The Trumpington story that I commented on here and here continues to get press coverage.
Thanks to a link to my original posting from a discussion on the topic at Ship of Fools, I came across a posting by Etheldreda on the topic which links to another Cambridge Evening News article that includes a long statement by the Bishop of Ely, Dr Anthony Russell.
Interestingly, it does seem rather like the Bishop of Ely is attempting to combat the implied criticism of the potential waste of diocesan money that the current tribunal process will be by listing all the stages of the process up to this point. However Tom Ambrose, the priest at the centre doesn’t seem overly impressed:
“This has been going on for six years and in that time I have been treated abominably. I have asked the bishop again and again to talk about it, and have always been refused.�
He also adds:
“The people who want me out are no longer communicants at the church, they have removed themselves from the congregation, so I have not heard anything from them – nor has anyone else in the parish talked about it.â€?
Looking at the details in the statement from the Diocese however, back as far as 2003 the APCM voted by 58 to 7 against Rev Ambrose – a not insignificant vote. In 2004 the PCC passed a motion with a two-thirds majority to request an inquiry. After several attempts at mediation, in early 2005 the Archdeacon of Ely was asked to make a report to the Bishop as to whether an inquiry would be in the best interests of the incumbent and parishioners of Trumpington – something that he concluded was. Amazingly it has now taken more than two years to get from the decision to hold the tribunal to actually doing it.
To be frank, nobody seems to be coming out of this looking good, whether it’s the incumbent and parishioners of Trumpington, or the Diocese. Ultimately, the only way that a tribunal could be avoided would be for one side to back down. Rev Ambrose could resign – but then based on what he has said, and the increased support the press coverage has given him that would be unlikely. The PCC could back down, indeed four years is enough time for Ambrose supporters to have managed to get onto the committee given enough support at the APCM. The fact that this hasn’t happened does seem to imply that despite what has been said, Ambrose is fighting a loosing battle.
Whatever happens though, the congregation in Trumpington are the losers here. Lets be honest, what priest in their right mind would apply for a vacancy there after this?
