Boys Brigade Northern Ireland expected to finalise split from Great Britain: NI spokesperson addresses reports of conflict over LGBT issues

There had been reports that the move was partly to do with differing views on LGBT matters between Northern Ireland and the Great Britain and Republic of Ireland branches of the organisation.

However a spokesperson for Boys Brigade (BB) NI told the News Letter today: "We do not hold a doctrinal position on LGBT issues. That is a matter for every denomination with whom we partner."

It is understood, however, that the organisation in GB and the Republic of Ireland may be moving towards their own positions on the matter.

Leaders of the BB in NI have already voted twice on the proposed split - at its AGM in September when 88.5% backed the move, and at an Extraordinary General Meeting in February when members supported a resolution for the NI trustees to progress with the separation in a conciliatory manner, and to reach agreement on the use of logos and branding. This was backed by 94.4% of the NI leaders.

The third vote was understood to be in the interests of transparency on such an historic decision, a source told the News Letter.

The key reasons for the separation, they said, were financial independence, strategic autonomy and emphasis on faith.

It is understood that it currently costs the BBNI about £200,000 pounds a year to belong to the BB in the UK and Republic of Ireland, which would account for £1m over the next five years.

But instead, the NI trustees have negotiated a cost of around £300,000 over the next five years to cover intellectual property rights, for example use of logos and branding - which is less than a third of what NI would otherwise have paid to GB.

"Members in Northern Ireland didn't feel that they were getting much back for their money and also that they felt they had disproportionately little say on the strategic direction,” the source said. “Northern Ireland makes up one third of the membership of the BB in the UK and Republic of Ireland. It is just enormous here in Scotland and Northern Ireland - far bigger than England and Wales and the Republic of Ireland."

There was also the feeling that GB was "stepping away" from the original faith-based aims of the organisation, with the UK website apparently making very little reference to the Christian faith.

The source also addressed claims that the split was actually over conflicting doctrine on LGBT issues.

"A very small number have hinted that the split is about LGBT issues," they said. "That is incorrect. Each church we partner with has its own position on that issue and it's not the role of BB to tell any church what it should believe.

"BB NI is open to any member, regardless of religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation. And if people ask, 'Would you accept gay leaders?’ Again, that's not a matter for us.

"Leaders are appointed by each individual church. Our position simply is we are respecting the fact that we're a parachurch organisation working with 11 different denominations and we are not wading into territory that is the responsibility of those churches."

The BB in GB was invited to comment.