At our AGM on our last Sunday before lockdown, we voted to register with Inclusive Church, and following a meeting of their trustees, our application has now been accepted. That means we join other churches in gathering around a shared vision:
We believe in 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.
You can find out more about Inclusive Church, and see our listing, by visiting their website.
We also agreed our own statement of welcome, which speaks of who we are and wish to be.
Here at Stoneygate Baptist Church, we seek to welcome all people. That means that whatever your background, beliefs, sexuality, gender identity, ethnicity, health or ability, you will be included as one of the family. Anyone who professes Christian faith may be baptised, anyone who wants to commit to the church may seek membership, and anyone who is so called and gifted may lead or serve. We are not perfect and we don’t have all the answers, so we know we will make mistakes and we won’t always agree with one another, but we are committed to listening and learning and loving. If that sounds like the sort of community you would like to be a part of, we would love for you to join us.
This is a really significant time in our history, recognising what has long been one of the hallmarks of SBC, that we are "a church for all".