A Christian lecturer appeared in court this week to challenge a tribunal ruling that upheld his dismissal from a Bible college over social media posts expressing traditional Evangelical beliefs on sexuality.
Aaron Edwards is appealing a decision by the Sheffield Employment Tribunal, arguing that the ruling unlawfully infringed on his rights to religious freedom and free expression.
Edwards was dismissed from Cliff College after posting comments on X defending a biblical understanding of sexuality during a February 2023 debate within the Church of England over the blessing of same-sex relationships.
In the post that led to disciplinary action, Edwards wrote, “Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this b/c they’re busy apologizing for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it’s true. This is a ‘Gospel issue,’ by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour.”
The remarks sparked intense online backlash, with critics accusing Edwards of homophobia. In follow-up posts, he maintained that his position reflected “the conservative view” and insisted that it was “not homophobic to declare homosexuality sinful.”
After declining requests from the college to delete the posts, Edwards was formally investigated and subsequently dismissed for misconduct on the grounds that his comments had “brought the college into disrepute.”
He was later granted limited permission to appeal and appeared before the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London on Thursday, where he sought approval to broaden the scope of his appeal.
Ahead of the hearing, Edwards said he was praying for “justice.”
“My legal case is essentially about challenging compromise. Cliff College seems to think you can still brand yourself 'Evangelical' while thinking or saying nothing about the threat to the Gospel posed by the radical incursions of LGBT ideology into previously faithful denominations, churches and colleges today. They fail to see that compromise is 'a Gospel issue,'” he said.
Edwards is receiving legal support from the Christian Legal Centre, which says he has been unable to secure work as a Bible college lecturer since his dismissal and has experienced financial hardship and serious stress-related health problems.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said concerns over reputation do not justify sanctioning protected religious expression.
“Edwards was dismissed for expressing an entirely mainstream Christian belief grounded in biblical morality. This is not a marginal or extremist view, but one protected under U.K. equality and human rights law,” she said.
Williams added, “This case raises serious questions about freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the lawful limits of institutional authority.”
