Following the official press release issued by the Evangelical Alliance in the United Kingdom, the weekly Christian newspaper, "Christian Herald" has come out with the following article on its front page.

The editor has granted permission to use that article and the "Comment" on Page 6 saying: "It is a shattering story and we thought long and hard before giving it the treatment we did, but concluded it was the only way we could really do it justice. We're praying for Roy's restoration and some kind of family reconciliation, but a lot of bridges seem to have been burned. Everyone needs God's grace at this time, particularly the church in Cambridge which has a lot of students and young Christians in it."

-------------courtesy of Christian Herald-------------------

POPULAR BIBLE TEACHER QUITS

Report by Rob James – for the Christian Herald

The evangelical world was still reeling this week following the shock resignation of Roy Clements from the Evangelical Alliance’s management team because of a relationship with another man.

In a carefully-worded statement, the Alliance commended his integrity in resigning from EA and other evangelical bodies "following the break-up of his marriage, which is related to his celibate friendship with another man", and asked that "Roy and his family should be given time, space, support and prayer".

Married with three children, Roy Clements is one of Britain’s most popular preachers and teachers. A regular conference speaker and widely read author, he grew up in the East End and following a doctorate in Chemical Physics, worked for UCCF (University Colleges Christian Fellowship) in Nairobi. He returned to the UK in 1979 when he became pastor of Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge, where he has since developed a highly significant ministry to students.

Robert Amess, Interim Moderator at Eden Baptist, reflected ‘ the church’s sense of shock and sadness last Thursday. Refusing to comment on the details of the church meeting held earlier in the week, he stated: "Roy resigned as pastor six months ago and has since been on sabbatical. But this is devastating news. His ministry at Eden has been articulate, sophisticated and strategic, with a high national and international profile. The church has grown substantially over the past 20 years and now has a regular Sunday congregation of over 600.

"My prayers are firstly for his family, then for the church — that it will recover from this shock, and finally for Roy himself that this supremely gifted preacher will not be lost to the service of the Kingdom."

The Alliance’s general director, Joel Edwards wanted to stress a note of compassion too. Following the announcement to the Council’s annual meeting at High Leigh. he reflected: "We were all devastated by this news, and very saddened by the loss of this exceptional ministry. But Roy has dedicated a significant portion of his life in the service of the Church. And so it’s my prayer that the Church will stand by Roy and his family over the coming weeks and months, and that they will be given all the love and compassion they need".

The chairman of the Alliance’s executive committee, Viscount Crispin Brentford, said: "The council want to affirm Roy for the work and ministry he has undertaken. He has shown integrity in his decision to resign from the Evangelical Alliance and other evangelical bodies. We are praying for Roy and his family, and would strongly urge that they now be given time, space, support and prayers."

Rev Philip Hacking, chairman of Word Alive, confirmed that Dr Clements had resigned his membership of Word Alive and would not be speaking at next year’s Keswick. He added that the evangelical world needed to learn an important lesson from this tragedy "Putting gifted people on pedestals is asking for distress," he stated. "We all fail at one stage or another. It’s tragic because we give them a prominence they never ask for. I’m shattered for him. This is the saddest moment of my ministerial career and I’m praying for his restoration. But we need to pray for the huge number of people who will be devastated by the fall-out too, for the more we place our gifted people on pedestals, the greater the damage when they fall. I hope we will take this important message to heart in the future."

--0--

CHRISTIAN HERALD COMMENT

WHAT OUR LEADERS NEED FROM US

When a respected Christian leader falls from grace it is always a tragedy — for the leader, for their family for their local fellowship and for the whole Church.

And it’s still with a sense of deep shock and no little pain that we cover the story of Roy Clements this week. Over the past 20 years he has established a ministry which has opened up the wonders of God’s Word to countless thousands in the UK, the USA and all around the world.

A regular speaker at major events such as Keswick, Spring Harvest, Word Alive, At Work Together and many other international conferences, he has gained a reputation as possibly the UK’s most incisive Bible expositor.

His books have been widely acclaimed, his sermon tapes frequently passed on. His resignation from ministry is a severe blow to the evangelical community in particular, where he was a consistent bridge between conservative and charismatic, with great respect from both camps.

Our prayers are with him, and his family in the midst of their pain. And we’re reminded that leaders are ordinary fragile men and women. They need our support more than ever.

-0-