A member of the Church of England’s general synod says his bishop reported him to the police over tweets against “queer theory” and the sexualisation of children.
Sam Margrave, 40, from Warwickshire, England, told Fox News Digital he lives in fear of “knocking on the door” after being reported to authorities by the Archbishop of Coventry Christopher Cocksworth.
Margrave, who said he was elected to the general synod on a platform of “defending biblical values,” says the archbishop has reportedly been inundated with complaints about his tweets in opposition to gay pride. Margrave compared Pride to the “next Jimmy Savile,” a British DJ who has faced hundreds of sexual misconduct allegations in his lifetime.
He said he was also accused on social media of “kink-shaming” after tweeting pictures of a child interacting with Pride March attendees decked out in BDSM clothing.
Sam Margrave speaks next to Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. (Christian concern)
“But I also promised to oppose the sexualization of children,” said Margrave, who was a member of the general synod for 10 years. “And I feel like there’s a real problem here. And so, I’ve raised the issues about queer theory. I’ve raised the issues about the sexualization of children and pride and that we really need to address those.”
Margrave’s tweet that fueled the backlash after comparing Pride to alleged sex offender Jimmy Savile. (Christian concern)
The margrave says after filing a petition called private members’ motion titled “Declaration of Christian Incompatibility of Pride” for the general synod last July, he was faced with phone calls with death threats “at all hours”. She has installed surveillance cameras on his property, he said.
In the petition, he urged bishops to address concerns over images showing the sexualization of children, enforce church laws on displaying gay pride flags, answer questions about alleged links between queer theory and pedophilia as well as to consider whether the LGBT agenda is compatible with the Christian faith.
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Margrave said he presented his petition in an attempt to say “we need to look at these issues and discuss how we can safeguard children.”
Margrave said he had also raised concerns with church leadership about the difficulty some “orthodox, Bible-believing” ministers have faced gaining ordination in the Church of England.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh stand during the Maundy service conducted by the Bishop of Worcester Dr. John Inge at Christ Church Cathedral March 28, 2013, in Oxford, England. (WPA Pool / Pool via Getty Images)
Cocksworth’s office referred Fox News Digital to a statement released by the diocese that said in part: “We are extremely sorry when an individual makes comments that go against social media guidelines published by the Church of England and does not behave in appropriate manner of their office as a member of the Synod”.
Margrave also received a formal letter of rebuke on 3 February from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell. The Church of England’s two highest-ranking clergymen have warned him to “publicly apologise” for his Twitter activity “in recent weeks”.
Margrave called the archbishops’ rebuke “a thinly veiled and overbearing threat to me to keep quiet or be removed from the synod,” according to the written statement he provided via the Christian Legal Center in London, which represents him.
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Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is shown before delivering his Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral April 17, 2022, in Canterbury, England. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images)
Margrave, a former local councillor, said he ultimately left politics as the state of free speech in the UK deteriorated, especially towards Christians.
“You’re not even allowed to pray in your head now on some UK streets, and it’s getting worse,” Margrave said, referring to the case of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was arrested in December for allegedly praying silently outside a an abortion. Birmingham clinic. The charges against her have been dropped, although she continues to vow a legal battle.
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“And I think we’re getting to a point where the church has been taken over,” Margrave added. “Future battles in the Church of England are indeed the last defense for Christian freedom. If we lose the Church of England in the UK, Christians will have no protection.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby leads the opening service of the 15th Lambeth Conference at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent on 31 July 2022. (Gareth Fuller / PA Images via Getty Images)
The Margrave’s controversy comes as the Church of England heads to its general synod, which has faced fierce divisions over the issue of same-sex marriage.
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Instead of overturning the Church of England’s historic teachings on marriage and sexuality, the bishops instead announced last month that they will offer proposals soliciting “prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or God’s blessing” to same-sex couples, offering apologies for the “rejection, exclusion and hostility” LGBTQ people have faced in the church, according to a press release.
