An Anglican preacher has been barred from the pulpit after encouraging worshippers to sign a petition against gay marriage.

Peter Gowlland was accused of sowing discord among worshippers at All Saints Church, Sanderstead, by inviting them to sign a petition against Government plans to introduce same-sex weddings.

During the service, the retired science teacher, 78, told the congregation to be "bold like the apostles" and to register their opposition to the redefinition of marriage, in line with the official church teaching.

But his actions led to a disagreement with two other lay readers in front of parishioners, a retired bishop and the Worldwide President of the Mothers' Union, who was visiting.

The Rt Revd David Atkinson, the retired Bishop of Thetford, who was leading the worship, stepped in and advised the group the service was not the time or place to discuss the issue, Mr Gowlland said.

Just over a week later, at a routine meeting to have his licence to preach renewed, Mr Gowlland was accused of "bouncing" the issue on the church without consulting the other lay preachers and wardens.

He was asked to stand down from preaching and leading worship for two months "to let the dust settle".

Mr Gowlland told The Telegraph: "I have been a reader for almost 50 years and I have never heard of anything like this.

"People get suspended for the usual vicar and choirboy sort of thing but I've never heard of anyone being suspended because people don't like what you said or the way you said it.

"That's the point of being a preacher, you preach what you think God wants you to say, the congregation don't have to agree with you."

A spokesman for the Diocese of Southwark said: "The Reader in question has not been suspended. Some members of the congregation had raised some pastoral concerns with the Archdeacon and he discussed these with the Reader.

"During the meeting it became clear there were disagreements within the parish concerning how some matters are handled.

"The Archdeacon asked the Reader to refrain from ministry in the particular parish for two months in order for there to be time for these pastoral matters to be resolved."