UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Echo
By Katie Clark
MEMBERS of a church congregation will be demonstrating against the suspension of their priest in Christchurch town centre tomorrow.
People from St George’s Church in Jumpers will be meeting in Saxon Square to publicly object to the “undemocratic and unchristian manner” in which Reverend Andrew Hawthorne has been suspended.
In May, The Daily Echo reported Mr Hawthorne had been placed on gardening leave more than a year ago, leading to false rumours to spread and increasing concern among regular churchgoers. Since then, the priest has been formally suspended and is now not even allowed to enter the church, where he was once minster.
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