Dear all,

I am taking the opportunity to send a broadcast message to everyone that Inclusive Church has contact details for, to formally introduce myself, say hello, and ensure you have my email address. (Which is natco@inclusive-church.org). I can see from our database that many of you aren’t in regular correspondence with us or subscribed to the monthly newsletter. If you’d like to change that, please let me know. 

In August I was appointed and began work as the National Coordinator of Inclusive Church, for the coming year. I’ve included a short bio at the end of this letter for those who would appreciate it, while acknowledging that that will not be all of you! My background and experience is largely CofE based but be assured I am far from convinced that the Anglican way is the only, or even the best, way - and I look forward to building up a more thorough knowledge and appreciation of the different denominations connected to IC. My role involves trying to hold in balance the day to day logistics and operational workings of IC with a decent understanding of the bigger picture, a hoped for direction of travel and our role in it, and where and how we intersect with others. 

Since becoming NatCo, I’ve been immersing myself in learning the intricacies that make up the ‘behind the scenes’ side of IC and (re)opening lines of communication with various members and affiliate/partner/parallel organisations. I loved meeting some of you at Greenbelt and through various events since then, and hearing the strides we're making towards a more inclusive church is truly inspiring. It feels like the tide is turning, with a stronger and growing voice calling for inclusion—an effort Inclusive Church is keen to equip and encourage.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that remaining silent—or even just quiet—can sometimes be misinterpreted as indifference or a reluctance to see meaningful, inclusive progress. I know many of us share a commitment to being welcoming, affirming, and open in our communities, even if we may not always say so directly or recognize the need to express it openly. While I understand the reluctance to ‘rock the boat,’ it’s important that we do. Inclusive Church are here to educate and equip individuals and communities on their journey toward inclusion, rather than campaigning outright—but by ‘raising our collective voice,’ we strengthen the movement for a more inclusive Church. Many of you may be members of churches where there is a widening gap between the leadership’s position and the will of the community. This can be very painful and difficult to navigate, I hope that Inclusive Church may be a source of support for those in that position.

We Need Your Input!

To help shape our next steps, we’re running a survey—now in its final month. Your input is valuable and welcomed, even if you’re not a member of Inclusive Church. The more voices we hear, the better informed we will be as we develop plans for building and making further progress.

The survey is available until 30th November 2024, so please respond before then! I’d be very happy if you could also share and encourage others to participate in the survey too.

This email is going to everyone we have contact information for on file to make sure no one misses a chance to participate. If this also prompts you to explore joining Inclusive Church officially, sign up for the newsletter, or even consider making a financial donation to Inclusive Church, we would be delighted! It also gives you the opportunity to ask to be removed from our files if you'd prefer that.

In the new year, I will also begin recruiting to our network of Inclusive Church Regional Ambassadors—another way to get involved. You can also follow us on Facebook for more informal updates and announcements.

Growing Together

Inclusive Church is continually expanding, with new churches joining each month, which is really encouraging to see. It does however leave us with the most excellent challenge of needing to update some of our data handling systems to ensure we can keep pace with this growth and increase our effectiveness. The survey is part of that. As I am sifting files there are some anomalies being unearthed which are not always easily deciphered and reconciled. If you are aware of, or suspect we may have out-of-date information on you and/or your church, or there are gaps in our knowledge - eg. you make a regular financial donation but it isn’t easily identified as coming from you! Please get in touch with me, your proactive response will be incredibly helpful.

Due to some reduced resources and capacity over the last few years, there have been some missed connections and a lack of follow up on some areas. Please accept my apologies for this. If this has happened to you, please do message again. I will do my best to follow up, but bear with me as I’m a part-time coordinator, and the task is large! 

Supporting Inclusive Church

Over the coming months, we’ll be reflecting on how to update our processes so we can continue to grow sustainably. We hope to establish a path for member churches to review and re-affirm their commitment, recognising that joining Inclusive Church is a step on a journey rather than a destination. Your insights via the survey will be invaluable in shaping this vision.

Thank you for being part of this journey towards a more inclusive and just church. I look forward to connecting, celebrating our progress, and working together to amplify our collective voice.

Please, do keep in touch!

Warmly,

Rev’d Chantal Noppen
National Coordinator, Inclusive Church