It is far from the intention here to argue that Premier should no-platform Mr Campolo. No-platforming is what politically correct activists get up to. Orthodox Christians should not behave like social Marxists. Premier is a media organisation and Tony Campolo is a leading figure in US religio-political life, having been a spiritual adviser to former President Bill Clinton and now a prominent supporter of Hillary Clinton for the Presidency. So it is quite right to interview him - provided his claims are subject to thorough journalistic scrutiny.

In this instance regrettably they were not, particularly in the section in which Mr Campolo proclaimed his conversion to gay marriage.

Mr Campolo opined: 'Suicide is the second major cause of death among teenagers in America, second only to automobile accidents. Almost three-quarters of those suicides are by Christian young people who cannot reconcile their sexual orientation with what they're hearing from the pulpit. I don't know what the Church is about, but if it's about driving kids to suicide it's not doing the right thing.'

In the magazine transcript, the interviewer did not challenge Mr Campolo to cite the source of his statistics or to explain their significance more fully. Is it not the case that headline statistics in and of themselves can never properly account for the complex psycho-emotional factors involved in the heart-breaking tragedy of increasing teenage suicides in Western countries? Why did the interviewer not probe this?

Furthermore, why did the interviewer not challenge Mr Campolo's dogmatic attempt to blame the historic teaching of the Church for these suicides?

It is sadly possible that in some cases vulnerable young people in churches are being failed by aggressive polemical preaching on sexual morals cut off from Christian ethics' spiritual roots in the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the lack of loving pastoral care. But Tony Campolo's argument, taken to its logical conclusion, surely could be used to blame the Church for taking a clear moral stand on any matter against the inclinations of individuals.

Although the interviewer did put it to Mr Campolo that conservative Christians would argue that 'in the same way that you or I would have sinful desires, we would resist those', why was he not asked how he would respond if a young Trump supporter were to commit suicide because, reportedly, they felt they were not being affirmed by Clinton-supporting preachers like him?

In the wake of this lack of scrutiny, will Premier now allow an orthodox Christian response to Mr Campolo's superficial polemics on its airwaves and in its magazine?

Meanwhile, the Collect for St Matthias's Day in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer seems particularly appropriate: 'O Almighty God, who into the place of the traitor Judas didst choose thy faithful servant Matthias to be of the number of the twelve Apostles: Grant that thy Church, being alway preserved from false Apostles, may be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors; through Jesus Christ our Lord.'

The following is a link by Andrew Symes of Anglican Mainstream about Tony's theology on sexuality: http://anglicanmainstream.org/tony-campolo-calls-for-full-acceptance-of-gay-christian-couples-in-the-church/

Julian Mann is vicar of the Parish Church of the Ascension, Oughtibridge, South Yorkshire, UK - www.oughtibridgechurch.org.uk