How to be a good Christian ally - New resource for progressive churches and communities
Cover image of Affirming Christianity: How to be a good Christian ally resource. Contributors include Revd Dr Alex Clare-Young, Co-Chair of the Open Table Network.
AS NATIONAL Christian traditions continue to argue over their stance on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people, the Student Christian Movement (SCM) and OneBodyOneFaith have joined together to publish a resource for churches who want to grow not only as allies to LGBTQ+ people but also in their own faith too.
Rather than debate Biblical verses that cause disagreement, this short course seeks to offer ways to explore the idea of allyship in the Bible, and as a church, as well as to learn from LGBTQ+ stories.
How To Be A Good Christian Ally is the first in the Affirming Christianity series, a project led by SCM, in partnership with other progressive Christian organisations.
Revd Naomi Nixon, CEO of SCM, says:
‘We believe that the future of the church is affirming. Campaigning to get there is important, but we also need to prepare for that future. We want to create discipleship resources which inspire and equip affirming Christians for the years ahead, for the future God is calling us into.’
Intentionally simple and accessible, the structure of the course introduces key principles, bible studies and exercises, as well as a video made by students to convey their experiences and identities. It is a dynamic, engaging, and thought-provoking resource that is a timely and necessary addition to the ongoing national dialogue.
One student said:
‘Allyship isn’t just saying quietly to the queer person you know, “We’re glad to have you here.” That’s just being a reasonable human being. Allyship is going out and actually doing something about it.’
Luke Dowding, Chief Executive Officer of OneBodyOneFaith adds:
‘This resource is moving the conversation forwards. Whilst it remains important to have the challenging debates, it’s vital that we don’t forget about our churches who are seeking support in their journey in how to be a good ally to LGBTQ+ people. OneBodyOneFaith is delighted to partner with SCM on this, continuing our work so that LGBTQ+ people can thrive, not just survive.’
The course, edited by SCM CEO Revd Naomi Nixon includes contributions from Co-Chair of OneBodyOneFaith Jarel Robinson-Brown, Co-Chair of the Open Table Network Alex Clare-Young and Associate Chaplain at the University of Edinburgh Urzula Glienecke.