The London Union on Church Matters (LUCM) and other unions expanded their operations in anticipation of the Gorham Judgment. On 9 March 1850, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ruled against Bishop Phillpotts, of the High Church party, who had refused to allow Gorham to become vicar of St. Peter’s in Brampford Speke, Devon, because Gorham held that baptism was not sacramentally effective and that an adult decision to accept Jesus was necessary. This did not conform to the doctrine of the Church of England, as expressed in the Thirty-Nine Articles. Though the bishop’s exclusion of Gorham was upheld by the Court of Arches (the appeal court for the province of Canterbury), Gorham made a successful plea to the higher authority. Phillpotts repudiated the verdict and many within the Church expected its leaders to back him, but they did not wish further to jeopardize peace and unity. The Gorham Judgment was not officially contested.