Dr Martin Dudley
Posted on 06/15/2008 8:58:47 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
A vicar accused of conducting a gay 'wedding' at his historic church is a controversial figure who has previously married his former mistress to another man, it has emerged.
Dr Martin Dudley performed a ceremony for two homosexual priests at the church where he is the rector, St Bartholomew the Great in the heart of the City of London.
Dr Martin Dudley
The 12th century church, which once featured in the romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral, was the setting for a traditional liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer, with confetti and exchange of rings.
But it is not the first time Dr Dudley, 54, a one-time contender for the position of Mayor of London, has performed a controversial ceremony.
Four years ago the vicar, who is married with two children, performed the wedding ceremony at the same church for Penny Cadle, a woman with whom he had an affair when she was still married to her first husband.
The Bishop of London has launched an investigation into the gay 'wedding'.
In a statement, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres said: "Services of public blessings for civil partnerships are not authorised in the Church of England or the Diocese of London.
"I will be asking the Archdeacon of London to investigate what took place at the church of St Bartholomew the Great."
The vows between the Rev Peter Cowell and the Rev Dr David Lord, who met when they were both working at St Bart's hospital nearby, were similar to those of a traditional wedding ceremony.
It is understood that Dr Lord, who works as a hospital doctor, has returned to his home country of New Zealand and that Rev Cowell, the chaplain at Barts, plans to follow him out there.
Dr Lord and Rt Rev David Moxon, the Bishop of Waikato in New Zealand, issued a joint statement saying he had resigned his clergy licence.
But Dr Dudley, who describes himself as "robustly heterosexual," told the Daily Telegraph he was unworried by the investigation: "I am not bothered about the 'rules' because they are only guidelines.
"This was a personal response to someone who is a friend. Peter and I have known each other for many years and given that this was two priests entering into a civil partnership there was a question of what kind of ceremony to hold.
"They wanted to go much further than I wanted but we worked on a text between us that was appropriate and expressed their sense of commitment. This was new territory because no one else has produced a text of this kind but I am quite clear this was not a marriage ceremony."
News of the gay 'wedding' came as almost 300 hardline bishops prepare to meet in the Holy Land this week to discuss the future direction of the Anglican church in a breakaway summit, having decided to boycott the once-a-decade gathering of Anglican leaders because of their divisions over gay clergy.
The news of the first church ceremony for a homosexual couple means they are now more likely than ever to claim the Communion has been irreversibly split. Some traditionalists may even say they must formally sever links with the Archbishop of Canterbury and form a new "orthodox" church.
Canon Chris Sugden, one of the organizers of "Gafcon", said: "The timing is presumably deliberate. The hopes that some have that this movement might be stopped in its tracks as a solution to the crisis will clearly not come about."
The Reverend David Banting, chairman of the group Reform, said: "There are bound to be consequences. It is very difficult to exercise discipline in the Church of England because things have gone such a long way down this sort of track. But yes, I would expect there to be consequences," he said.
Organisers of the Gafcon conference are meeting in Jordan on Tuesday and are due to issue a public statement on their discussions on Friday.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15-16)
yitbos
But the good Evangelicals in the denomination simply will not stand up and be counted - at least they will not leave. Will this be the last straw or will they draw another line in the sand? Don't hold your breath.
To have come under African alternative Episcopal oversight would have put me under even greater pressure, and my parish would not have taken it lightly.
When I left, a churchplant asked if I would continue to minister to them and I agreed. They had left the Anglican Church as they felt unsupported. So I do secular work and minister part time. It is a delight and I feel like a weight has been lifted from my back.
So I really don't feel like bashing Anglicanism - but it's inability to hold the faith sure and steady is a cause for sorrow. Liberalism rots the soul.
BTW Rowan Williams was my Bishop. Liberal as they come - but also a very kind gentleman.
“....one can become vicar without knowing the Bible.”
knowing the Bible and living the Bible are two different things. The vicar knows the Bible well, he just does not abide with it’s teachings. That, of course, makes the case much worse.
Reminds me of a cartoon I saw in Punch just a couple of years ago. Two presumably “conservative” Anglicans are standing at the back of their church, with aghast looks on their faces, as nearly-naked women carry flaming torches to the altar to burn a pile of, apparently, small children. The one conservative turns to the other and says, “If they continue to push the limits of decency like this, I swear, I’m leaving the church.”
Thank you!
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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15
I’m sure Atkins is a perfect gentlemen and a kind man vimto, and that is the rub, it’s not that those folks are monsters, they just aren’t Christians and holding offices in a Church while not practicing our Faith is a non sequitor.
BTW, what a great story about your working and still ministering, that is how Christianity changes people’s lives.
He said gently, “Of course they are ‘nice’ - niceness is all they have got!”
There will (I say without any joy) be many ‘nice’ people in hell.
PS I take it from your screen name that you are a padre...are you still serving?
warm regards!
“Ah, when is St. Bart’s going to be cleansed after this blasphemy?”
You are right, the church has been defiled. No Christian can enter it now.
The Orthodox would burn the church down and start over.
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