The Reverend Daniel Critchlow is described as vicar at St Hilda’s Church in Firswood and lives in Old Trafford with wife Christiane and two-month-old daughter Rebekah.
An incorrect description he is a young Curate, an assistant clergy to the parish priest, a young curate possibly unsure of his calling? not surprising when you realise his church dabbles in the very profitable Alpha Courses ministry, I have met people in London where that course started one of London's richest churches Holy Trinity Brompton, a big church in South Kensington, and many of them expressed a feeling of being lost at the end of it. I very soon avoided it and fortunately the church that employed me showed no interest in it. The course is often described as homophobic and very strongly promotes good clean Conservative family living.
Adam Rutherford wrote: some of its evangelical practitioners betray a nasty homophobic attitude.
Maybe Daniel feels lost, has he stumbled into a deep dark Conservative Pit?
He was ordained Deacon by the Bishop of Bolton Christopher Paul Edmondson in Manchester Cathedral on Sunday July 1st 2012
The Church of England has members, lay and ordained, serving for the public
good at every level of political life. The wellbeing of our communities matters
hugely, and politics has a vital role to play in it.
As Bishop of Manchester I support our own clergy and lay people in seeking to
serve their communities in this way. Daniel Critchlow is a curate in this diocese
and has kept me informed of his intentions.
We have agreed that he will take annual leave in order to participate in the
forthcoming by-election in Wythenshawe and Sale East, following the sad recent
death of Paul Goggins. Neither I nor the diocese will be endorsing any individual
candidate.
If the reverend wins this seat, I can't imagine he will remain at his current parish.
He might end up with a top job within the Conservative Church of England there
are many of them like Sir Tony Baldry MP.
It's always best to start as you mean to continue.
Other candidates who have been selected who I assume might like to win, Mike Kane for Labour, John Bickley for UKIP, Ciaron Goggins for the East Sale Liberation Front, Captain Chaplington-Smythe for the Monster Raving Loony Party and Eddy O’Sullivan for the British National Party.
