Christian group 'banned' from holding bible meeting in pub named after Sunday School founder after landlord said 'religion and pubs don't mix'

Christians claim they have been banned from holding a bible talk in a pub named after the founder of Sunday Schools - because it might offend other religions.

Churchgoers had organised their annual Bible Day event at Robert Raikes House, an inn named after the man behind the Sunday school movement in the 18th Century.

But they have now been forced to find a new venue claiming the landlord did not want to be associated with the word 'bible'.

A group of devoted Christians, pictured, claim they are being discriminated against because they cannot hold a talk on the founder of the Sunday School movement in his former house which is now a pub

The home of Robert Raikes, founder of the Sunday School movement has been converted into a pub, pictured

Roland Parsons, city preacher and spokesman for the group, said: 'We think the pub has excluded us because it wanted to please everybody else and not have the word Bible associated with the establishment.

'We find this quite ironic because of the work Robert Raikes did for Christianity and education.

'It’s upsetting to be banned but, as a Christian, I personally forgive the manager.'

The event, which is due to be held tomorrow, will be discussing Robert Raikes, so decided it would be fitting to hold it at the pub.

ROBERT RAIKES FACTFILE

• 
  Robert Raikes was born in Gloucester in September 1735
• He took over the running of the Gloucester Journal newspaper after his father's death in 1757
• He campaigned for prison reform and education for the working class
• In 1780 he founded his Sunday School
• He used his newspaper to publicise the Sunday School
• By 1786 an estimated 200,000 children in England were attending a Sunday School
• Raikes retired from the newspaper in 1802
• He died on April 5, 1811

But Phil Tandy, manager of the pub in Gloucester, claims he told the group to find an alternative venue to host the event as he was not prepared for large numbers.

Mr Tandy also said he did not think that pubs and religious activity mixed.

He added that the reason he had blocked the group from hosting the annual event was due to the fact they had not communicated with the team properly.

He said: 'I’ve got absolutely no problem at all with the word Bible but we were not consulted about being associated with Bible Day.

'Then I see flyers across town associating us with the event without being told.

'The group also couldn’t guarantee how many people who be attending the meal. If they had 100 people coming that would disrupt the pub for the public.

'I know Robert Raikes was a famous religious figure in Gloucester, but, personally, I’m not sure a pub should be associated with religious activities.'

The Reverend Gwyenth Gibbens, from Holy Trinity Church, Longlevens, said it’s important churches are allowed freedom.

He said: 'It’s important the church has the freedom to express itself and not become a fringe group. Christians and the church are part of the history of this country.'

Robert Raikes, pictured, was a liberal campaigner who used his Gloucester Journal newspaper to promote his views on prison reform, the need to educate the working class and his fledgling Sunday School society

DM