Latest From Inclusive Church

Inclusive Church is a network of churches, groups and individuals uniting together around a shared vision:

"We believe in inclusive Church - a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate. We will continue to challenge the church where it continues to discriminate against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality. We believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ."

Women and the Church of England: how much has really changed?

  The short reflection following on below was written in 2015. I went to my archives and re–read it after the recent Chichester Episcopal Ordinations (July 2020), where the similar process as in 2015 of separate consecrations took place to avoid hands being laid on the prospective male bishop by a bishop who has ordained women. It was clear I could have written it this month in 2020. Little has changed in the intervening years. Yes, we have a number of female bi Read More »

Sermon: Compassion and Anger - the two hands of justice-building

  Sermon for Sunday 5th July 2020, on the lectionary reading Psalm 145 Thank you for welcoming me to your church this Sunday. It’s still your church, even if it’s via Zoom! It will be an interesting exercise for all churches to see what is worth keeping of this brave new online world and what is not. Some disabled people I know have told me ‘welcome to our world’ – they actually feel more included by the online services t Read More »

Book Review: Queer Prophets, curated by Ruth Hunt

  You had me at the introduction. It doesn’t quite have the rom-com ring to it that Renee Zellweger mustered in the original quote from the film Jerry Maguire ("You had me at hello")! But that’s the kind of intensity with which I love this book. And, in truth and in shame, I probably wouldn’t have read it if I hadn’t been asked to review it. I would have added it to the pile of ‘I really ought to read’ books - books I have Read More »

What does your God look like?

Cristo Negro (Black Christ) - Iglesia de San Filipe - Portobelo, Panama   Genesis 1.27 “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them.” John 14.9 “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”   What does your God look like? I suspect that for many of us, God looks either a bit like us, or a bit like what we think power looks like. I Read More »