|TOP|The Bishop of Southwark, Bishop Butler, has gained the support this week of a group of Southwark evangelicals, after he was rebuked by a Church court for taking away an evangelical minister’s license, report the Church of England newspaper.

The group of 30 clergymen have decided to side with the controversial bishop, even though a number of them had previously complained about the church planting policies set up by the bishop.

It was stated by the group that it would stand by the bishop’s side, despite the fact that the church court, which was presided over by the Bishop of Winchester, found Bishop Butler’s decision to strip Richard Coekin of his license, both “disproportionate” and “seriously flawed”.

Coekin had his license taken away after he and his congregations, the Co-missions initiative held an irregular service ordaining three men to the diaconate by a bishop parachuted in from the Church of England in South Africa.

|AD|Coekin stated that he was in a state of temporarily impaired communion with the Bishop of Southwark over civil partnerships.

The group of evangelicals said, “We do not believe that Richard and his supporters represent mainstream evangelical opinion either within this diocese or the wider church; neither do they model ... cooperative working between Christians.”

Coekin is a specialist in church planting, but the group said that this area of ministry required the proper oversight of a diocesan bishop to “flourish healthily”.

In a letter to Bishop Butler, which was also sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the group explained that they stood “entirely” with him on the matter.

The said: “We remain incredulous that the Surbiton ordinations took place at all and are deeply worried by the outcome of the Appeal.”