministers with enough backbone to do this, sadly. I heard he has removed ANOTHER minister’s licence last week. Given that his diocese only has 7 churches (one of which he has sold and closed – without properly explaining where the proceeds has gone and another of which he has apparently knocked down) (plus the strange Isle of Man Anglo-catholic one he has admitted to advance his Anglo-catholic personal agenda) – this is preposterous and shows that his priorities are NOT the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ under the banner of the FCE, but personal power and the protection of his own kingdom building and the advancement of his own power base. It is appalling. I agree with your Trevor – it reflects very badly on the FCE indeed.
I was threatened today by Liz Fenwick the wife of the Primus. I was told they had enough to go to a Solicitor. They hoped I had deep pockets they intended to sue me to bankruptcy. All I have asked by Freedom of Information is where the £30,000 has gone and for it to be properly accounted. I am not accusing anyone of anything thats down to Charity Commission. What appeared in yesterday i Sunday Telegraph is damning. Telling Lis I can prove what I have said. Then I got an obscene FB comment that I have reported to fb.
Threatened? Obscene messages from a minister’s wife (a bishop no less)?! What on earth did she say? That’s horrendous.
You are right, however. The telegraph article was damning. Fully agree. In his position, an innocent party would provide the Charity Commission’s written approvals for the sale of all the building’s Fenwick has disposed of. An innocent party would also provide the audit trail proving that all of the money has been held in trust appropriately. Why will Fenwick not do this?
Was nasty and how a former retired Schools Inspector and wife of a Bishop could say it. The you should go crawl under stone you came out of is tame but a committed Christian could ever have written it. I have only asked where money has gone and for it to be accounted. Not accussed him of anything. I brought up Chorley Scouts but then again is their a paper trail saying what it was used for. Others further into investigation can make conclusions. I am just asking where did it go and where is accounts. As you say why won’t John tell us and clear himself.
That is truly shameful, unbecoming and a a disgrace to the Lord Jesus.
I have re read Liz Fenwick letter which Facebook have removed for hate mail. Its not pleasant and I am not only one to get one. Opposing Bishops in the Connexion have had some as well..Its not pleasant but its not obscene.
I have a copy of the Canons
Farnham and Teddington have independent Trust Deeds and have severed all contacts with the FCE.
Teddington has but as far as I know Farnham like Leeds, Leigh on Sea and Workington is still owned by Central Trust.
In 2005 we had Chorley Scouts on summer camp in Morecambe. They said that £30000 was removed from them. Their European Jamborees came to an end. I think the then curate was away on a lecture tour.
“Either way, I’m told that the £300,000 is not shown in any of the filed accounts as being held on trust for the church.”
That is very specific, and I would expect to see a response from FCE to clarify.
Yes – it is very specific. An interesting article has appeared in the Daily Telegraph this morning asking questions about this £300,000 and other financial irregularities … Apparently it is not only the Charity Commission looking into this, but also West Midlands Police are interest as a possible serious case of fraud!
What i don’t understand is why the Bishop’s haven’t explained exactly where the money is? Apparently they have been asked numbers of times – but no clear answer has been given. It should be a very simply thing to demonstrate, if it is correctly accounted for in their accounts.
Anglican Ink’s comments policy does not allow all links, so you will have to search for the article entitled “Former archbishop’s aide faces questions over ‘missing’ £300,000” (or searching John Fenwick Daily Telegraph should do it). I will post a link below, and hopefully AI’s moderator’s will see that it is relevant and allow it.
Relevant news article to this discussion – https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/18/former-archbishops-aide-faces-questions-missing-300000/
Thanks but its behind a paywall. Anyway, not to worry, I will keep an eye out for news on this.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/former-archbishops-aide-faces-questions-over-missing-%C2%A3300000/ar-BB1fLMxl – it’s available here without the paywall.
