Tribunal reserves Pemberton judgment
JUDGMENT was reserved at the end of the Employment Appeal Tribunal last week at which both Canon Jeremy Pemberton and Bishop Richard Inwood appealed against an earlier ruling (News, 24 June). Canon Pemberton took Bishop Inwood, then Acting Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, to an employment tribunal under the Equality Act, in 2014. He argued that the Bishop, by removing his permission to officiate and further refusing to grant him the necessary licence to take up a new post as an NHS chaplain in the diocese, had discriminated against him. Bishop Inwood had cited Canon Pemberton’s decision to enter into a same-sex marriage. The tribunal dismissed Canon Pemberton’s claims last year (News, 6 November), but he won the right to appeal. In a cross-appeal, Bishop Inwood sought to uphold the decision of the tribunal and “to provide additional points not included in the tribunal’s decision as to why that decision was correct”.
Primate marks Meissen silver jubilee
THE Archbishop of Canterbury has sent a message to commemorate 25 years since the signing of the Meissen Agreement, whose goals include full visible unity between the Church of England and the Evangelical Church in Germany. He spoke of “significant relationships between our two Churches at every level”, and praised the contribution of the German Church to meeting the needs of refugees.
New films intended to create an itch
THE Kleer Series of films, designed to help start spiritual conversations with young people, has been launched by two friends working in the United States and the UK: David Bowden, an author, who lives in Oklahoma City; and Dave Boden, who works for secondary schools in the Midlands. The series features 24 videos, and is described as a resource that will help “create an itch for those who have little to no faith-based backgrounds to want to learn more about God”. www.kleerseries.com
‘Blatant and damaging’ graffiti on cathedral
EXETER CATHEDRAL was vandalised this week, when the words “Cinderella. Fuck the church” were spray-painted in large letters on one of its towers. Exeter Council is helping to remove the graffiti. The Exeter Express & Echo reports that the Cathedral’s Managing Director, Alasdair Cameron, said that the stone could have absorbed some of the paint: “It will take a lot of time and money to clean this, and we have a specialist on their way to take a look at the damage. . . We cannot remember anything this blatant and damaging.”