A holy war has broken out in a sleepy country village with fed-up churchgoers launching an attempt to oust their 'authoritarian' rector. According to Cheshire Live, tensions are high between St Oswalds Church Malpas Reverend Doctor Janine Arnott and members of the congregation since she took the post last June.
It all boiled over at a heated annual meeting earlier this month, when a clash over the appointment of a new churchwarden ended up with parishioners taking a vote of no confidence in Dr Arnott. In the minutes of the meeting, Dr Arnott claims she has been "trying to run the church calmly in the face of strong opposition".
The Diocese of Chester confirmed it was "aware of some disagreement", but Dr Arnott remained tight-lipped when approached by CheshireLive. According to the minutes, tempers frayed over Dr Arnott's suggestion that churchwarden Beverley Dobson was not eligible to stand again for the role because she had completed six years in the post.