Thank you. Very interesting
Ive been asking round to seek clarity on the real state of the diocese Bishop Fenwick leads. It seems there are hardly any functional churches left after years of his leadership. Middlesborough was closed this year despite being a viable church – questions remain over the financial affairs of the bishop around that. Morecombe is now a building by seaside with plants and mould growing inside – no services. Preston technically has services – the congregation is about 5 elderly people. The Isle of Man has a church – Jules Gnomes old congregation – but the elderly minister was illegally ordained on a boat during the covid pandemic. So the only churches that actually might be viable and with canonical ministerial oversight are Blackburn and Oswaldtwistle and Tottingham. Lets hope nothing goes awry there – tho given Fenwick’s track record, one wouldn’t bet against him finding a way to tear down even the remnants of his diocese.
St.Davids at Preston has been knocked down. There was supposed to be a small chapel going into redevelopment but this hasn’t happened. I don’t know how much this sale has earned the Church. The congregation as at Preston as in Middlesbrough meet elsewhere. The Bishop is closing and demolishing churches one by one. At Preston a sheltered housing development is there. Is Morecambe next congregation is down to 6.
“the FCE South American Synod, representing growing churches in Brazil and Venezuela, voted to break links with Bishop Fenwick”
Well, ACNA has three dioceses in Brazil. It would be all too easy for FCE Brazil to gravitate towards them….
My understanding is that FCE Brazil is repulsed by anything with the whiff of GAFCON on it.
Ah, then better that Gafcon has nothing to do with them
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/18/former-archbishops-aide-faces-questions-missing-300000/
The Declaration of Principles come from the Reformed Episcopal Church which wrongly accused the 1662 Book of Common Prayer to have the remnants of Romanism. The 1927 amalgamation of the REC with the FCE left existing Churches and funds tied to their original trusts. The Free Church of England was a rebranding of part of the Countess of Huntingdon Connexion in 1863, ten years prior to the founding of the American REC in 1873. Unlike the REC the FCE retained the English 1662 Book of Common Prayer and English Thirty-nine Articles, allowing some freedom to optionally omit certain designated phrases, while also allowing their use – such as in baptism declaring baptised infants regenerate. The latter is the teaching of Dort and the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion. In harmony with the Countess of Huntingdon Connexion the 1863 FCE retained the Fifteen additional Articles of the Countess of Huntingdon Connexion. Article 14 includes: “Again, they that have the things signified, have a right to the sign of it: But children are capable of the grace signified in Baptism, and some of them (We Trust) are partakers of it, namely – such as die in their infancy; therefore they may and ought to be baptized.” As self identified in the original 1863 FCE deed, the founders of the FCE see themselves as heirs of the Countess of Huntingdon Connexion during the 18th century Evangelical Revival. Thus they make no reference to Anglo-Catholicism which emerged much later.
I had what I can only describe as Hate mail from Lis Fenwick the wife of the Primus. I am seeing the Police about it. I hadn’t intended to go any further than Charity Commissioners about Morecambe but not now after the attack i got from Mrs. Fenwick. It was utterley appalling.
For clarification and evidence of my original post I copy the original FCE Doctrinal Clause from the Deed made “the thirty first day of August one thousand eight hundred and sixty three”, as it appears in the Chancery Court copy made and entered “the tenth day of December in the year of our Lord 1863”
“Second – Doctrinal Basis. The basis of the Religious Doctrine and Tenets to be professed and subscribed by the members of the said Free Church of England is the Bible. They accept as in accordance with the Bible the Thirty nine articles and Rubrics of the United Church of England and Ireland being free to employ whatever they may deem valuable and to refuse what appears to them objectionable in the services of such Church and treating the Fifteen Articles of the said Connexion set forth in the Schedule to the said [1836] recited Deed Poll as included in the said Thirty nine articles.
“Provided that the President or Bishop of the Convocation herein after mentioned may with the consent of such Convocation direct that the said articles and said Rubrics shall where the person subscribing the same shall so require be understood and subscribed as if each of the several words and passages as are comprised in brackets or parentheses in the copy so subscribed had been actually omitted. Such Copy so to be signed as aforesaid shall be duly approved and ratified by the Convocation.”
