Oxford's oldest student newspaper

Independent since 1920

Wycliffe crisis continues

By Joy Wong 
WYCLIFFE HALL’S troubles continue following the resignation of another Council member in protest at the PPH’s governance this week.
Claire MacInnes announced her resignation in a letter to the Council’s chair, the Bishop of Liverpool, which was forwarded to the Church of England’s newspaper.
Her resignation follows last term’s crisis when five academic staff quit in protest at the way the Hall was being run, in particular the actions of its Principal, Christian Evangelist Reverend Dr Richard Turnbull.
In the letter she claimed that that the Council had “failed to observe due process” in its dealings with the staff.
“I am disturbed by the Council’s failure to respond to allegations of bullying, intimidation of Council members and a lack of transparency in its decision-making,” she said. “I regret I have no confidence in the chair, the Principal or the Council as a whole to address these serious matters of governance, employment practice and simple human relationships.”
Her letter suggests that a decision to pay Turnbull a salary thousands of pounds above national pay scales was not properly appraised by the Council when he was appointed.
MacInnes said she decided to put the letter in the public domain because of the “importance of the issues for the ongoing welfare and governance of the Hall and the wider church.”
Wycliffe Hall has been the focus of a dispute involving allegations of a culture of bullying and intimidation, and an ultra-conservative attitude to women.
Complaints have focused on the Turnbull’s management style and his appointment of Rev Simon Vibert as Vice-Principal, who made public his belief that women should not teach men.
Turnbull has denied allegations that he is a member of conservative religious groups, saying, “I am not a member of any Evangelical pressure group and never have been.”
The governing Council of the PPH announced a review of the Hall’s governance this week.
A Council statement issued on Tuesday said, “The Council has embarked on a major review of its governance and a new development strategy for the future of the Hall in the light of changing patterns of ministerial formation. This inevitably involves changes that are unsettling.
“Wycliffe is committed to maintaining its Evangelical ethos and its international reputation for excellence in theological education, ministerial formation, and training for Christian leadership in the Church and the world.”

Check out our other content

Most Popular Articles