Parishioners who bully vicars could be banned

THE Church of England is to consider bans for parishioners who bully their vicars.

The proposal comes as a string of “devastating” and “unacceptable” incidents emerged in papers submitted to the General Synod, the Church’s lawmaking body, which is to convene later this month.

The papers cite examples of vicars being “hounded out of office” by aggressive congregants, with some parishes having a reputation for “breaking clergy”, leaving vacant posts impossible to fill. Synod will hear measures in favour of legal sanctions for bullying – including the possibility of disqualification from holding office within the Church and a new code of conduct for Parochial Church Councils (PCC).

The moves come amid claims that meetings descend into “aggressive”, “psychologically damaging” and “physically threatening behaviour” with parishioners slamming their fists on tables, “continually interrupting when others speak”, withholding keys to store rooms, blocking each other on email and harassing others by printing out messages after being blocked.

The Archdeacon of Blackburn, the Venerable Mark Ireland, called for Synod to recognise “that bullying is unacceptable behaviour within the Church of God, whether by clergy or lay people” and for it to be tackled.

He also warned against the “unfairness” that arises from clergy being subject to penalties for bullying “that include prohibition and removal from office”, while there was no means of disqualifying from holding office a churchwarden, PCC member or other lay officer who is guilty of bullying. They, too, should be “disqualified from holding office”, he insisted.

He added that bullying and harassment has “devastating [effects], on mental health, on physical health, on… relationships, and [leads to] the blighting of local Christian communities”.