A Church of Ireland minister who decided that an openly gay man was not suitable as a volunteer for a local 
youth group is standing by his decision after being attacked by a gay rights group within the Church of Ireland.
Rev Kenneth Lindsay, of the Methodist and Church of Ireland churches in Ballinamallard, Co Fermanagh, said: “I feel that such people are inappropriate role models.”
In the current Fermanagh Herald, Rev Lindsay said this was his decision and no one else’s: “I would make it again tomorrow, no matter what it’d cost me. I feel that such people are inappropriate role models and I stand by that.”
However, Changing Attitude Ireland, a pro-homosexual group within the Church of Ireland, warned that the move could lead to gay people being excluded from church work, according to The Irish Times.
The man, Frankie Dean, responded to an appeal to help a new youth minister working between the Methodist and local Church of Ireland churches.
He offered to provide a musical workshop to the youth group, but Rev Lindsay decided that Mr Dean, as an open homosexual, was not suitable as a volunteer.
Mr Dean claimed he was told it was considered that, if he was involved in the project, there was a likelihood “young people will turn gay”.
Changing Attitude Ireland spokesman Dr Richard O’Leary said: “If being known to be gay becomes accepted as a reason for being excluded from participation in lay voluntary activities in church, then choir stalls, organ benches and church organisations will be noticeably depleted.”
Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Alan Harper has requested that general discussion on same-sex matters at the Church’s standing committee be curtailed to enable its bishops begin discussions this autumn on same-gender relationships “and suggest a framework for future discussion at representative level”.
This month it emerged that the Church of Ireland Dean of Leighlin (Carlow), Rev Thomas Gordon, entered a civil partnership in July with his same-sex partner of 20 years. Archbishop Harper said this “created a new situation for the Church of Ireland” and great care should be taken “in anything that may be said”.
Rev Gordon’s decision has been very strongly criticized by evangelicals in the Church.