Outrage as church bans hymn as 'not everyone Christian'

Ian Thorpe is the vice-chairman of the legion club, which is across the road from the church. Credit: BPM.

Members of the Royal British Legion club in Oadby in Leicestershire are furious after a vicar took the decision to prevent the singing of a traditional Christian hymn during the Remembrance Sunday service.

Legion members told the Leicester Mercury that at the end of the Remembrance Sunday parade each year the participants march into St Peter’s Church in Wigston Road singing the hymn, 'Onward Christian Soldiers.'

But they claim they have been told that this year the vicar, Steve Bailey, had vetoed the hymn because people at the service 'would not necessarily be Christian.'

Ian Thorpe, vice-chairman of the legion club, which is across the road from the church, said:

He said the club’s chairman, Pete Green, was planning to boycott the service and just lay a wreath and that others in the congregation were also considering staying outside the church – maybe even singing the hymn by themselves.

It is not the first time the hymn has been the subject of controversy at the church.

In 2012 another newly appointed vicar decided the hymn should not be sung at the Remembrance Service.Ian said: “There were lots of complaints and it was back the next year.”

Ian Thorpe is the vice-chairman of the legion club, which is across the road from the church. Credit: BPM.

The Oadby Royal British Legion branch – which is a separate body from the club – has met with the vicar and agreed to the Rev Bailey’s request to not sing the song this year but Ian said he understood the branch would want to review the change for next year, based on the response from the congregation.

The Oadby parade on the afternoon of Sunday, November 12, at 2pm, will involve hundreds of people including standard bearers from various soldiers groups around the county.

It will begin in Rosemead Drive, near the A6, and then head to the church for the service.

After the service it will go towards the centre of Oadby, finishing in Chestnut Avenue, near to The Parade.

The Reverend has declined to comment when approached by the media.

  • Onward Christian Soldiers:

There have been a number of different variations of the hymn, here is one according to The 'Hymnary' hymn dictionary: