New Seasons

Spring is lauded as the season of new beginnings, where the depths of winter retreat behind increasingly warm days that also grow longer and longer as the months progress. Which is why it is somewhat painful for me to be writing this in 5°C, with wind gusts of up to 27mph making it feel like -2°C. Yes, this is being written in April, it’s just being written out of the comfort of the Gulf Stream, or my refuge in sunny Albania.

This blog is an opportunity for both Fr Lee and I to share some updates for you, both personal and for OneBodyOneFaith. For me, my news is of a new beginning that has taken me to the Maritimes in Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia. For the next few months, I will be serving First Baptist Church Halifax as their Interim Minister to enable the Revd Dr Rusty Edwards, their Senior Minister, to take his sabbatical. 

What a surprising opportunity! Back in 2019, when Rusty and I met in a Pret on New Oxford Street with my friend and Patron to OneBodyOneFaith, Revd Dawn Savidge, I had no inclination that I would find myself spending time ministering alongside the community here in Halifax. Through OneBodyOneFaith’s reach and intentional partnering, we are growing networks of progressive Christian leaders around the world, including Baptists. This intentionality, and the fair wind of the Spirit, not only nurtured space for my ordination in a Baptist tradition but has also enabled meaningful and genuine relationships to flourish.

In the six years since I was first appointed to lead this charity alongside our Board, we have seen significant shifts in the socio-political landscape, but also in the world of the Christian church and in the contexts of our siblings from other faith traditions. We have seen real highs, and some crushing lows. Whilst we have made progress, there is still so much to do. OneBodyOneFaith still plays an integral part in that, I believe this with conviction. Most significantly, post-pandemic, we have been able to deliver a strategy that has seen us stabilise our governance and membership, effectively seek funding opportunities, and grow our reach through our twin themes of safety and joy.

Next year, OneBodyOneFaith will be celebrating fifty years since our founding – a landmark achievement in an uncertain and turbulent world. We’ll be working towards the drafting of a new strategy for the end of 2026 onwards, looking to celebrate our anniversary in different and joyful ways, and continue our mission: so that LGBT+ Christians can thrive, not just survive. 

If this new chapter in my life has taught me anything, is that thriving is possible, even if it looks different to what we first expected, and even if the temperatures suddenly hover around zero in April… 

Over to you, Fr Lee!

Well, my news is that I’ve actually moved further north than Luke, but still in England … just! On the 2nd April I was installed and inducted as the new Vicar of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, the most northerly parish in the Church of England.  I’ve been living with discerning whether this was the right move for quite a few months, so for it to be a reality now is quite something.  And Charlie and I have arrived here at a good time, spring and just before Holy Week and Easter so we were able to enjoy that celebration in a new location with new people looking forward to a new future.  The weather was actually kind to us as well, but don’t tell Luke we managed to wear shorts for at least one day!

This won’t affect my role with OneBodyOneFaith, indeed the diocese of Newcastle has been very supportive of carrying on the role which has been very affirming.  So, I’m looking forward to all that the future brings both in a new parish and as we look ahead for OneBodyOneFaith.

One thing that will be changing soon is our Rhythm offering.  It’s been almost four years exactly since we first started talking and praying about what a dispersed community for LGBT+ Christians might look like.  In that time, we’ve held the weekly online prayer sessions, day retreats and our first weekend retreat.  We’ve established a core group of people with others dropping in as and when they can.  What we’ve been hearing is that people are really enjoying the community aspect and would like to see more of that alongside the opportunity to pray together.

So, from May Rhythm will move to a Tuesday evening at 6:30pm for an hour and will be held on the first Tuesday of every month.  We will spend some time praying and reflecting as we do usually, and then those who are able and want to can join in a virtual chat over a drink afterwards.  The first new look session will be on Tuesday 6th May at 6:30pm.  If you’ve already got the zoom link it will work for this, and if you haven’t drop us a line at hello@onebodyonefaith.org.uk and we’ll send you the link out.

The Easter season is an invitation to new life, whether that be physically moving locations, changes to our patterns, or seeing what opportunities there are for us to grow and develop in our faith and in our lives.  Easter is a call and promise that flourishing is what God desires for us.  Our prayer and hope is that we move forward, giving thanks for all that has been, we might be able to flourish together as LGBT+ people wonderfully and queerfuly made.

Revd Luke Dowding, CEO

Fr Lee Taylor, Chaplain to Rhythm and Member Care