Those Three Reverends on the BNP List

One of my old posts is getting some extra hits as a few dozen people look for Rev John Stanton, who appeared on the leaked BNP (alleged) membership list. Stanton was quoted in the South Essex Echo in March saying that “The BNP is very Christian-based”, although he quickly thought better of it following tearful appeals from family members. His photo now appears on the Suns website, apparently either blessing a football or using it as an globus cruciger.

Stanton runs an obscure house church, as does the BNP’s best-known ecclesiastical supporter, Rev Robert West – whose “Christian Council of Britain” appears to be limping on with a new website but not much activity. A third Reverend on the list is a certain Paul Barker. According to the Wakefield Express:

The Rev Paul Barker, of Fox Court in Durkar, told the Express this afternoon: “I’m furious. I used to be on the mailing list but I have never been a member. I don’t know why my name has gone out on the list and I’m now considering the action I am going to take.”

The website of the British People’s Party – another fringe far-right party – includes a message allegedly from Barker on page dedicated to condolences on the death of the BNP’s founder John Tyndall:

A SHORT  PRAYER   FROM  REVD  PAUL BARKER    FATHER  GOD  WE  THANK YOU FOR THE  LIFE OF   JOHN TYNDALL  HE WAS  A TRUE  SOLDIER  OF   GOD  MAY OUR FATHER TAKE  HIM  UNTO HIMSELF    AMEN

Amusingly, this comes directly below an Odinist opining on how Tyndall is in Valhalla.

Barker is described by the Express as a vicar, and several media reports have mentioned a “Church of England vicar” on the list; however, there is no Paul Barker listed in Crockford’s, so I suspect he belongs to another denomination.

About half-a-dozen or so further persons on the list are identified as Christians, including one person who runs a British-Israelite group – this is the historically nonsensical idea that the peoeple of Britain are the true descendents of the Biblical Israelites.

7 Responses

  1. […] on BNP Christianity Posted on November 22, 2008 by Richard Bartholomew Yesterday I blogged on the three British National Party ”Reverends” revealed on the leaked […]

  2. […] Update 8: Richard Bartholomew discusses the religious implications of BNP membership and men of the cloth in Those Three Reverends on the BNP List. […]

  3. […] I blogged on BNP Christianity more generally here. […]

  4. […] high-profile activists is the Reverend Robert West (whom I have blogged a number of times), and a couple of other “Revs” have been BNP members. Griffin also gave us an “Easter message” […]

  5. I would be amazed if “Paul Barker” isn’t the chap shown here: http://www.snu.org.uk/medium/mediumsny.htm

    He’ll be at BNP stronghold Keighley later this month:
    http://www.theorchestra.net/heberstreet/whatson.html

  6. The RevDr Paul Barker is nothing more than a con man. He’s got about 12 Facebook profiles, 2 linked in profiles and is on twitter trying to hook up with young girls.
    He’s not a reverend, he just filled in the form for the universal life church, it takes 2 minutes to sign up and claim to be a minister. His doctorate was twenty dollars on the same site. He’s not spent a single day at bible college or even any college in his life.
    There’s no evidence of his ever speaking at a church I’d be surprised if he’s even a Christian since his twitter profile shows him being nothing more than a dirty old man. He’s currently changed tactics and is currently dressing up as a Salvation Army man and scamming the people of Wakefield.

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