By Luke Salkeld
March 8, 2010
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1256421/Married-vicar-suspended-claims-improper-relationship-female-member-congregation.html
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| Reverend Simon Lloyd of Minehead, Somerset has been suspended pending inquiry into the allegations |
A married vicar has been suspended from duty over allegations of an 'improper relationship' with a female member of his congregation.
Reverend Simon Lloyd, 51, the Vicar of Minehead, Somerset, stood down from his post after he was confronted on Friday.
The father-of-one, who has not moved out of the home he shares with wife Susie and their young daughter, will remain suspended while an investigation is carried out.
But he will not take any services or carry out pastoral duties until an investigation into the allegations has been completed and the issue resolved.
The alleged relationship was revealed to the congregation at the Church of St Andrew in Minehead on Sunday by John Reed, the Archdeacon of Taunton.
Rev Lloyd, who met his wife Susie while they worked together as nurses in Birmingham, has been in charge of the Minehead parish for the past six years.
The former nurse spent ten years working with critically ill children at Birmingham's city hospital, where he met his wife, also a nurse.
He went to school in Bath before studying psychology in Portsmouth and theology in Oxford, going on to work in Derbyshire, Nottingham and the West Midlands.
The vicar accepted an invitation to take voluntary suspension after allegations of an improper relationship were put to him.
His congregation were informed of his suspension on Sunday by the Venerable John Reed who is now carrying out an inquiry into the incident.
If the allegations are found to be true then Lloyd will face disciplinary action from the Right Reverend Peter Price, who is the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
While the inquiry continues the Reverend Stephen Stuckes, who is vicar of St Michael's Church, Alcombe, Somerset, will carry out Rev Lloyd's parish duties.
Rev Lloyd, who became a deacon in 1983 and a priest in 1984, pledged to 'demonstrate God's love' when he took up his post in July 2004.
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| Reverend Lloyd was vicar at St Andrews Church in Wellington Square, Minehead |
He said: 'I hope to support and encourage Christians in Minehead in all the things they are doing to demonstrate God's love and care to residents and visitors alike.'
Yesterday John Andrews, spokesman for the Bath and Wells Diocese, confirmed the suspension but refused to disclose the nature of the relationship.
He said: 'Simon has accepted voluntary suspension following an allegation made to the Diocese of Bath and Wells of an improper relationship with a female parishioner.
'The Archdeacon of Taunton will now carry out an inquiry and see if Simon has any case to answer.
'If the allegations are true then the case will go into a Clergy Disciplinary Measure which would involve a bishop.
'The disciplinary action taken would depend on the severity of what has happened but we don't want to speculate on that at this stage.
'The inquiry will take as long as it takes. It won't be protracted but it also won't be rushed.'
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