Vicar asked to go by parishioners in vote

Parishioners have voted for a vicar to resign after they claimed his actions had "caused numerous people distress".

A churchgoer at St Leonard's, close to Wendover Woods in Buckinghamshire, claimed Reverend Christopher Haywood did not allow a church warden's funeral to take place and said congregation numbers had "plummeted".

A secret ballot was held and there were 21 votes from people asking him to leave with none against, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Oxford said the vote was "not legally binding" and the vicar was not obliged to go. Mr Haywood has declined to comment.

In 2021, Mr Haywood was announced as the new minister for St Leonard's and three other Buckinghamshire parishes, The Lee, Hawridge and Cholesbury.

In the motion of no confidence, parishioners acknowledged the vicar's "dedication" to his own "deeply spiritual journey".

"Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored that in the last three years, under his ministry the church has gone from being a central point in village life to being viewed as insular and detached," it said.

"We have no confidence in his continued ministry in this parish."

The meeting, at which the motion was passed, was attended by about 40 church regulars and Mr Haywood defended the decision not to allow a funeral to take place for Anne Butterworth, a church warden of more than 30 years.

A parishioner, who wished to remain anonymous, told LDRS he did not allow the funeral because she wanted another Church of England minister to conduct her burial.

Mr Haywood had refused and "kept going on about it being his church to run", they said.

They also claimed he had not replied to people about baptisms and allegedly left some families waiting months to discuss burials.

They also claimed attendance at St Leonard's had "plummeted" and was down to about five people a service, including the vicar, his wife and the organist.

The diocese confirmed a vote of no confidence had taken place.

"This vote is not legally binding and the vicar, the Rev Chris Haywood, is not obliged to leave," it said.

"The diocese is working with all parties concerned to bring about the best resolution to this breakdown in relationships."

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