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Stephen Robert Sizer (born 27 July 1953) is a priest in the Church of England. He is banned from serving as a priest until 2030. From 1997 to 2017, he was vicar of Christ Church, Virginia Water, in Surrey. Sizer is known for his opposition to Christian Zionism, which is the basis of his 2004 PhD thesis and the focus of his published works. In October 2012, the Board of Deputies of British Jews lodged a complaint against Sizer with the Church of England under the Clergy Discipline Measure alleging that he had made anti-Semitic statements and published links to anti-Semitic web sites. Although he did not admit culpability, at a conciliation meeting in October 2013 Sizer agreed to have his online web usage monitored. In 2015, the Board of Deputies lodged a further complaint against Sizer, this time for posting a link accusing Jews and Israel of responsibility for the 9/11 attacks in the United States. He was censured by the Bishop of Guildford, who imposed a complete ban on Sizer's use of all social media for at least six months. In 2022, a Church of England tribunal found that his conduct had been "unbecoming to the office and work of a clerk in Holy Orders, in that he provoked and offended the Jewish community" and, by posting a link in 2015 to an article that was "virulently antisemitic in its content", he had "engaged in antisemitic activity". In January 2023 Sizer was prohibited from licensed ministry in the Church of England until 2030. Biography Stephen Sizer was born in Lowestoft in 1953, the son of a carpenter. He began his career working for the Department of Health and Social Security (1971–1973) as a supplementary benefits visiting officer in east London. From there he went on to study geography (African and Asian studies) at Sussex University, (1973–1976). While at university he became a Christian. After graduation Sizer worked as a campus director/student counsellor with Agape at the Universities of London, Liverpool and Sussex. In 1980, he was accepted for training as a minister in the Church of England and gained a diploma in theology at Trinity College, Bristol. In 1983, he was ordained and became an assistant curate in St Leonards-on-Sea, then was appointed rector at St John's, Stoke, Guildford in 1986. He gained an MA in Theology from Oxford University in 1994. After 11 years at St John's, in 1997 he became the vicar of Christ Church, Virginia Water, where he was incumbent until Easter Sunday 2017. He continued his formal studies and was awarded a PhD from Oak Hill Theological College in 2003. Career and opinions Sizer was a Conservative Evangelical and had aligned with related organisations. He has been a member of Reform and the Church Society. He has endorsed the Jerusalem Declaration issued by the Global Anglican Future Conference and joined the resulting Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. In 2004, Sizer adapted his PhD thesis into a book, Christian Zionism - Road Map to Armageddon? He claims that Christian Zionism has led millions of Christians astray. Sizer says that Christian Zionism has no biblical foundation or historical precedent. He writes that his motivation lies in the conviction that ignoring or stereotyping Palestinian Christians is a contradiction of faith and immoral before God. He suggests that "it is irresponsible to believe that God will bless Christians materially if they support the largely secular State of Israel". Christian and Jewish responses Some of Sizer's writings have been commended by some Christians who embrace covenant theology, including leaders and academics such as John Stott (Stott's essay "The Place of Israel" is included in Sizer's book Zion's Christian Soldiers?), R. C. Lucas, Gary M. Burge, Gilbert Bilezikian, and Paul Copan. Some reviews of Christian Zionism - Road Map to Armageddon? have been highly critical. A Christian opponent of Sizer, Bible teacher David Pawson, wrote a book Defending Christian Zionism - in response to Stephen Sizer and John Stott. Pawson has said of Sizer: "I am grateful to Stephen Sizer for drawing attention to the legitimate criticisms of dispensational Zionism. He has rendered a service to the cause of Zionism which was needed." Pawson debated with Sizer on Premier Christian Radio. Other Christian authors who have criticised Sizer include Barry Horner and Paul Wilkinson, leaders of Christian missions to the Jewish people such as Mike Moore, General Secretary of Christian Witness to Israel and Tony Higton. Later, having met Sizer, Tony Higton largely retracted his view and wrote:Sizer is right to criticize the serious failings of some Christian Zionism. I agree with him in rejecting the following errors which are held by many Christian Zionists: Lack of godly compassion for the Palestinians, and of concern for their human rights and about their legitimate aspirations. A negative attitude toward Palestinians, and Arabs in general, to the point of racism. Uncritical support for Israel (a secular, sinful state like any other), justifying all its actions against the Palestinians. British journalist Melanie Phillips has criticised Sizer and has condemned him in her writings. The historian Geoffrey Alderman has also criticized Sizer, accusing him of masking his "religious prejudices" in "academic guise." Jewish converts to Christianity such as Aaron Abramson and Jacob Prasch have disagreed with Sizer's views. Allegations of antisemitism and misconduct (2012) Sizer was accused in 2012 of linking from his Facebook profile to an article on an anti-Jewish American site espousing Holocaust denial called The Ugly Truth, which features cartoons celebrating Holocaust deniers and states that Israel is responsible for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sizer deleted the link in January 2012 after The Jewish Chronicle pointed out the link to him, reputedly two months after he had first been informed of the problem. After complaints about his link to The Ugly Truth, Sizer's diocesan bishop, Christopher Hill, defended him. Hill believed posting the link could have been an accident, and insisted that Sizer "repudiates anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial" and was just drawing attention to an article about potential military action by Israel against Iran. After referring to Sizer's Facebook post, Nick Howard asserted in an article for the Standpoint issue of January–February 2012 that, given Sizer's statements on Press TV and elsewhere, the link made on his Facebook page is not an isolated, or "uncharacteristic", incident. Several prominent people wrote to the Bishop of Guildford, Christopher Hill, in Sizer's defence. Amongst them was Rabbi Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok, emeritus professor of Judaism at Aberystwyth University, who wrote, "I have been disturbed to read about the allegations made against Stephen Sizer. These are, I believe, completely without foundation: there is simply no evidence that he is an antisemite. It would be a mistake… to construe Stephen Sizer's political criticisms as evi.... Discover the Gary Sizer popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Gary Sizer books.