The appointment of a new Archbishop of York is the second highest position in the Church of England, and as such can exert influence not only in this country, but in the Anglican community worldwide.

It is therefore of much importance that the man appointed to this Office be worthy of the honour and privilege granted. There will be many people in the Church who will see the present nominee being totally unsuitable, and marks a tragic day for true Christianity and moral guidance in line with Scripture.

The man appointed, Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford is a man of extreme liberal belief. Recently he was involved in a dispute with one of his clergy who objected to the teaching given in a school in the Diocese, where children were faced with advanced teaching on gender change.  The Vicar alleged the Bishop told him that if he believed in teaching on sexuality as laid down in the Bible, there was no place for him in the Church. (this being against Diocesan procedure). 

There was an outcry, and the Bishop denied saying what the Vicar alleged, which implied the Vicar was lying, but 30 other clergy supported the Vicar, to claim they had heard the Bishop express the same, which then raises the question who is the liar?

In the House of Lords, it was stated the Bishop stated the Church of England could change its stance on marriage.

Clergy in the Diocese are not in communion with him because of his views.

Carol services are being conducted in the Diocese which omit calling Jesus as Lord, but referring to ‘the baby Jesus’. It has not apparently been stated this was at the Bishop’s direction, but the fact it has gone on indicates indirect approval.

All this indicates a decline in and a departure from the Bible in the Church of England.  But let it be clear, this Bishop is not an exception, there are others of like belief, and I have often wondered if the Bishop of Liverpool is acting as public relations officer for the LGBT, which particularly grieves me, as being my own city for many years I know that is not in keeping with the men and women of that city.

At the present time the Christian faith is under sustained attack. The LGBT lobby has organised a very aggressive and indeed successful campaign to influence society to support its agenda, and has also recruited senior positions within the Church to assist and create special liturgy and encourage the clergy in general to give support. I wish the Church could have been half as successful even, in its duty and responsibility, but too many are terrified of ‘causing offence’.

How individual people live is a matter for each person, God gives us freewill, and people must be allowed to live without personal attack, verbal or physical. We will all have one day to answer for how we live, and God will be our judge. What is unacceptable is the denying of alternative opinion the right to express their view. Nor should people be threatened when they do so, if expressed in a respectful manner.

The Church is expected to be the moral, ethical and spiritual voice of the nation, and its Ministers have a duty to teach what the Bible states, irrespective of their own personal opinions, but it has been most silent on such issues, even allowing ordinary mothers to express protest at the teaching of unsuitable material to their children without their consent. Now we have a government, and amazingly an (allegedly) Conservative one at that, bringing in forced teaching of explicit sex to children of tender years without the right of parents to withdraw their children.

The response of the Church is to appoint an Archbishop who supports the same. How God must weep when he sees this happening to his Church.

Bishops visit the Churches in their dioceses and when it is known that a bishop is due to visit, invariably the Vicar whips up support for the visit, and a lot of people have the misapprehension that because the man is of higher rank, he is per se, a superior form of Christian to have obtained that post.  This is totally misguided, for whilst it may be the case in some instances, it is not an established fact for a lot of Bishops have spent their careers in administrative posts.

I remember reading of an Archbishop who stated that there was no finer career than being a parish priest, and whilst I would not disagree with that statement, I thought it was odd coming from a man who had been a Curate for three months, without any real down to earth ministry. Whilst this was exceptional, that is the route other Bishops have taken.

A person is declared a Christian when he/she of any rank or none, believes in the doctrines of the Bible, Virgin birth, salvation through Jesus Christ alone, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

All Christians should challenge all the teaching being forced on schools particularly, and respond to the harassment of Christians who express biblical standards on social media sites.  People who express private views are being tracked by zealots trawling through, looking to find something to get the person into trouble with employers of no courage.

When a man/woman is ordained in the Church of England, they vow to teach only that contained in the Scriptures, AND TO BANISH ALL FALSE DOCTRINE.

So why have so many broken their vows at ALL levels.