I recently interviewed Keith Waters, a pastor who left his job at a prestigious Cambridge college to shepherd a local church, while also working as a school caretaker. Keith braved disciplinary action from the school for his candid expression of support for man-woman marriage. He goes into both his stance and his triumph, aided by the Christian Legal Centre, in our full discussion here.
Keith shares how he initially enjoyed a “good relationship” with the school, even leading assemblies and RE lessons. However, this changed dramatically after he tweeted his opinion that “Christians should not support or attend” Pride marches as they “are especially harmful for children”. Keith was subjected to disciplinary action after parents complained about the tweet, which he challenged successfully at an employment tribunal. He was even invited by the police to be “retrained in [his] thinking”.
Keith is unequivocal about the broader societal implications, stating that the issue of Pride “is wrecking the family unit” and that allowing same-sex marriage has acted as “a massive catalyst to … aggression” against those who advocate for authentic man-woman unions. He urges supporters to be “bold enough and compassionate enough and wise enough, all at the same time”, and to arm themselves with data that illuminates the benefits of real marriage.
Keith encapsulates the issue by saying, “It all comes back to that central family unit, to marriage”, urging people to stand up and be “willing to put heads above parapets”.
At C4M, we’re keenly aware that courage is a cornerstone of meaningful change. With the strong backing of our supporters, and taking a firm stand for the importance of man-woman marriage together, we can and will make a difference.