Reputation of St Andrew’s is now at stake on both sides of the border

AS THE concern as to the validity of weddings at St Andrew’s Church continues, and with reference to Archdeacon John Holdsworth’s invitation to meet with me to discuss it, I would like to share the following information .

Previously I had called Rev Wendy Hough as per her invitation at the bottom of her statement in Cyprus Today to speak with anyone “who had concerns”. There was no answer to my call and no one called me back. I was informed she was “away” although I am told that she returned to North Cyprus for a week. No one within the Church had any official contact with her.

I had previously sent an email on March 9 asking for clarification as to police report numbers and whether the Bishop had been informed that these legal wedding documents had all disappeared. This email had also gone unanswered.

I replied to the Archdeacon’s offer to meet but requested he meet me at my office in the North, where he could give me an “on the record” explanation as to how St Andrew’s wedding records, since 2004, could have gone missing on both side of the border at the same time. I also requested legal proof that my daughter’s wedding was indeed valid.

I had been informed on April 18 that my daughter’s wedding certificate had been found and was fully registered. I met with him in the North on April 30.

It was good to meet with the Archdeacon and I appreciate his time. I was surprised, however, to find the Archdeacon had brought two St Andrew’s church wardens with him unannounced. Had I known this was not to be a private meeting I would have brought two interested parties with me. Out of politeness I did not.

As legal proof I was given a copy of my daughter’s wedding certificate that had been found in the South. However the certificate now raises far more questions than it answered. It was incomplete, with vital information missing, and looks as though it has been altered when compared with the original.

So this now just opens up even more serious concerns. How was the certificate lost, then found? What about all the other weddings since 2004? Have those certificates been found in the South as well? How many weddings have been conducted at St Andrew’s and when, because if you don’t have proper records of them how can you find information that you don’t know is missing? Why is the accounting for them proving to be so difficult when large fees were paid to arrange them?

Why was the original theft from St Andrew’s not reported to the police? Why was no-one informed of this loss of legal documents for months? Why was Wendy Hough not contacted for the week she was here in North Cyprus?

I am now informed that Ms Hough has resigned and I wish to publicly say that with reference to all the above that I hold no one person responsible for this debacle. The Turkish have a saying, “a fish rots from the head down”, and blaming any one individual for this lack of control, reporting and supervision is wrong and seems like looking for a scapegoat. Those in charge, although informed more than six months ago of this matter, only made public statements in response to press reports not public concern repeatedly voiced. Where is a statement from our Bishop in all this ?

I will get to the bottom of this on behalf of all those who, through no fault of their own, still do not know if they were legally married or not in our church — sooner rather than later, I hope, because I am hearing of real distress being caused by the way this has been dragged out waiting for official inquiries. The reputation of St Andrew’s is now at stake on both sides of the border, so this matter must be fully explained now, with absolute transparency and honestly.

Thanks to Cyprus Today, as the only newspaper covering this, for bringing it to public attention, as without your help this may never have been brought to light.