Vicar bans Onward Christian Soldiers hymn from Remembrance Sunday service in case it offends non-Christians

• The Reverend Steve Bailey has banned Onward Christian Soldiers from service
• Participants march into church to the traditional hymn on Remembrance Sunday
• Royal British Legion branch members 'furious' and ban to boycott the service

The Reverend Steve Bailey banned the hymn

A vicar has banned the rousing Onward Christian Soldiers hymn from a Remembrance Sunday service 'in case it offends non-Christians'.

Furious members of a Royal British Legion club are now planning to boycott the service at St Peter's Church in Oadby, Leicestershire after the Reverend Steve Bailey banned the hymn.  

Participants march into the church to the traditional hymn at the end of the service every year.

But RBL members claim this year the vicar vetoed the hymn because people at the service would not necessarily be Christian. 

Ian Thorpe, vice-chairman of the legion club, which is across the road from the church, said: 'The new vicar is not happy with Onward Christian Soldiers being sung.

'It's been done nearly every year in recent memory but he said they're not doing it because not everyone at the service will be Christians - it's not the 'soldiers' bit, it's the 'Christian' bit.

'He's going to have the hymn All People That on Earth Do Dwell instead.'

Furious members of a Royal British Legion club are planning to boycott the service at St Peter's Church in Oadby, Leicestershire. Pictured, Ian Thorpe, vice-chairman of the legion club

Onward Christian Soldiers 

Onward, Christian Soldiers is a 19th-century English hymn. 

The words were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music was composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. 

The Salvation Army adopted the hymn as its favoured processional.

The theme is taken from references in the New Testament to the Christian being a soldier for Christ.

He said the club's chairman, Pete Green, was planning to boycott the service and just lay a wreath, and others in the congregation were considering staying outside the church and may sing the hymn by themselves.

He said: 'One family, who go to the church, have said they're going to stand outside the church and sing it.

'Our chairman of the club, Pete, who is also a member of the branch committee, is thinking about not going into the church and just laying a wreath.

'The majority of those of us in the legion are not happy with it.'

Rev Bailey declined to comment. 

And this is not the first time the hymn has been the subject of controversy at the church. 

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Mr Thorpe said the club's chairman was planning to boycott the service and just lay a wreath, and others in the congregation were considering staying outside and may sing the hymn by themselves

In 2012 another newly appointed vicar at St Peter's Church decided the hymn should not be sung at the Remembrance Service

In 2012 another newly appointed vicar decided the hymn should not be sung at the Remembrance Service.

Mr Thorpe said: 'There were lots of complaints and it was back the next year.'

The Oadby Royal British Legion branch - which is a separate body from the club - has met with the vicar and agreed to Rev Bailey's request to not sing the song this year. 

But Mr Thorpe claimed the branch may want to review the change for next year, based on the response from the congregation.

The Oadby parade on the afternoon of Sunday, November 12 will involve hundreds of people including standard bearers from various soldiers groups around the county.