Stephen Hyde, Chairman, Truth in Science
May 2007: We think that Truth in Science has now entered a new phase of activity and working on a new set of tactics in its long-term strategy. Whilst the organisation received a massive amount of adverse publicity after its September 2006 distribution of DVDs to schools across the UK, the evidence is now emerging of an organisation increasingly involved in political lobbying. Moreover, there have been some recent changes in the organisation which have strengthened its core management team.
We hope to be bringing together further information on its new tactics in the next few days. However, for the time being, we point everyone to a 26th April statement in its web site that says Andy McIntosh “addressed the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on the subject of 'True Science and Origins', as part of a discussion about the scientific basis of Darwinism.” The meeting took place on 23rd April.
He didn’t address the meeting on his own; the other two addressing the event were Dr Ian Gibson MP, former Dean of Biology at the University of East Anglia and Professor David Jones, Professor of bioethics at St Mary’s College, Twickenham (part of the University of Surrey).
This is a very worrying development. Whilst the Committee has no formal power (it is not a formal advisory body to the government), it is astonishing that it is listening to the leading promoter of pseudo-science in the UK. It is as if it is willing to listen to promoters of astrology. Moreover, we don’t know who invited him to speak.
Stephen Hyde – Truth in Science’s New Chairman.
In early 2007 Truth in Science’s acting chairman, Willis Metcalfe, stood down from the position and was replaced by Stephen Hyde, a 65 year-old businessman from Reigate in Surrey. Metcalfe was born in 1922 so presumably stood down because of old age. Hyde was appointed a director of the organisation at the end of February 2007. In addition a new company secretary was appointed as a director, bringing the number of directors up to six from the previous four (it had been five until Stephen Layfield was forced by his employers to resign in the Autumn of 2006).
Truth in Science removed contact details for the organisation from its web site some time ago and new details have not yet been provided. The following message has been on its web site for weeks: “Due to a technical problem the main contact page cannot be displayed. While this issue is being resolved, please contact us by email at info@truthinscience.org.uk.”
The appointment of Hyde as a director and chairman is significant in that as far back as January 2004 Truth in Science claimed that it had business people behind it, although the only one at the time that was known about was Willis Metcalfe. Hyde, though, is no big fish amongst businessmen. His operational looks to be a smallish, but very successful, family business. Nor is there any evidence to show that Hyde has actually provided significant funding to the organisation. However he is a relatively prosperous if not wealthy man.
A search at companies house on the information provided by Truth in Science shows Stephen Arthur Hyde to have been appointed to the board on 28th February 2007.
His main business appears to be Hystar Construction. It is a property development company. With a turnover of around £2m plus a year and trading profitably.
Our searches also found that he is a director of the Gospel Standard Trust and was a past director of the Trinitarian Bible Society.
The Trinitarian Bible Society (http://www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org/) is a long-standing organisation formed in 1831 to distribute the bible. A Mr S.A. Hyde C.Eng., M.I.Struct.E was a general committee member according to the organisation’s 2001 annual report (http://www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org/site/AR171.asp). This looks to be the same person as Stephen Hyde of Hystar Construction given the initials after his name. Truth in Science describes its chairman as a Chartered Engineer.
The chairman of the Trinitarian Bible Society is now Malcolm Watts who is pastor of Emmanuel Church in Salisbury. He's a young earth creationist and it is that church which sponsored Hyde Street Chapel in Winchester. It is another young earth creationist church that has attracted speakers such as Andy McIntosh, Stuart Burgess, Philip Bell and Paul Taylor.
Looking at later reports on TBS’s own site, we find that in 2002 a Mr. S.A. Hyde (no letters following) was re-elected. Later reports do not mentioned him. However Google came up a while ago with an earlier account of a Stephen Hyde talking as chairman.
The 2002 accounts also show that he and most of the rest of the committee resigned on mass over a dispute about which no details are given.
The Gospel Standard Trust is primarily a publishing organisation closely connected to the ultra-Calvinistic Gospel Standard Baptists. It is now based in Harpenden. Details can be found at http://www.gospelstandard.org/aboutus.asp. There are about 115 Gospel Standard churches, some of which are outside of the UK. The Gospel Standard movement is believed to be basically dying as its membership ages. The Gospel Standard Baptists are the result of a 19th century schism with the also hyper-Calvinistic Strict and Particular Baptists who were seen as too theologically liberal.
According to Wikipedia, most Gospel Standard Baptists “do not own a TV, go to the movies, or listen to modern music.” Wikipedia claims it had 156 member churches in 1995 but the Gospel Standard Trust’s web site claims only 115 as at 2007, indicating a significant decline in the movement.
Truth in Science’s New Company Secretary
Truth in Science’s registered office address has moved from Tyne and Wear to Kingston-upon-Thames.
It is now at 42 Kew Court, Richmond Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT2 5BF. Kingston is basically a suburb of London
Kew Court is a residential block of flats in Kingston. You can see a photo here: http://www.gibsonlane.co.uk/detailskewhal.htm. The move of address appears to be directly related to the appointment of an accountant to the operation. This is MO Sampson and Company - see http://www.icaewfirms.co.uk/directoryatoz.asp?atozref=M_2. It is run by Michael Sampson, aged 64. Sampson was appointed director of Truth in Science in March 2007 as well as company secretary.
Our best guess here is that this is an independent accountant operating from home with relatively low overheads. The accountant is probably using his own address as the registered office out of convenience. Two other companies appear to have had registered offices at the same address.
According to information at Companies House Willis, Metcalfe remains as a director of Truth in Science.
