The Nationwide AGM was held on Thursday 19th July at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

A leading building society is finding it impossible to apologise to five people insulted at a dinner it bankrolled last November.

The Nationwide Building Society sponsored the Stonewall homosexual lobby group’s awards dinner on 3rd November 2011.  See the Stonewall report on the event here.

The awards were mainly to applaud people who had advanced the homosexual cause in some way.

Among the awards was an anti-award called ‘Bigot of the Year’ intended to insult and vilify a number of people particularly opposed to the gay rights agenda. Those shortlisted were the respected Sir Brian Souter, Bishop Arthur Roche, Bill Walker MSP, journalist Melanie Phillips, who was the eventual ‘winner’, and Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice.

Stonewall did not even have the courtesy to invite any of those shortlisted for this ‘Bigot of the Year’ award to the dinner.  Perhaps they were afraid someone might answer back – bullies never like it when someone stands up to them.  Or perhaps social intercourse is just not one of their strong points.

Christian Voice members gave out leaflets about Nationwide’s involvement with Stonewall to the society’s members attending the AGM

The Nationwide’s position is that they are ‘not supportive of the vilification of individuals’ and that they ‘have made this clear to Stonewall’. They have pulled out of sponsoring future events of this kind. However, the Society remains as a member of Stonewall’s ‘Diversity Champions’ programme in which they go a lot further than merely treating all of their employees equally, to which no-one could object.  Click ‘Sexual Orientation’ on the Nationwide link here.

Stephen Green is a Nationwide member and went along to the AGM in Manchester on 19th July 2012 to ask the Nationwide Board of Directors the following questions:

(1) How much of your members’ money did you vote to the Stonewall awards dinner?

(2) Did you know the nature of the event you were sponsoring, and were the names of all the awards disclosed to you in advance?

(3) Which Nationwide Board members attended the Stonewall awards dinner?

(4) Whether Nationwide support Stonewall’s aim of the redefinition of marriage?

(5) When will you apologise for bank-rolling an event which insulted and humiliated not just a humble Nationwide member like me, but respected public figures? and

(6) When will you be big enough simply to say sorry to the individuals concerned?

Graham Beale, Nationwide Chief Executive, supplied the answers:

(1) They gave £60,000 to Stonewall for the dinner (which did not stop the greedy lobby group from charging £180 a ticket) and they gave £5,000 as a prize to the ‘Community Group of the Year’ which turned out to be ‘UK Black Pride’.

(2) They didn’t find out the names of the awards until afterwards (which seems rather inept – and they must have known the name of the Community Group award in order to provide the prize).

(3) No Nationwide board members attended (very wise).

(4) Nationwide has no corporate position on the redefinition of marriage (unlike Starbucks and Ben & Jerry’s – but more of them at another time).

(5) No, they won’t apologise.

(6) Ditto.

Find here the text of the leaflet we gave out to Nationwide members outside the AGM

Earlier posts:

14th July 2012: Nationwide in ‘Bigot’ award challenge

4th November 2011: Stonewall ‘cowards’ call Melanie Phillips ‘Bigot of the Year’

 

Email contact for Nationwide Chief Executive, Graham Beale: gjbeale2@nationwide.co.uk

 

Land Address for Stephen Green and the Christian Voice office:
Wernlwyd, Pen-y-bont, CARMARTHEN, SA33 6QN
01994 484544 / 07931 490050

Join Christian Voice today and stand up for righteousness in the land:

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25 COMMENTS

  1. Sadly, it looks like the Nationwide has ‘stonewalled’ Christian Voice’s justified complaint. Perhaps that is because the only answer they could give was the truth – they are pandering to fashionable political correctness rather than to their core business of attending to customers’ needs. There can be few customers impressed (in a good way) by the Nationwide’s sponsorship of Stonewall, especially when there are so many truly good causes desperate for help. It is significant that in the Bible sexual sin is always linked to the neglect of the poor.

  2. Bless those members who accompanied Stephen on this Mission for the Lord, and rain down Your love and light upon them this day. Bless all who are actively involved in proclaiming Your message, strengthen and encourage each person. Convict hearts of their need to humble their lives to Jesus, turn away from all unrighteousness, be born again and baptised in the Holy Spirit. We pray Lord You will stir the hearts of those who are truly set on doing what is right in our society. Cause many to seek Your face and lay aside all those things that are distractions, and waste our time. Holy Spirit, blessed Teacher, enlighten our hearts, cleanse us, purify us, fill us with Your love, and let us see things from Your perspective. Burden our hearts with Your desire, and may we pray according to Your will. Amen.

  3. I couldn’t get to the Nationwide AGM as I don’t drive but I did write a letter of complaint about this, and had a very unsatisfactory reply which I have forwarded to Stephen.

    This is just so out of order that I don’t know where to begin. The Nationwide has gained a good reputation over the years, it seems to me that it has been infiltrated and nobbled from within. It seems to me that there is a deliberate agenda to destroy all public institutions, to corrupt and destroy all of them, to clear the way for the New World Order.

    The Lord did say what the last days would be like.

  5. I think the big question to ask Nationwide is what Christian groups do they support for a single event in a similar way.

    Would they confirm that they don’t distriminate against race, sex, sexual preference, and religion, and thus a request from a national christian organisation or charity for £60,000 for a dinner would not fall foul of any of their policies. E.g. supporting a pro-marriage event.

    I somehow feel that they would find some weazle words to distriminate against a christian event because someone might be offended, but to support a campaigning single issue sexual orientation event would be okay, and those offended are ‘bigots’ (unlike those who feel offended by any religious activity).

