Ban on Onward, Christian Soldiers hymn in case it offends other faiths
MILITARY veterans have criticised a vicar after he banned the hymn Onward, Christian Soldiers from a Remembrance Sunday service – in case it offends non-Christians.
Members of the Royal British Legion club in Oadby, Leicestershire, have been belting out the hymn at the end of the Remembrance Sunday parade each year as they march into St Peter’s Church.
But they say that this year the Rev Steve Bailey has vetoed it because people at the service would not necessarily be Christian. Instead, All People That On Earth Do Dwell will be sung as the parade files into the church on November 12.
Now the service is threatened with a boycott by members of the Royal British Legion in the town – while others say they will stay outside and sing the banned hymn.
Ian Thorpe, vice-chairman of the legion club, which is separate from the local Royal British Legion branch, said: “The new vicar is not happy with Onward, Christian Soldiers. It’s not the ‘soldiers’ bit, it’s the ‘Christian’ bit.” He said the club’s chairman, Pete Green, was planning to boycott the service and just lay a wreath.
In 2012 a previous St Peter’s vicar The Rev Steve Bailey, whose veto of Onward, Christian Soldiers has angered worshippers, who may now sing it outside the church decided the hymn should not be sung at the Remembrance service. It was reinstated the following year after a volley of complaints.
The Oadby Royal British Legion branch has met the vicar and agreed to his request.
Yesterday, in a statement issued by the Diocese of Leicester, Mr Bailey said: “We agreed the change in hymn with the Oadby Royal British Legion, who run this major civic event, because members of the community from a wide range of cultural backgrounds attend.
“It is because the legion’s committee recognised that people from different faiths served in the Armed Forces that we will be singing All People That On Earth Do Dwell instead of Onward, Christian Soldiers.
“This year for the first time Oadby Multicultural Group will lay a wreath at the war memorial, as well as the one I will lay on behalf of the parish.
“We want people of all faiths, paying respect to those from their own faiths and cultures who served and gave their lives, to feel welcome.”