{"id":32525,"date":"2026-07-28T07:42:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T11:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=32525"},"modified":"2026-07-28T07:42:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T11:42:37","slug":"christian-school-chaplain-reaches-settlement-after-being-fired-over-lgbtq-sermon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2026\/07\/christian-school-chaplain-reaches-settlement-after-being-fired-over-lgbtq-sermon","title":{"rendered":"Christian School Chaplain Reaches Settlement After Being Fired Over LGBTQ Sermon"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Michael Knowles \/ YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Church of England minister who was fired and barred from ministry after preaching a sermon defending traditional Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality has settled with his former school, bringing a seven-year legal battle to an end.<\/p>\n

The Rev. Bernard Randall served for five years as chaplain at Trent College, an independent school in Derbyshire, England. His dispute with the school began after he raised concerns about its partnership with Educate and Celebrate, an LGBTQ advocacy organization whose stated goals included challenging “heteronormativity” and incorporating queer theory into school culture. The organization has since dissolved.<\/p>\n

Randall said he tried to discuss his concerns with school leadership but was unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

The situation escalated in 2019 after a student reportedly asked Randall why pupils at a Christian school were expected to accept LGBTQ ideology. Randall said other students and staff had raised similar concerns, prompting him to deliver a chapel sermon focused on freedom of belief and conscience.<\/p>\n

During the sermon, Randall told students they were free to hold traditional Christian beliefs about marriage, sexuality and biological sex. At the same time, he stressed that they should respect people who held different views.<\/p>\n

Days later, school officials called Randall into a meeting, suspended him and launched an investigation. He was also reported to the police and Prevent, the British government’s counterterrorism program. Prevent determined that Randall did not pose a terrorist threat.<\/p>\n

The Diocese of Derby also classified Randall as a safeguarding risk to children, effectively preventing him from serving in ministry.<\/p>\n

Trent College eventually fired Randall for gross misconduct. Although he was reinstated following an appeal, restrictions were placed on what he could preach, including requirements that some chapel content receive prior approval. After being furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Randall was laid off at the end of 2020.<\/p>\n

With support from the Christian Legal Centre, Randall challenged his dismissal. An employment tribunal initially ruled against him, but the Employment Appeal Tribunal later set aside that judgment and ordered a full retrial. Trent College was also ordered to pay \u00a320,000 in legal costs.<\/p>\n

Randall and the school subsequently reached a confidential settlement.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, an independent Church of England review conducted by the Diocese of London cleared Randall of safeguarding allegations. The review concluded that the concerns against him were “unsubstantiated” and found no evidence that he had caused harm.<\/p>\n

Randall said he was grateful to finally be cleared but lamented the years he had lost while prevented from serving in ministry.<\/p>\n

“I encouraged pupils to think, to debate, and to love their neighbors, whatever they believed,” Randall said in a statement<\/a> released by his legal team. “No minister, teacher or chaplain should be punished for upholding Christian teaching in a Christian setting.”<\/p>\n

He also expressed disappointment with the Church of England, saying the institution he expected to support him instead contributed to his lengthy ordeal.<\/p>\n

“The people who should support you most are the ones doing you harm,” he told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n

Despite the personal cost, Randall said he believes defending freedom of conscience was worth it, citing Jesus’ words in the Gospels.<\/p>\n

“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” he said. “It matters to stand up and be counted and tell the truth. And that was more important than just an easy, comfortable life.”<\/p>\n

Randall said his experience has also left him concerned about the state of free speech in Britain.<\/p>\n

“There are groups that are fighting back, and we’re not going to let them roll over us,” he said. “But there are times when I wish we had the First Amendment.”<\/p>\n

Randall has now completed the required safeguarding training and is eligible to return to public ministry. However, according to the Christian Legal Center, he is still awaiting permission from the Bishop of Derby, Libby Lane, to officiate.<\/p>\n

The Diocese of Derby said it remains willing to support Randall’s possible return to ministry and has directed him toward available positions and Church of England resources.<\/p>\n

For Randall, the settlement closes one chapter of a dispute that lasted nearly seven years, but his case continues to raise questions about religious freedom, Christian teaching and freedom of conscience in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Church of England minister who was fired and barred from ministry after preaching a sermon defending traditional Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality has settled with his former school, bringing a seven-year legal battle to an end. The Rev. Bernard Randall served for five years as chaplain at Trent College, an independent school in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":32527,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nChristian School Chaplain Reaches Settlement After Being Fired Over LGBTQ Sermon<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Christian school chaplain Bernard Randall reaches a settlement after a seven-year legal battle over a sermon on LGBTQ issues.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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