"The church left me to rot" - vicar (From Worcester News)

"The church left me to rot" - vicar

8:20am Wednesday 16th December 2009 in News By James Connell

VICAR: The Rev Mark Sharpe. Buy this photo »

A VICAR who claims he was forced out of his home by a four-year campaign of intimidation by villagers has accused Church leaders of leaving his family “to rot”.

The Rev Mark Sharpe cannot bring himself to set foot in a church because he says the Diocese of Worcester washed its hands of him when he and his family became a target for abuse by his own parishoners.

But the diocese denies all Mr Sharpe's allegations and says he is only leaving his home because he has resigned.

The father-of-four claims he has had car tyres slashed, excrement smeared over the family car, broken glass strewn over his drive, his pet dog poisoned and his central heating oil stolen three times.

He also says the family have been sworn at, their post tampered with and the internet and phone connections cut since they moved to the Teme Valley South Ministry in January 2005.

Mr Sharpe, aged 42, was due to leave the rectory at Hanley Broadheath near Worcester today having resigned as vicar.

Unite, the union which represents faith workers, has called for the resignation of the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev John Inge and the Rt Rev David Walker, the Suffragan Bishop of Dudley, for failing to help him in his time of need.

Mr Sharpe and his family today moved to rented accommodation elsewhere in Worcestershire. However, he declined to reveal where for fear the attacks on him and his family would continue.

He said: ‘My career has been ruined, my health and that of my wife and children has been shattered, and my family has suffered terribly from all the strain.

“I need the Church to compensate us for the damage it has caused so we can rebuild our lives. The bishop of Worcester won’t even meet with us. He leaves us to rot.”

Unite has blamed what it calls “a culture of neglect and bullying” within the Diocese of Worcester and has called for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Rowan Williams, to set up an immediate investigation.

Rachael Maskell, Unite’s national officer representing the community and non-profit sector, said: “This is a toxic parish with a 40-year history of clergy leaving abruptly or in broken health.”

Unite had been negotiating a settlement for Mr Sharpe, who has been off sick suffering from stress since April 2006.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Worcester said: “The Bishop of Worcester is disappointed and surprised that Unite has deemed it fit to go to the press over this matter, which is listed for an employment tribunal hearing in May 2010, an adjournment previously having been agreed between the parties at the request of the Rev Mark Sharpe’s solicitors due to, among other things, his ill health.

“It would be wholly inappropriate to comment upon a case which is yet to be heard by the employment tribunal and will be before an employment tribunal on the basis that the Rev Mark Sharpe’s allegations including that with regard to a culture of neglect and bullying or otherwise, are wholly denied.

“The Rev Mark Sharpe and his family have not been forced to leave the vicarage. He has been given time to find alternative accommodation since he decided to resign.”