Anglican Mainstream

In November 2005 Bishop of Southwark summarily revoked the licence of the Revd Richard Coekin to minister in the diocese of Southwark. This followed a breakdown in relations between the Bishop and Mr Coekin, and the arranging by Mr Coekin of an ordination service within the diocese conducted by a visiting foreign bishop. Mr Coekin appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury against the revocation. The Commissary appointed to hear the appeal (the Bishop of Winchester) held that the procedure leading up to the Bishop’s decision to revoke Mr Coekin’s licence was seriously flawed, and in any event that summary revocation of the licence was disproportionate. He recommended that the revocation of the licence be cancelled, but on terms that Mr Coekin gave certain undertakings as to his future conduct. Following further submissions, the Archbishop of Canterbury decided that the revocation of Mr Coekin’s licence should be cancelled without any conditions. (Posted at 3.45 p.m. British Summer Time).

Anglican Mainstream notes that the ground of the decision was not a technicality but there were two grounds of the decision that the procedure was “seriously flawed” para 38, and the revocation of the licence was not an appropriate response for a person who had held a licence in the Diocese for 10 years and was a dedicated and energetic minister (para 37).

[Read Lambeth website here->http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/060605%20Coekin%20pr.htm]

[Read Ruth Gledhill's blog->http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2006/06/coekin_wins_app.html#more]

[Read Anglican Mainstream's comment in November->http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/Nov05/13nov05.html]

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