The Book Depository is actually Amazon. They are actually only sending out the first editions from 2018 as is Amazon KDP site. There is a new 3rd edition dated 2021. .
I am unsure where “Aethelred the Ready” deduces that “… and Teddington have independent Trust Deeds.” According to the Chancery Court copy of the Teddington Deed “made the fifth day of June One thousand eight hundred and sixty nine” “1. Upon Trust to permit and suffer such Church thereon to be erected to be used at all times as a Church or Meeting house in conformity with the provisions of a certain Deed Poll under the hands and seals of Thomas Elisha Thoresby … bearing date the thirty first Day of August One thousand eight hundred and sixty three [i.e. the fundamental FCE deed] … in which Deed Poll the doctrines discipline rules and constitution of the said Free Church of England are set forth and also in conformity with the rules of the said Free Church of England as such rules shall from time to time be made by the Convocation.” 2. And also upon trust to permit the said Reverend John Sugden B.A. the present Minister or any future Minister or Ministers to officiate in the said Church freely and uninterruptedly as shall be appointed thereto for the time being by the said trustees or a majority of them … Provided such person or persons so to be appointed as aforesaid preach no other Doctrines but such as are set forth in the said Deed Poll.”
My wife wrote a book but if you message me with your address to trevorjordan7@msn.com I can send you a copy. All the Mr. Fenwick claims and alterations are there and the evidence opposite way. It comes down to a meeting between the founder George Cummins of the REC and William Augustus Muhlenberg. It was just a meeting it was never adopted as Mr. Fenwick claims. The latest claims of Mr. Fenwick are that Cummins wanted to make Muhlenberg a Bishop, more speculation. It can be ordered at Amazon but that is first edition at £7 plus postage. With whats happened we are on 3rd edition. Anyone else wants one please contact me. No charge give a donation to Christian Aid.
Thank you but too late – I ordered one earlier today from the bookdepository company.
Alan – please could you upload a picture of those trust deeds in full? Many thanks.
Teddington does have Trust Deeds as does Fleetwood (my current home) but if Sunday Telegraph are to be believed befuddled old church members have been cajoled to sign over deeds to Central Trust. Central Trust operates with Trustees people know about and Trustees people don’t know about. Its a right mess it needs reforming and made directly accountable to Convocation. Money has gone and no one other than Trustees knows where. The £300000 in the papers but other money has gone
Over the last 12 hours I have emailed the FCE and Teddington deeds and the original Fifteen Articles of the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion to the FCE’s director of training, this is my permission for him to circulate them to members of the FCE.
Perhaps I ought to mention that I did my research over twenty years ago while a member. This was before the National Archive allowed you to take your own pictures so I have my transcripts and National Archive scans (paper copies). Teddington Trustees around that time and the de facto minister had copies.
I copy original 1863 FCE Doctrinal Clause:
Second – Doctrinal Basis. The basis of the Religious Doctrine and Tenets to be professed and subscribed by the members of the said Free Church of England is the Bible. They accept as in accordance with the Bible the Thirty nine articles and Rubrics of the United Church of England and Ireland being free to employ whatever they may deem valuable and to refuse what appears to them objectionable in the services of such Church and treating the Fifteen Articles of the said Connexion set forth in the Schedule to the said [1836] recited Deed Poll as included in the said Thirty nine articles.
Provided that the President or Bishop of the Convocation herein after mentioned may with the consent of such Convocation direct that the said articles and said Rubrics shall where the person subscribing the same shall so require be understood and subscribed as if each of the several words and passages as are comprised in brackets or parentheses in the copy so subscribed had been actually omitted. Such Copy so to be signed as aforesaid shall be duly approved and ratified by the Convocation.
[…] active FCE clergy, including former Church of England ministers Peter Sanlon and Steven Hanna. The letter said that decisions made by Bishop Fenwick are ‘endangering the peace and future flourishing’ of the […]