CEO of Essendon Football Andrew Thorburn resigned from his job after only one day because he also is Chairman of an Anglican Church.
In 1901 when Australia was Federated, 94% of Australians called themselves Christians. The first parliamentary session was of this newly created federation created under God was a church service. Who would have thought that a hundred years later Christianity, the backbone of our laws and culture would be considered morally inappropriate.
The News reported this twisted morality by Essendon Football Club. “As soon as the comments relating to a 2013 sermon from a pastor, at the City of the Hill church came to light this morning, we acted immediately to clarify the publicly espoused views on the organisation’s official website, which are in direct contradiction to our values as a Club.”
Andrew Thorburn had not been part of the Anglican church when these sermons were made. The sermon in 2013 was titled, “Surviving Same Sex Attraction as a Christian”. It condemned homosexuality and abortions in line with the pro-life and anti-sodomy stances of both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and most Christian churches.
“The Board made clear that, despite these not being the views that Andrew Thorburn has expressed personally and that were also made prior to him taking up his role as Chairman, he couldn’t continue to serve in his dual roles at the Essendon Football Club and as Chairman of City on the Hill.”
“The Board of the Essendon Football Club has accepted the resignation of Andrew Thorburn as CEO,” a club statement read.
Andrew Thorburn chose to maintain his position as chairman of the City on a Hill Church and resigned his position at Essendon Football Club.
However, in acting in the way that it has, the Board has now breached the Code of Conduct for the Essendon Football Club by vilifying Andrew Thorburn on religious grounds.
The code clearly states that members are not permitted to engage in or endorse “any form of threatening conduct, or vilification … on the basis of …religion,” specifically against employees.
Calls are now being made for Dave Barham, Chairman to step down because he has created an unsafe work environment for people of faith at Essendon Football Club. Plus he has done serious harm to Essendon’s brand which is inclusive of all people of faith.
EDITOR: Australians cannot support what happened at Essendon. Effectively they are giving workplaces the right to choose over what you can do on your day off and what you can view, read or follow. Most of all they are placing their code as superior to the Bible.
