A SENIOR Anglican liberal yesterday described the evangelicals who secured the withdrawal of Dr Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading as the “Taleban of the Church of England”.

A bitter round of accusations broke out as the General Synod opened in York.

Liberals claim that a new network, Anglican Mainstream, is the start of a takeover by conservative evangelicals. Its organisers admit that it will engage in “culture wars over sexuality and marriage”. But they also insist that they are a group of harmless “networking” evangelicals.

The Very Rev Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark, where Dr John, who is gay, will now remain as canon theologian, said: “Anglican Mainstream is the Anglican Taleban. The people involved are like the Pharisees in the Bible, demanding adherence to the letter of the law.”

The language illustrates the ferocity of feelings on all sides. There is no indication that anyone will abide by the plea from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, for a pause for reflection.

One source said: “They are setting up a parallel organisation with parallel jurisdiction. This is not about Jeffrey John. It is about Rowan Williams. The conservative evangelicals opposed him from the start and they want him out.”

Another clergyman said: “I don’t think we can underestimate the damage done by the sabre-rattling of the powerful evangelical lobby and the unfortunate backing-down by Archbishop Rowan.”

Last night Dr Williams told the Synod it would be wrong to have a personalised debate about Dr John’s appointment.

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