Rev Dr Bernard Randall remains barred from ministry in the Church of England (CofE), more than six years after delivering a sermon in a CofE chapel, in a CofE school, defending the CofE’s own teaching on marriage and encouraging pupils to approach competing ideologies with tolerance and humility.
In 2019, Trent College – a CofE-affiliated independent school in Derbyshire – invited in Educate & Celebrate (E&C), a controversial third-party provider of LGBT inclusivity training. During one particularly zealous session, E&C urged staff to shout the slogan “smash heteronormativity”. Willingly or otherwise, they did so. This, apparently, was the message the group felt should be promoted as part of teaching pupils, even at nursery age.
It was following E&C’s involvement at the school that a pupil asked Dr Randall: “How come we are told we have to accept all this LGBT stuff in a Christian school?” His sermon, which was delivered in response, reminded students that they were entitled to think critically, including about LGBT ideology, and that “you should no more be told you have to accept LGBT ideology than you should be told you must be in favour of Brexit, or must be Muslim”.
For this, he was suspended and later dismissed. Incredibly, he was also reported to Prevent, the Teaching Regulation Agency, the Disclosure and Barring Service, and the Local Authority Designated Officer. Following these referrals, the CofE initiated its own internal safeguarding process. Although all four statutory bodies cleared him, with no concerns recorded, the Church’s Derby Diocese nonetheless concluded that Dr Randall posed a safeguarding risk.
On that basis, the Diocese formally designated him “a risk to children” and withdrew his licence to preach. The ruling has never been reversed, with the result that, if he were to deliver a sermon in a CofE church, he could face legal sanction.
More than a year ago, following mounting public concern and legal action supported by the Christian Legal Centre, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, ordered a review of how the Diocese had handled the case.
A legal review of Dr Randall’s complaint, conducted by Gregory Jones KC and the then President of Tribunals, Dame Sarah Asplin, found that the Church’s handling of the case was “egregious”, “flawed”, and “highly unsatisfactory.” The review concluded that the Diocese of Derby had departed from statutory safeguarding guidance and failed to provide any justification for its actions. It also found that Dr Randall may have been discriminated against by members of the diocesan safeguarding team on the basis that he held a “certain theology”.
Despite these findings, the CofE did not restart the safeguarding process from scratch, as it had been instructed to do. More than a year on, and six years after the original sermon, it has instead continued the process from where it left off, merely stepping back one stage and proceeding without presenting any evidence, complainant, or allegation of abuse.
As part of the so-called ‘new’ safeguarding process, a meeting was finally held in June 2025 with CofE safeguarding adviser Lee Elliot and the Bishop of Repton, Rt Revd Malcolm Macnaughton – the deputy to the Bishop of Derby. Although this step is a basic part of Church safeguarding procedure, Dr Randall had to request repeatedly that it even take place.
At the meeting, Bishop Malcolm read a statement to Dr Randall claiming he remained a risk based on what he might say in future sermons. It was suggested that his sermon and beliefs could cause emotional and spiritual harm. When Dr Randall queried the nature of the alleged abuse and asked who the victim was, Mr Elliot said: “There is no named victim… the school has not supplied that.” Not unreasonably, Dr Randall asked: “So how do we know there is a victim?” Mr Elliot offered no reply.
Mr Elliot also referred to Dr Randall’s Christian beliefs as “your views”. Dr Randall clarified that his sermon reflected official Church of England doctrine, not personal opinion.
Elliot then claimed that saying “things that are controversial… could significantly lead to harm”. When challenged on how controversial views could constitute a safeguarding issue, he brought the discussion to an abrupt close.
The toll on Dr Randall has been severe. As he puts it: “This has been six years of silence, shame, and spiritual exile. I have been punished not for wrongdoing, but for believing. The Church’s safeguarding process has become a tool of coercion, not care. I am speaking out now because I know I am not alone, and because no one should suffer in silence for staying true to their faith.”
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Dr Randall, is now calling on the Church to correct this injustice and restore his ministry.
The FSU echoes that call. Dr Randall has faced an unnecessarily prolonged and psychologically debilitating procedural ordeal simply for encouraging students to think critically and independently about one of the most contested issues of our time. Six years on, it’s long past time for the Church to right this wrong.
