Divorced gay minister, 55, is leaving her congregation in disgrace for good as she claims she’s had drunk fights with a number of friends
- Rev. Michelle Bailey, 55, is said to have picked up a number of women online
- But the police were called at least twice after having drunk arguments with them
- A spokesman said she has now “retired from all ministry in the Church in Wales”.
A lesbian pastor has fallen out of favor with her parish after she claimed she had a drunken argument with a number of her friends.
It’s the second time mother-of-three Rev. Michelle Bailey has quit in controversial circumstances.
She previously left a Church of England congregation after accusing villagers of destroying her marriage – and then left her husband and children to live with a mistress. But she returned to the pulpit in the Church in Wales – which is part of the Anglican Communion but has been separated from the Church of England.
Earlier this year, she was acquitted in court of assaulting another friend, but remained suspended while senior clerics investigated a number of complaints about her.
The mother-of-three, Rev. Michelle Bailey, 55, has left her parish in disgrace after it was claimed she had drunk arguments with a number of girlfriends
The vicar, 55, is said to have picked up a number of women on online dating sites and invited them to his home, with drunken rows resulting in police being called on at least two occasions.
Now the Chron has learned that Rev Bailey has retired before the investigation can be completed. She is said to have been traveling in a mobile home.
Same-sex relationships are forbidden for Church of England clergy but permitted in the Church in Wales. A Church of England source said the church in Wales has ignored warnings not to bring Rev Bailey into a congregation. The insider claimed, “Michelle can be very persuasive on a good day — but she really isn’t cut out to be a pastor.”
Last night a Welsh Church spokesman said: “Reverend Michelle Bailey has now retired from all ministry in the Church in Wales.”
Her behavior first made headlines in 2009 when she was vicar of St Michael and All Angels Church in Stewkley, Buckinghamshire and still married to husband Michael.
Community members found her behavior erratic. She used a church sermon to denounce it as gossip, saying, “Painful angry words destroyed my marriage.” She blamed “toxic” rumors about her friendship with rancher Michele Wilde. Village were later shocked when the vicar moved in with Mrs. Wilde.
Rev Bailey resigned soon after. She had previously been admonished by the Church of England for telling a self-harming youth parishioner that she had self-harmed as a youth.
In her defense, she said she only made the disclosure to help the teenager.
Free from the church, she began to live openly as a lesbian – while Mrs. Wilde made it up with the vicar’s ex-husband before killing herself.
Rev. Bailey then decided to return to the service of the Church in Wales and did so despite criticism from the Church of England.
A Church of England source said: “Although using her maiden name, the Church in Wales was aware of the problems she was facing here and asked us for detailed information.
The vicar has been blamed for “toxic” rumors about her friendship with rancher Michele Wilde (pictured with former husband Michael Morton).
“They were briefed on the child protection issue and even received copies of Chron stories about them. The note in her file was pretty clear. It said she resigned from her church because she was “unable to do the job.” The Church in Wales has been told very clearly that it should only work in a supervised ministry, not in a congregation.’
The Church in Wales apparently decided Rev Bailey was a Reformed figure when she joined in 2016.
Originally appointed Bishop’s Commissioner for Rural Events in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, she was soon given her own parish when she was appointed Priestess in Charge of the Benefice of Dan yr Epynt – a group of seven rural churches. Archbishop of Wales John Davies said of her admission: “Michelle has courage and vision and enthusiasm for the ways of the Lord Jesus.”
But a church source in Brecon said: “As a pastor, Michelle got away with pretty much anything she wanted – and the church wasn’t helping her at all in controlling her.
“She met women online, took them back to the vicarage in Cradoc village and drank with them. Lines broke out and the police were called. It’s a small village and people were talking.’
In March of this year, Rev. Bailey was cleared of assaulting ex-girlfriend Di Shore. It has been claimed she left Ms Shore, 56, with her right ear removed, two black eyes and a cleft nose in a lockdown brawl.
But the pastor said she was attacked and defended herself. She is believed to be traveling now but previously hung up the phone when contacted by the Chron about allegations against her.