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 heard of IC. How embarrassing is that?

But when you start at the bottom, the only way is up. Over the six years of our association, I have more to thank IC for than I can ever say. So my special word is to anyone who thinks they don’t tick the inclusion boxes: join us, and you will see yourself in a new light.

As a boy in Sussex I went to a church that had an ethnic minority curate (a rarity 65 years ago). He gave me a communion book with some pictures of Mary, Joseph and Jesus as a black family in apartheid South Africa, and with other more conventional pictures showing Jesus and his disciples as Europeans. It never struck me as odd. I just took the mixture for granted.

Fast forward twenty years. I was now a priest with my own church in that same Sussex town, putting on a passion play with the youth club. Without a second thought I asked one of the girls to act the role of Jesus. Her personal qualities plus a recent family tragedy made her the obvious choice. It was only decades later, looking back from the perspective of IC, that I saw how extraordinary it had been at the time to have a girl playing Jesus.

Just two examples of how IC has made me aware of an inclusive truth I must have known all along: Jesus was simply human; he transcended race and gender. In all my ministry, education rather than pastoral care has been my main focus. It has taken Inclusive Church—an educational charity—to help me know myself.

We should all thank God for the existence of a charity like Inclusive Church, making the church a better place through education and self-awareness.

Anthony Freeman is Secretary of the IC Board of Trustees.

You can support the work of Inclusive Church by volunteering or donating. Get in touch with the National Coordinator to find out more about becoming a Regional Ambassador or volunteering in other ways. Donate through the website below.

IC blogs and news

This month, there is a challenging new sermon by Ruth on the blog. It was delivered to St Peter's Lapal and St Kenelm's Romsley in Halesowen on the 10th October (for Harvest festival). It is entitled 'Do not worry about what you will eat' and you can have a read of it on the IC website.

The Disability Conference and the General Synod campaign were great successes this month. More to follow on these aspects of IC's work in future newsletters - we'll have videos from the conference and more on the results of the campaign from campaign coordinator, Nic Tall. Watch this space!

Other news

Although the Disability Conference videos are not yet available to watch, you can hear Sam Wells' sermon from the Sunday and the whole Sunday service on St Martin-in-the-Fields' Facebook page.

Some of our partners and supporters have been involved with a new film project produced and made by Stonewall. It is called Less and is a documentary about homelessness within the queer community through the spotlight of faith and culture. Read more on Stonewall Housing's website.

The Ozanne Foundation and partners have launched a survey on safeguarding, which you may be interested to take part in. There is an article about it on Pink News.

There are some new jobs being advertised on the Quakers in Britain website. You do not have to be a Quaker to apply.

Some churches have been celebrating IC Sunday, which you can celebrate on any day you wish to in the year. West Kirby parish sent us the below report.

PARISH OF WEST KIRBY ST BRIDGET WITH CALDY

"We are an Inclusive Parish on the Wirral Peninsula, in the Diocese of Chester, and celebrate Inclusive Church Sunday in both our Churches each year (Covid permitting!). This year it was 10th October, coinciding with World Mental Health Day. Our Rector, the Rev’d Alex Williams, produced a special Oder of Service for our Parish Communion, aided by the resources on the Inclusive Church website. The hymns included Living God, your word has called us, As tranquil streams that meet and merge, and Broken for me. Our choir pinned rainbow ribbons to their surplices. Instead of a sermon at St Bridget’s we had an interview with Andrew, a parishioner who has worked in the field of mental illness, raising important questions about our welcome and care for people who may cause a disturbance. The intercessions – with plenty of inclusive content – were written and led by Trevor (pictured), who has impaired speech following oral surgery but I think we understood about 90% of his words. We had a good turnout of about 70, with more joining us at home via YouTube. One good thing to have come from this pandemic is that housebound people who were previously excluded can and do now worship with us."

We have a great network of ambassadors covering different parts of England and Wales. They are the representatives of Inclusive Church on the ground. You can find out who the ambassadors are - and where they are - by looking on the Regional Ambassadors page of our website.

Details of the role description for ambassadors is also available on the website. If you want to be an ambassador for your area, get in touch with the National Coordinator.

Update from Herefordshire ambassador, Kathy Bland:

"Hereford Diocese Inclusive Church Forum has Clive Stafford Smith speaking via Zoom at our Annual meeting on Thursday November 18th in the evening. I'm still finalising refreshments and talk timings for those attending the 'in person' event so I don't yet have a booking form or publicity." If you'd like to find out more about this, please email Kathy (her email address is on the IC website). There should be more info available soon.

Every Wednesday, between 6 and 6.30pm, OneBodyOneFaith are hosting an online space for prayer called 'Rhythm'. Find out more on their website.

PCN are hosting the final Marcus Borg memorial conference on the 19th October. It is entitled Progressive Christianity: Hope for the Future? To find out more and book, go to the PCN website.

From the 29th to the 31st October, Holyrood House are offering a residential LGBTQI+ retreat led by Urs Mattmann, a psychotherapist and Christian author on spirituality. You can find out more on the Holyrood House website. 

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The content of the newsletter is drawn from a number of sources including individuals and partner organisations. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect a 'formal viewpoint' of the Inclusive Church trustees, individual members of Inclusive Church or registered inclusive churches.

You can see an online version of this newsletter and previous newsletters by going to the newsletters page of the IC website.