Tag: Same-sex marriage

Vatican statement declares blessing same-sex relationships is ‘illicit’

The Catholic Church’s office for promoting its teaching authority has issued a statement in response to a question: ‘Does the Church have the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex?’ The answer is ‘Negative’, in more ways than one. I wrote this response on behalf of The Open Table Network:

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2021/03/15/vatican-statement-declares-blessing-same-sex-relationships-is-illicit/

So what’s the story? Thank you for asking!

TODAY is the day that the person who inspired me to begin sharing my story steps down as the President of the Methodist Conference, the governing body of the Methodist Church of Great Britain. Barbara Glasson was the Methodist Minister for Liverpool City Centre from 1999-2009. During this time I encountered the community she led, …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2020/06/27/so-whats-the-story-thank-you-for-asking/

Forbidden Love – #BreakingTheSilence for #IDAHOTB

Last week I found a copy of a short film portraying different sayings about love (love is timeless, love hurts, love is blind) made by a group of students from Liverpool John Moores University. My husband Warren and I were asked to speak about ‘Forbidden Love’ – the church’s teaching on same-sex relationships.

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2020/05/17/forbidden-love-breakingthesilence-for-idahotb/

Being the role model I needed to see on my #JourneyOfHope

THIS is the story I shared as part of the Radical Hospitality module of the Journey Of Hope pilgrimage: About two years ago, I dreamed that I travelled back in time and saw myself as a teenager. My younger self approached me and gave me a hug. The day before, I had visited a secondary …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2019/05/30/being-the-role-model-i-needed-to-see-on-my-journeyofhope/

Here I stand – The second step on the #JourneyOfHope

LAST MONTH I wrote about becoming a participant on the Journey of Hope pilgrimage of training in ‘Christian peace-building and reconciliation… to inspire and equip Christian leaders to become skilled practitioners of reconciliation in their churches and communities.’ reconcilerstogether.co.uk On the brink of the second step on this journey, I wrote about the first – …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2019/03/18/here-i-stand-the-second-step-on-the-journeyofhope/

The book I wish I had written – Queer and Catholic: A Life Of Contradiction by Mark Dowd

THIS BLOG began as I turned 42 in 2012, as: an attempt to be heard, not just for myself, but for other lesbian, gay and bisexual Christians who struggle with their sexual orientation in faith communities that judge them, at best, to be defective heterosexuals, rather than recognising and valuing the gifts and insights that embracing their …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2018/11/18/the-book-i-wish-i-had-written-queer-and-catholic-a-life-of-contradiction-by-mark-dowd/

Marriage equality – why is it important for faith communities?

AUSTRALIA HAS VOTED in favour of marriage equality for LGBTI people – the results were announced on Wednesday and greeted with joy and expectation that the law will now change to make it so. As my husband is Australian, I have followed the campaign with interest. We had a civil partnership in May 2012 – …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2017/11/18/marriage-equality-why-is-it-important-for-faith-communities/

‘Will it be Open Table?’ Our history, mission, vision & values

OPEN TABLE – an ecumenical Christian worship community which offers a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church – has been a richly rewarding ministry at St Bride’s Liverpool since June 2008. St Bride’s relaunched in November 2007 with a …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2017/11/13/will-it-be-open-table-our-history-mission-vision-values/

How little did I know – Blogging five years on

FIVE YEARS AGO today I began this blog – little did I know then that: having ‘come out of the church‘ in 2011, I would return to a different church where my husband and I would be accepted, encouraged and authorised as lay leaders (though still with limitations because we are married) little more than …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2017/08/31/how-little-did-i-know-blogging-five-years-on/

#YouAreHere – A pop-up museum of Liverpool LGBT+ History

This week I was proud to be part of the You Are Here LGBT+ history pop-up exhibition at Tate Liverpool.       I loaned the Liverpool Echo report on our civil partnership (the first to be registered in a UK place of worship, at Ullet Road Unitarian Church…     …and the 2014 Being Proud …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://abravefaith.com/2016/12/03/youarehere-a-popup-museum-of-liverpool-lgbt-history/

Load more