Blessed are the Weary
Rest & Reflection on Disability, Value and God
Saturday 19 October/Sunday 20 October 2024
Our 13th annual conference on disability and theology, in partnership with St Martin in the Fields.
Saturday 19 October:
In place of a zoom conference we're holding space to explore and embody rest, and to reflect on ideas of value. We''re often judged by what we can do but what does this say about worth — and can rest be an act of resistance? We'll be practising what we're preaching in a retreat day of meditation, creativity, theology and liturgy, using a private website and Facebook group.
Sunday 20 October:
A special service from St Martin in the Fields will reflect on the conference theme, with liturgy written by members of its Disability Advisory Group. BSL available onsite. Then at teatime we'll gather on Zoom to share our experience and responses to the weekend.
Further details and registration coming soon. Follow us on social media or sign up to the conference mailing list : inclusive-church.org/disability-conference-updates
Generous Faith: Creating vibrant Christian communities, by Giles Goddard

Former Chair of Inclusive Church Giles Goddard embodies the story of the Church of England’s struggle to understand and accommodate differences in human sexuality.
From the paradox of feeling both excluded and called to the priesthood, to becoming the only openly gay priest on the Living in Love and Faith co-ordinating group, this book reflects on thirty years’ experience of trying to make the church more inclusive.
In his work as priest of St John’s Waterloo, he has continued to push the boundaries of inclusion, offering a prayer space for the Muslim community, welcoming refugees, the street homeless, and Extinction Rebellion activism.
Anyone who shares these dreams for the church will recognise themselves here: Giles is a kind of everyman for everyone whose faith and work bring them into conflict with the stance of the Church. The story is told through the lens of the Christian year with its seasons of preparation, retreat and growth.
ISBN: 9781786225610
Available from the publishers Canterbury Press and from retailers.
Diocese of Exeter: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the first women priests
Some of the first women to be ordained as priests in the Church of England have taken part in a celebration to mark the 30th anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood. The eleven women who had been ordained in 1994 included the Acting Bishop of Exeter, the Right Reverend Jackie Searle. They were joined by other women clergy from across Devon for a special choral evensong at Exeter Cathedral and celebration event in the Bishop’s Palace Garden on Wednesday 10 July. The first women’s ordinations took place in March 1994 following years of campaigning by equal rights groups. The first women were ordained priests in Exeter Diocese on 26 June 1994. Bishop Jackie, who was ordained at St Paul’s Cathedral in 1994 while eight months pregnant, was visibly moved as she addressed the anniversary gathering of women priests. She said “It’s been an incredible privilege for me to be part of this journey, to see how women are flourishing in ministry in Devon and how far this Diocese has come.” This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the first woman to be priested in 1944 and the 10th anniversary of the first woman to be consecrated as a bishop in 2014. The Reverend Prebendary Samantha Stayte was interviewed on BBC Radio Devon about the service at the weekend. To listen to the full interview, click here (around 1hr 38mins into the programme). Click here to read the full news story on the Diocese of Exeter website.
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