  7. My heartiest greetings to your best performances on this field.as the Devil is eargerly alerts to grab the Children of God! so we ought to equip every believers in Christ! by reading the word of God! & make them experience the power of the Holy Spirit to over come the World.lets us all pray for others.I also love to participate one of your next conference by faith.God! Bless you in Jesus! Name.

  8. So glad we have people like stephen and his colleagues to stand up for righteousness in this godless country. Sure God must be proud of you all as so am I. I continually pray that you will keep fighting the fight – it must certainly be a real challenge, and a temptation to give in at times, but the fact that God’s children are praying for you to be encouraged with success must be a blessing.
    May you never give in!! Thank you – thank you – thank you in God’s name. May He bless you real good!!

  9. Well Done Stephen –
    Thank You for continuing to be a ‘Voice in the Wilderness’ in Britain.
    Please continue to be strong and very courageous in the Lord Jesus.
    My thoughts & prayers are with you.

  10. Stand strong Stephen, keep praying – especially for Graham Beale of Nationwide so that his eyes are opened.

    Keep doing our Lord’s work. Your emails and website have been a strong source of inspiration to me and countless others.

  11. A very old and successful US clothing company, JC Penney, recently started to run TV ads featuring ‘gay’ and lesbian couples and appointed the lesbian actress/comedienne, Ellen Degeneres, to a leading role in company marketing effort. Since doing so, their share price has fallen from $41 to $20 and they have just sacked the marketing executive responsible. Tesco have struggled since getting involved with ‘gays’ and hopefully Nationwide will struggle too. They have wasted members’ money in a totally disgraceful way.

  12. Steve D wrote “Since doing so [i.e. using Ellen DeGeneres], their [i.e. JC Penney’s] share price has fallen from $41 to $20” and “and they have just sacked the marketing executive responsible”

    Talk about twisting the truth!! (or are you just intellectually lazy?)

    As the two following links make perfectly clear, it was PRICING STRATEGY that was solely responsible for both developments. It was nothing to do with the actions of your bigoted counterparts in the United States.

    http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/story/2012-05-16/jc-penney-stock-plunge/55029714/1
    http://www.transpromo-live.com/2012/06/19/jc-penney-says-youre-fired-to-2-executive-michael-francis/

    • We have reported on this story here: https://www.christianvoice.org.uk/?p=3685
      J C Penney went pro-gay in February, around the same time as they started their disastrous pricing changes. So they alienated shoppers in two ways at once. The company ‘blamed its large first-quarter loss on a poor reception from shoppers for its strategy of getting rid of hundreds of sales each year in favor of offering predictable low prices every day’. They are hardly going to admit it was going gay that did it, or attribute their ineptitude to the power of prayer for confusion in their boardroom, or their loss in sales to the boycott organised by the American family Association, now are they?

  13. The signs of the end spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels Matt 24 Mark13, Luke 21 and the specific lifestyles and characteristics of the ungodly as described by Apostle Paul’s 2nd Timothy 3:1-6 thus:

    “You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that”
    These things happening are very revelative and a great signifier that we are on count down to the close of the age. They children of the evil one are already coming out from the dark to contend against the children of God. The time of great persecution against the church is already here upon us. My deep concern is this, are we in the minority as Chrisitians? Why do politicians, financial and business organisations court with those who oppose our faith? If Christians have significant following, then we should use our numerical and spiritual strength to determine course of things and even in the market place.
    The Church in this land needs to regain its spiritual power and be witness for Christ, with great manifestation of power as it happened on the day of Pentecost.
    Oh Lord behold their threatenings and grant unto us they servants, that with all boldness we may speak your word. And stretch forth your hands to heal and that signs and wonders may be done in the name of your son and our Lord Jesus Christ. Atc4:29-30

  15. I emailed Mr Beale last week, no reply as yet.

    I have closed one of my savings accounts with NW, keeping the other one open as I thought it was a good idea of yours, Stephen, so as to keep a voice there.

    Keeping you all in prayers

  16. I am a member of Nationwide and object to these directors giving members money to causes they think fit while members may not agree. I have asked for the portion of my money they gave away to be refunded. He has not replied yet but then I don’t expect him to. The following is a copy of my email:

    This is a copy of the email I sent to Graham Beale of Nationwide

    Dear Sir,

    I wish to ask for an explanation on why you and your fellow directors give our money to causes you support. I strongly object to a gay lobby group that each year gives a “Bigot of the year” award being given a portion of my money and want an explanation from you. Please advise me what percentage of my money was you gave away as I want it refunded. On previous occasions when I have mailed you as requested you have not bothred to reply which I assume is your way of dealing with criticism.
    Please don’t try ignoring me again and please be clear I want the portion of my savings you have given to charities of your choice refunded. It is unethical and morally wrong to use money of members of Nationwide on causes they do not support that you and your fellow directors choose.

    David Howells

  18. Thank you Stephen Green

    You make us lesser mortals feel guilty we are not physically out there with you.

    Certainly we applaud and pray for what you are doing in the fight to show political groups, in particular and large national organisations in general, their sinful practices and promotions.

    I applaud Barbara Richard’s letter, above which suggests institutions are clearing the way for a less than Grand, new world order.

    Of course, self seeking groups are going to dominate the ballot boxes and elect their champions. I think this applies mostly to muslim families who are encouraged to have large families and will soon overwhelm white conservative British Christians.

    Democracy is a failed ideology and I believe it is too late to close the gates, as people in the Island of Jersey did many years ago with their policy of not accepting any more immigrants unless they were millionaires.

    God is working His purpose out ……..

    Peter