Conservative Christian website, Anglican Mainstream, has found that adversity can sometimes be a blessing in disguise.
The website was suspended without warning by web-host GoDaddy on 28 February of this year. GoDaddy took issue with an alleged “potential breach of copyright” by Anglican Mainstream over regular links to mainstream newspapers covering traditional biblical views on marriage and sexuality.
Anglican Mainstream said that the single complaint leading to their termination was vague and that they were not given any right of reply. Despite this, GoDaddy decided to terminate their hosting services for Anglican Mainstream.
A week later a Christian businessman offered to host the website outside of the UK. Since then Anglican Mainstream has actually reported significant monthly growth, with new readers coming in from all over the world.
The site now has around 700 daily readers from 37 European countries. The site also has over 2,000 visitors every month from China, as well as readers from Vietnam, Australia and Benin.
Canon Dr Chris Sugden, Chairman and co-founder of Anglican Mainstream, said, “When Anglican Mainstream began in 2003, we were the only group coordinating orthodox opposition to the appointment of clergy in same-sex relationships to senior leadership roles in the Church of England”.
Canon Sugden welcomed the fact that other groups, including the Church of England Evangelical Council and The Alliance, have also made a stand for traditional biblical views on sexual matters and said that “there has never been a greater need for trusted, accurate Anglican news, especially for those who are evangelical or biblically orthodox”.
He added, “What initially felt like a disaster – even a spiritual attack – has proved to be God’s means of placing us on a firmer technological footing and extending our reach far beyond what we imagined.”
