Inclusion

We aim to be a church that is inclusive of all, including those who are LGBTQ+. This is our intention, though we are aware that we still have much to learn.
We recognise the importance of clarity with what we mean by being LGBTQ+ inclusive so here’s a little more detail…
As with everyone who comes to St Mary’s you are welcome here on your own terms and like anyone else, we’d love to encourage you to serve and lead in any area of the church according to your gifts. We are blessed at St Mary’s to have many LGBTQ+ members, both individuals and couples, who serve and lead in our Sunday services, small groups, worship band, kids and youth teams. We understand the importance of representation so we also invite LGBTQ+ guest speakers from time to time.

In terms of limitations, same sex marriage is not yet legal in the Church of England so we regret that we are unable to perform marriages or blessings for same sex couples. We also won’t necessarily endorse all aspects of wider LGBTQ+ political agendas (or other political agendas) as we believe the church is primarily called to extend the kingdom of God and not into politics.
 
We would love to meet you at one of our services soon!

Meet Peter

LGBTQ+ Member of our PCC

Peter has been a member of St Mary's since 2020 and is part of a small group, the LGBT gatherings and primarily attends the evening service. He is involved in the worship team, regularly playing keyboard and leading worship.

Get in touch with us

We organise termly LGBTQ+ gatherings and  host conferences open to the wider church.
Sign up below to be added to our database, and we will be in touch. 
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Resources

John Peters 'Holy Sheet'
Marcus Green 'We Need To Talk About Sexuality'
The Possibility of Difference
Marcus Green
Marcus Green makes three startlingly honest confessions. His first, that he is an Anglican; his second, that he is an evangelical; and finally, his third, that he is gay.  In this compelling, compassionate and absolutely crucial book Marcus explores attitudes towards homosexuality in the Christian faith and offers a theology of inclusion.
Undivided
Vicky Beeching
A household name in churches in the UK and US by her thirties, but faced with a major health crisis, at she decided to tell the world that she was gay. As a result, she lost her music career and livelihood, faced threats from traditionalists, developed further health issues from the stress, and had to rebuild her life almost from scratch. Despite all of this Vicky became a champion for others, fighting for LGBT equality in the church and in the corporate sector. 
Queer Prophets
Ruth Hunt
Modern-day epistles from  writers of different faiths and backgrounds. Jeanette Winterson tackles religious dogma, Rev. John Bell writes about his decision to come out later in life, Kate Bottley talks about becoming an LGBT ally and our very own Lucy Knight shares her experience of growing up as a gay Christian.