Woke warrior clergyman faces probe for calling Clap for Capt Tom a ‘white British nationalist cult’
Bishop of London launches probe into woke warrior clergyman who called Clap for Capt Tom a ‘white British nationalist cult’ as thousands sign petition to remove him and it emerges he called PM an ‘oppressor’ and blasted ‘ignorant’ white Christian men
- Clergyman condemned the commemoration of Captain Sir Tom Moore as a ‘cult of white British nationalism’
- Rev Robinson-Brown deleted the tweet after a backlash and posted an apology – but now faces CofE probe
- The Diocese of London has called his message ‘unacceptable, insensitive, and ill-judged’ and revealed a review of his posts is ‘now underway, led by the Archdeacon of London’
- Cleric has been outspoken on Twitter about Boris Johnson, the Tory government and LGBTQ+ rights in CofE
- Mr Robinson-Brown, a former Methodist minister, converted to Anglicanism and is training to become a priest
A black gay clergyman forced to apologise after calling the clap for Captain Sir Tom Moore a ‘cult of white British nationalism’ is now being investigated by the Church of England and is a hostile anti-Tory who has repeatedly called Boris Johnson and Priti Patel ‘oppressors’, MailOnline can reveal today.
The Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown, 29, has deleted his offensive tweet dismissing the £33million raised for the NHS by the 100-year-old hero, whose efforts were praised by all political leaders and the Archbishop of Canterbury after he died this week.
The London-born trainee vicar responded to the veteran’s death with coronavirus by writing: ‘The cult of Captain Tom is a cult of White British Nationalism. I will offer prayers for the repose of his kind and generous soul, but I will not be joining the ‘National Clap’.’
The Diocese of London has called his message ‘unacceptable, insensitive, and ill-judged’ and revealed a review of his posts is ‘now underway, led by the Archdeacon of London’. Around an hour later Mr Robinson-Brown deleted his Twitter account.
A petition signed by 3,000 people is demanding the Bishop of London takes away his prestigious curate role at the oldest church in the City of London, the 675 AD All Hallows By the Tower, where the 12th century altar was donated by Richard the Lionheart and Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire of London rage from its spire in 1666.
And as the Diocese of London launched a probe into his social media activity, MailOnline can reveal Rev Robinson-Brown’s Twitter feed is packed with political tweets slamming Boris Johnson and his Government and incendiary comments on a number of other issues.
The cleric has repeatedly accused the Prime Minister of ‘talking nonsense’, branded Mr Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel ‘oppressors’ during lockdown and replying to one tweet asking for a ‘sad story in three words’ he replied: ‘Boris wins majority’.
In a message criticising Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng for defending the British Empire, the cleric called him ‘Kwasia’ – Ghanaian for dumb – and accused him of ‘speaking colomental claptrap’ in an article about Brexit. When asked what BLM would think of Mr Kwarteng he said: ‘Nothing good’.
In another rant Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown, a prominent gay activist and author of the book Black Gay British Christian Queer, blasted ‘ignorant White Christian men’ as the debate rages over LGBTQ+ rights in the CofE.
Born in West London in 1991 and raised by his Jamaican grandmother, the former Methodist minister in Cardiff and chaplain at King’s College London converted to Anglicanism and is now training to become a priest in the Church of England. Nigel Farage is calling for him to face more severe censure.
Sharing the Captain Tom tweet, the former Ukip leader directed a message to the Archbishop of Canterbury and said: ‘These appalling comments attacking the Clap for Captain Tom as ‘white nationalism’ shows why the Church of England is collapsing. Time to show some leadership @JustinWelby’.
The Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown, a prominent black gay clergyman, has deleted his offensive tweet dismissing the work of the hero 100-year-old Covid fund-raiser Captain Tom – but his social media remains backed with incendiary tweets
More than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling for his dismissal after he linked the clap for Captain Sir Tom to a ‘cult of white British nationalism’
In one tweet about his daily walk with his Jack Russell, he called Boris Johnson and Priti Patel ‘oppressors’
In a message criticising Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng for defending the British Empire, the cleric called him ‘Kwasia’ – Ghanian for dumb – and accused him of ‘speaking colomental claptrap’ in an article about Brexit.
In another rant Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown, a prominent black and gay activist, blasted ‘ignorant White Christian men’
He is a campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights in the CofE, saying is not a ‘safe’ space for people in those communities
‘Woke’ cleric has job at ancient church next to the Tower of London where gay clergy were given secret communion
Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown has just landed a role as curate at the oldest church in the City of London
But after his outburst about Captain Tom, there is growing pressure on the Bishop of London to remove him from the prestigious role at the All Hallows By the Tower.
He was appointed to the post by the Right Reverend Sarah Mullally, the first female Bishop of London, last month.
A curate is a paid role where trainee priest acts as a assistant to a vicar, rector, or parish priest.
Founded in 675 AD, the church is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 and the altar stone was brought back to Britain from Israel during the crusades by King Richard I, best known as Richard the Lionheart.
Civil War King Edward IV made it royal chapel and because of its proximity to the Tower of London, people beheaded there were sent for temporary burial at All Hallows.
It survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 when Samuel Pepys is claimed to have climbed the church’s spire to watch the progress of the blaze, which he called the ‘the saddest sight of desolation’.
