Hi Everyone,

We have always sought to be a church that offers a warm welcome to all. As you might be aware, this year the PCC has been considering whether St. Wilfrid’s should join a growing body of churches that work together to do that as well as possible, known as The Inclusive Church Network.

The vision statement for this network states:

“We believe in an 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.”

Whilst this is an ambition that arguably every church should hope to live up to, the question we at PCC are asking ourselves is whether this is the best way for St. Wilfrid’s to go about that mission.

While the decision to join The Inclusive Church (IC) Network is technically one for PCC to make, we wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to contribute their thoughts or questions; this email is an invitation into that conversation.

Below you’ll see a bit of information about IC, and links to some videos to watch. They deal with a difficult subject (suicide) and can be a hard watch, but give a grounding to the work of IC.

If you have any questions please email me ([email protected]), Lizzie ([email protected]) or any member of PCC. You can also write any questions you have on paper and pop them in the Ask Me Anything (AMA) box at the back of Church. We’ll be having an AMA specifically about this issue on Sunday 12th May, which will feature visiting speaker Rev’d Tracy Milne, from the ‘Sorted’ congregation and priest in charge of St. James’ Church North Bradford, who will be able to share with us their journey with IC.

Thank You for being willing to help us discern the way forwards together.

Every Blessing,
Rob

IC’s Wider Agenda & Benefits in Joining
We truly wish to be a place where everyone in Calverley is welcome, and feels welcome, and need to be committed to looking at whatever barriers there are to that. IC would help us on that path, providing and producing resources to facilitate inclusion in churches focused on disability, ethnicity, gender, poverty, and mental health.

The IC philosophy coincides with our Intergenerational Worship Journey, our developing youth work, and our potential thoughts about our role in mental health, and a role in Dementia Inclusivity.

IC would help us look at how we include those of us with hearing and vision issues, people with ADHD, and other ways of being neurodiverse. Whenever we make church more inclusive for some it makes it easier for all of us to join in. St. Wilfrid’s being listed on the IC website would also make it easier for people looking for a safe, welcoming church to find us.

IC Videos
While IC’s agenda is a broad one, and I welcome the assistance they would bring in helping us to be more inclusive in every area such as disability, race and neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ issues are a significant factor in inclusivity, and were the spark to IC’s creation.

Two videos exploring one church’s experience of this are linked below in 2 parts. They are a hard watch, especially part one. It struck me profoundly that the church in question wasn’t anti-LGBTQ+, they just weren’t talking about sexuality and gender issues. I believe we are starting to talk about it, but can and should we do better? I also note the cost of the journey, that some people did not feel able to continue to worship there; this is a reminder of how carefully we must approach this subject.

Teenager Lizzie Lowe took her own life on 10th September 2014 because she didn't know how to be a Christian and Gay. Revd. Nicholas Bundock is interviewed by Revd. John Bell of the Iona Community as he talks about Lizzie and her legacy on their church, St. James and Emmanuel. This video has reflective questions for church groups at the end.
Click here to watch Part 1

John Bell of the Iona Community heard about Lizzie Lowe's death and decided it was time to speak about his sexuality publicly. In this film he's interviewed by Revd. Nicholas Bundock from Lizzie's church.
Click here to watch Part 2

Finally, whilst the Church of England’s continuing conversation on the Prayers of Love and Faith, a way of offering blessings to same sex couples, is a separate issue, we will also happily take any questions about this.