Ban on church youth work for gay man criticised

The banning of an openly gay man from volunteering for work with youth groups at Methodist and Church of Ireland churches in Ballinamallard, Co Fermanagh, has been criticised by the Church of Ireland pro-gay Changing Attitude Ireland group.

Frankie Dean (49), who has attended the Methodist church in Ballinamallard for 15 years, 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. His Minister, Rev Kenneth Lindsay, deemed him, as being openly gay, not suitable as a volunteer and stated: “I feel that such people are inappropriate role models”, Irish Times reports.