The former Anglican Bishop of Winchester, Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, who frequently spoke out in support of the Biblical model for marriage and the family, has died aged 71.
"Bishop Michael was a great supporter of the work of Christian Concern; a man of courage and conviction who loved Jesus. He was prepared to state the truth of the gospel in the public square and we are going to miss him very much" says Andrea Williams.
Bishop Scott-Joynt was an early signatory to the Coalition for Marriage petition which defended marriage as between one man and one woman, and in 2003, he vocally opposed the appointment of the openly gay Dean of St Albans, Jeffrey John, as the Bishop of Reading.
He was the Bishops’ spokesman on constitutional affairs in the House of Lords, where he expressed strong opposition to the Civil Partnerships Bill.
In 2010, he spoke out on the issue of religious freedom, and was one of six senior bishops who signed a letter to the Sunday Telegraph stating that Christian beliefs on marriage, conscience and worship were being ignored by the British courts.
He highlighted that the law discriminated against the Christian majority in favour of minority groups, and argued that “for the first time politicians and judges are largely ignorant of religion and fail to appreciate the importance Christians place on abiding by the scriptures.”
He served as the Bishop of Winchester from 1995 - 2011, and on retirement, became an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese of Portsmouth.
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