A Church of England minister seeking to establish an employment relationship with his Church succeeded in his appeal to have an in-depth analysis of any contractual relationship that might be in evidence between the two.
The Reverend Anthony Mark Sharpe, an ordained Minister in the Church of England, claimed he had suffered detrimental treatment and was then constructively unfairly dismissed in September 2009, as a result of making protected disclosures, The claims were bought against The Worcester Diocesan Board of Finance Ltd and The Bishop of Worcester in his corporate capacity, ‘Worcester Diocese.’
For the claims to progress Rev. Sharpe had to establish that his appointment as Rector in the Teme Valley South Benefice, Worcester amounted to employment or that he was a worker within s.43K Employment Rights Act 1996, ‘ERA.’