A prominent black gay clergyman forced to apologise after calling the clap for Captain Sir Tom Moore a ‘cult of white British nationalism’ is now being investigated by the Church of England and is a hostile anti-Tory who has repeatedly called Boris Johnson and Priti Patel ‘oppressors’, MailOnline can reveal today.
The Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown has deleted his offensive tweet dismissing the work of the hero 100-year-old Covid fund-raiser, whose efforts were praised by all political leaders and the Archbishop of Canterbury after he died this week.
He responded to the veteran’s death by writing: ‘The cult of Captain Tom is a cult of White British Nationalism. I will offer prayers for the repose of his kind and generous soul, but I will not be joining the “National Clap”.’
The Diocese of London has called his message ‘unacceptable, insensitive, and ill-judged’ and revealed a review of his posts is ‘now underway, led by the Archdeacon of London’.
A petition demanding he is sacked by the CofE has already been signed by 3,000 people amid growing pressure on the Bishop of London to remove him from the prestigious curate role at the oldest church in the City of London, All Hallows By the Tower.
And as the Diocese of London launched a probe into his social media activity, MailOnline can reveal Rev Robinson-Brown’s Twitter feed is packed with political tweets slamming Boris Johnson and his Government and incendiary comments on a number of other issues.
The cleric has repeatedly accused the Prime Minister of ‘talking nonsense’, branded Mr Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel ‘oppressors’ during lockdown and replying to one tweet asking for a ‘sad story in three words’ he replied: ‘Boris wins majority’.
In a message criticising Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng for defending the British Empire, the cleric called him ‘Kwasia’ – Ghanaian for dumb – and accused him of ‘speaking colomental claptrap’ in an article about Brexit.
In another rant Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown, a prominent black and gay activist, blasted ‘ignorant White Christian men’ as he debated LGBTQ+ rights in the CofE.
A spokesman for the Diocese of London said: Jarel Robinson-Brown’s comments regarding Captain Sir Tom Moore were unacceptable, insensitive, and ill-judged. The fact that he immediately removed his tweet and subsequently apologised does not undo the hurt he has caused, not least to Captain Tom’s family. Nor do Jarel’s actions justify the racist abuse he is now receiving.
‘A review is now underway, led by the Archdeacon of London. As a Church, we expect clergy to ensure that all online activity is in line with the Church of England’s social media guidelines and built on truth, kindness and sensitivity to others. It is incumbent upon all of us to make social media and the web more widely positive places for conversations to happen.”
The Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown, a prominent black gay clergyman, has deleted his offensive tweet dismissing the work of the hero 100-year-old Covid fund-raiser Captain Tom – but his social media remains backed with incendiary tweets
More than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling for his dismissal after he linked the clap for Captain Sir Tom to a ‘cult of white British nationalism’
In one tweet about his daily walk with his Jack Russell, he called Boris Johnson and Priti Patel ‘oppressors’
In a message criticising Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng for defending the British Empire, the cleric called him ‘Kwasia’ – Ghanian for dumb – and accused him of ‘speaking colomental claptrap’ in an article about Brexit.
In another rant Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown, a prominent black and gay activist, blasted ‘ignorant White Christian men’
He is a campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights in the CofE, saying is not a ‘safe’ space for people in those communities
He has said he is ‘passionate about issues of justice, particularly in the areas of race and sexuality’ and has ‘an interest in gender, desire and ethnicity in Late Antique Egypt’, alongside ‘liberation theology’ and ‘queer theology’.
Apology: Jarel Robinson-Brown appeared to dismiss the work of the Covid fund-raiser, whose efforts were praised by all political leaders and the Archbishop of Canterbury
The cleric, newly appointed to a prestigious post by the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Sarah Mullally, sparked the row after saying he would not join Wednesday night’s national clap to mark the passing of Captain Tom.
Hundreds of thousands of Britons across the nation took to their doorsteps yesterday evening to pay tribute to Sir Captain Moore after he died of coronavirus yesterday.
The intervention by the 29-year-old black and gay activist appeared to undermine the Church of England and its handling of the Covid crisis at a time when its leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, have been facing criticism for their willingness to close churches.
The Archbishop marked Captain Tom’s death by saying he was ‘an inspiration to millions’.
Mr Robinson-Brown deleted the tweet after a fierce backlash and posted an apology, saying: ‘I offer an unreserved apology for the insensitive timing and content of my tweet regarding the clap for Captain Tom.’
He said he had since read and will sign the church’s digital charter, which is designed to ‘help make social media and the web more widely positive places’.
Former Tory MEP David Campbell Bannerman described it as an ‘appalling comment’, and Bishop Mullally’s diocese was understood to be preparing an apology last night.
Mr Robinson-Brown, a former Methodist minister and chaplain at King’s College London, converted to Anglicanism and is training to become a priest in the Church of England.
Mr Robinson-Brown is set to begin work shortly at the ‘inclusive church’, CofE jargon for a radical parish that supports gay rights. His new vicar, the Reverend Katherine Hedderly, greeted his appointment as a curate last weekend by saying her congregation were ‘delighted’.
Captain Tom became a national treasure during the first coronavirus lockdown after he raised £33 million for the NHS by doing laps of his garden. His death was met with an out-pouring of grief with the Queen leading tributes
The war hero, who raised £33 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden during the first national lockdown, passed away peacefully in Bedford Hospital on Tuesday afternoon
Captain Tom (pictured front) along with his grandchildren Benji (left), Georgia (middle left), his daughter Hannah (middle right) and her husband Colin Ingram (right) as they enjoyed the Barbados sunshine
Captain Sir Tom Moore (pictured in April) became a national treasure during the first coronavirus lockdown after he raised more than £32 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday
Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds take part in the doorstep clap in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore outside Downing Street yesterday evening
The war veteran’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, with her children Benjie and Georgia and husband Colin Ingram stand outside their residence before taking part in a Clap for NHS staff
Prime Minister Boris Johnson led the national round of applause at 6pm from Downing Street yesterday, with the veteran’s family also taking part.
Images showed his emotional daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore leaning on her son Benjie as they marked the applause alongside her daughter Georgia and husband Colin Ingram outside Captain Tom’s home in Marston Moretaine near Milton Keynes.
They were joined by hundreds of thousands thousands of well-wishers who showed their support for the 100-year-old by standing on doorsteps and leaning out of windows to clap.
Captain Tom became a national treasure during the first coronavirus lockdown after he raised £33 million for the NHS by doing laps of his garden. His death was met with an out-pouring of grief with the Queen leading tributes.
MPs held a minute’s silence before Prime Minister’s Questions at midday, after which Mr Johnson asked Britons to take part in a clap straight after his 5pm Covid press conference.
He also threw his backing behind a statue to commemorate the war veteran for his efforts during the pandemic.