The chairman of the House of Clergy in the diocese of Worcester, Canon Stuart Currie, has welcomed a judgment by the Birmingham employment tribunal that clergy are office- holders rather than employees.
The Employment Judge, Alan McCarry, made the ruling after a claim brought by the former Rector of Teme Valley South, near Tenbury Wells, the Revd Mark Sharpe (News, 2 December). Mr Sharpe (above) claims that the Bishop and the diocese of Worcester failed to protect him from a catalogue of abuse and bullying at the hands of parishioners in his “toxic parish”.
The diocese rejected his claims, and, at a five-day preliminary hearing at the BirmingÂham employment tribunal in November, argued that Mr Sharpe had no right to bring a claim to an employment tribunal, because, as a Church of England parish priest with freehold incumbent status, he was an office- holder, not an employee or worker.
Unfortunately the tribunal didn’t/couldn’t rule on the matter of the parish being toxic. Another case of look before you leap! Speak to your predecessors, and check out the place before you accept because once you are there you will get no help from anyone.
Mind you, attempting to be an agent of change in many parishes is a recipe for disaster anyway. The bishop may have selected you for this role, but he will be nowhere to be seen when the @#$% hits the fan.