Inclusive Church were there for us when we really needed them. In 2014 following the high-profile suicide of teenager Lizzie Lowe, who was a much-loved member of our church, we were flailing around looking to other people for support. The coroner’s hearing pinpointed the conflict between Lizzie’s faith and her sexuality as a key factor […]
I grew up at St Martin-in-the-Fields where inclusion was seldom mentioned but usually practised. One of my godfathers was a gay priest who had served there and the community largely supported the ordination of women, particularly since Joyce Bennett ministered among us from 1984. The 1998 Lambeth Conference declaration was a bombshell; some LGBT+ close […]
I guess I’m the least likely person ever to find themselves wanting to be at the heart of Inclusive Church: white, male, fifty-years married, conventionally healthy in mind and body, Church of England priest, Oxford educated, financially secure, “establishment” to the core … and until I was nominated as a trustee, I had never even […]
I first came across Inclusive Church when our church decided to ‘come out’ as inclusive. We realised that if we wanted people to know they would be welcomed and accepted, then we needed to tell them. So we contacted Inclusive Church and the now, ‘OneBodyOneFaith’ and registered with both. We wanted to go beyond just […]
I first came across Inclusive Church at Greenbelt Festival, and I remember thinking ‘that’s what church should be!’ Bob Callaghan was on the stall chatting to people, and I think I made a comment about being pleased to see his organisation present (for those who aren’t aware, he was the National Coordinator before me). Some […]
I guess I became aware of Inclusive Church when our Parochial Church Council agreed to apply for membership, quite a few years ago. We had always tried to be inclusive and welcoming, and Inclusive Church’s principles seemed to line up with what we sought to do. I didn’t realise just how much this might mean […]
I had known and heard of Inclusive Church for some time before I got involved with it – I am a PhD researcher and knew that they had an annual disability conference which I ought to go to, given my thesis is on autistic people and religious/humanist groups. I’ve always felt an outsider within church […]
I first came across Inclusive Church in 2017, when I invited Ruth Wilde and Peterson Toscano to the church on their UK tour. I am a church minister of Hull Community Church, and over 25 years we had moved from being a conservative evangelical church, to fully inclusive and registering the church for same-sex weddings. […]
I think my first involvement was an invite to Young Inclusive Church in Waterloo back in 2012. Then I somehow became YIC liaison on the board before being persuaded to stand for election at the next AGM. Those 8 years have included my entire process of ordination from first exploration to post-curate; but through becoming […]