Bentley axes its company chaplain in case he upsets non-Christian workers: Employees start campaign to have him reinstated
- Rev Francis Cooke made redundant just days before Christmas
- Company says too many people of different faiths to warrant chaplain
- Mr Cooke says his role provided counselling for all not just Christians
- Staff have started petition to bring the chaplain back
Rev Francis Cooke said he wasn’t just a chaplain but a counsellor to all faithsEvery week for ten years the Rev Francis Cooke visited the shop floor at Bentley, offering counselling and advice to the luxury car maker’s workers.
But only days before Christmas he has been made redundant because the company says he might offend non-Christians.
It said there were too many religions represented among the 4,000-strong workforce at its factory to warrant a Christian chaplain.
Mr Cooke called the decision ‘ridiculous’ and said he spoke to workers of all faiths.
Staff have started a campaign to reinstate the vicar, who they said was an ‘important figure’ who had even helped one employee who had been on the brink of suicide.
Mr Cooke was directly employed by Bentley – it would pay the Diocese of Chester, which would then transfer the funds to the chaplain.
He had outside roles, but this was his only paid work.
He said: ‘It is just beyond belief. The reason I have been given is that there are too many people of different faiths to warrant a Christian chaplain. Everyone thinks it is quite ridiculous. There have been no complaints against me and my position is to help people and not just those who are Christians.’
He said he had been told to leave immediately after bosses said they needed to take a ‘multi-faith outlook’.