The 7th Century church, right next to the Tower of London, has built a liberal reputation in recent years.
In 2007 there was a scandal when it emerged the then Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams kept the details of a communion service for gay clergy so secret that he failed to inform the then Bishop of London Right Rev Richard Chartres it was taking place in his diocese.
It reignited the row that is causing divisions within the Anglican Church after agreeing to hold a Eucharist for homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clergy.
Details of the service, attended by around 100 people, emerged months later, with the Archbishop said to have spoken openly about the future for gay people in the church.
A spokesman for the Diocese of London said: Jarel Robinson-Brown’s comments regarding Captain Sir Tom Moore were unacceptable, insensitive, and ill-judged. The fact that he immediately removed his tweet and subsequently apologised does not undo the hurt he has caused, not least to Captain Tom’s family. Nor do Jarel’s actions justify the racist abuse he is now receiving.
‘A review is now underway, led by the Archdeacon of London. As a Church, we expect clergy to ensure that all online activity is in line with the Church of England’s social media guidelines and built on truth, kindness and sensitivity to others. It is incumbent upon all of us to make social media and the web more widely positive places for conversations to happen’.
Mr Robinson-Brown has said he is ‘passionate about issues of justice, particularly in the areas of race and sexuality’ and has ‘an interest in gender, desire and ethnicity in Late Antique Egypt’, alongside ‘liberation theology’ and ‘queer theology’.
The cleric, newly appointed to a prestigious post by the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Sarah Mullally, sparked the row after saying he would not join Wednesday night’s national clap to mark the passing of Captain Tom.
Hundreds of thousands of Britons across the nation took to their doorsteps yesterday evening to pay tribute to Sir Captain Moore after he died of coronavirus yesterday.
The intervention by the 29-year-old black and gay activist appeared to undermine the Church of England and its handling of the Covid crisis at a time when its leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, have been facing criticism for their willingness to close churches.
The Archbishop marked Captain Tom’s death by saying he was ‘an inspiration to millions’.
Mr Robinson-Brown deleted the tweet after a fierce backlash and posted an apology, saying: ‘I offer an unreserved apology for the insensitive timing and content of my tweet regarding the clap for Captain Tom.’
He said he had since read and will sign the church’s digital charter, which is designed to ‘help make social media and the web more widely positive places’.
Former Tory MEP David Campbell Bannerman described it as an ‘appalling comment’, and Bishop Mullally’s diocese was understood to be preparing an apology last night.
Mr Robinson-Brown is set to begin work shortly at the ‘inclusive church’, CofE jargon for a radical parish that supports gay rights. His new vicar, the Reverend Katherine Hedderly, greeted his appointment as a curate last weekend by saying her congregation were ‘delighted’.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson led the national round of applause at 6pm from Downing Street yesterday, with the veteran’s family also taking part.
Images showed his emotional daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore leaning on her son Benjie as they marked the applause alongside her daughter Georgia and husband Colin Ingram outside Captain Tom’s home in Marston Moretaine near Milton Keynes.
They were joined by hundreds of thousands thousands of well-wishers who showed their support for the 100-year-old by standing on doorsteps and leaning out of windows to clap.
Bishop of London launches probe into woke warrior clergyman who called Clap for Capt Tom a ‘white British nationalist cult’ as thousands sign petition to remove him and it emerges he called PM an ‘oppressor’ and blasted ‘ignorant’ white Christian men. The war hero, who raised £33 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden during the first national lockdown, passed away peacefully in Bedford Hospital on Tuesday afternoon
Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds take part in the doorstep clap in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore outside Downing Street yesterday evening
The war veteran’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, with her children Benjie and Georgia and husband Colin Ingram stand outside their residence before taking part in a Clap for NHS staff
Captain Tom became a national treasure during the first coronavirus lockdown after he raised £33 million for the NHS by doing laps of his garden. His death was met with an out-pouring of grief with the Queen leading tributes.
MPs held a minute’s silence before Prime Minister’s Questions at midday, after which Mr Johnson asked Britons to take part in a clap straight after his 5pm Covid press conference.
He also threw his backing behind a statue to commemorate the war veteran for his efforts during the pandemic.
Beverley Turner says she refused to clap for Captain Tom because she didn’t want to ‘maintain the fear that imminent death is all around’
Ms Turner said she did not clap because it ‘maintained fear that imminent death is all around’
TV presenter Beverley Turner has revealed she refused to clap in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore because she felt the act maintained ‘the fear that imminent death is all around.
The journalist and broadcaster, 47, also appeared to object to the applause on the basis it had been used by the authorities to push the idea everyone was ‘in this together’.
Ms Turner – who has appeared on some of the UK’s biggest daytime shows – signalled she felt the government was using the public to distract from NHS funding issues.
She sparked a mixture of support and condemnation, with Piers Morgan blocking her on Twitter and calling her thoughts ‘pathetic’.
Ms Turner had posted online at 5.50pm, ten minutes before the clap’s allotted time, and said: ‘Sir Tom Moore and his family did a brilliant job of raising £ for the NHS. It’s great that he lived to 100! It’s awesome that he got one last fab holiday.
‘But I’m not clapping in the St to maintain the fear that imminent death is all around & we’re all in this together. We’re not.’
