Conservative Christians put Girl Guides under intense pressure over oath

A Girlguide troop in Jesmond, near Newcastle, that refused to accept the new secular promise has reportedly won a reprieve from being expelled from the organisation. The Daily Mail is reporting this as a 'triumph' for the Christian leader of the troop, Glynis Mackie – although it admits that a compromise will have to be found.

The 37th Newcastle Guide Unit meets in Jesmond Parish Church. The vicar of this church is Revd David Holloway, a conservative evangelical, who is a Council member of the Christian Institute which, in turn, has been highly critical of the Girl Guides decision to change their oath. The Christian Institute's offices are nearby.

Glynis Mackie – who is a solicitor – also has close links with the Christian Institute and provides them with legal advice.

The Guide group was originally given a deadline of 31 December to embrace the new oath. They – or, at least, Mrs Mackie – declined to do so and the Girl Guides Association has now lifted the threat and said that a compromise will be found.

A Girlguiding spokesperson said: "Girlguiding has suggested a way forward that does not change the wording of the Promise or compromise Girlguiding's commitment to having one Promise for all girls. Discussions are continuing with the group."

Mrs MacKie told the Daily Mail: "A lot of people have made the argument that the Girl Guides are not a Christian group, and I accept that, but we are a group based on faith. We cannot build a group which welcomes those without a faith while pushing out those who do."

Meanwhile, a motion has been accepted for debate at the current Church of England General Synod which reads:

'That this Synod believe that girls of all ages in the Girlguiding Movement should not suffer discrimination but be able to continue to promise to love God when enrolled rather than making a wholly secular promise.'

It is proposed by Mrs Alison Ruoff, a conservative evangelical member of the General Synod who has, in the past, caused outrage with her opposition to women bishops and her call for an end to the building of mosques in Britain.

Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: "This unpleasant bullying of the Guide Association is obviously being orchestrated by the usual small clique of Christian extremists. Mrs Ruoff talks of Christians 'suffering discrimination' because they can't have everything their own way and must allow others a voice in what is, after all, a secular organisation."

Mr Sanderson said: "The Guides may depend on Church Halls for their meetings, but that doesn't make it a Christian organisation. The Girl Guides is too important to too many young people for it to be battered in this way by religious chauvinists. The Church of England would be first to complain if anyone tried to interfere in its decision-making."