OTN trustee speaks at Methodist Church webinar exploring safer church welcome for LGBT+ people
Augustine Tanner-Ihm is an African-American minister, facilitator, speaker, presenter, educator and an equality, diversity and inclusion consultant. He is currently a curate at St James & Emmanuel, Manchester, and is pursuing a second doctorate in Leadership and Organizational Psychology from Bakke Graduate University in Dallas, Texas. He was also the winner of the 2020 Church Times Theology Slam competition, speaking on Theology and Race.
WATCH Augustine’s video intro to the Open Table Network [2.5 mins]
BRITAIN’S FOURTH LARGEST Christian denomination has hosted an online event to explore how to safely welcome LGBT+ people in its churches.
The Methodist Church hosted its LGBT+ Safeguarding Webinar on Zoom on 24th January 2023, as part of an ongoing commitment to its God In Love Unites Us process of discernment on marriage and relationships.
The God In Love Unites Us process began in 2018 and reached a moment of decision at Methodist Conference, the national church’s governing body, which affirmed the resolution that:
‘marriage is understood in two ways: that marriage can only be between a man and a woman; that marriage can be between any two people. The Methodist Church affirms both understandings’
Among the speakers was OTN trustee Revd Dr Augustine Tanner-Ihm, who spoke passionately about the intersection of being LGBT+ and from an ethnic minority background. WATCH HERE [c10mins] OR watch the whole webinar below.
Augustine has previously recorded a short introduction: ‘What is intersectionality?’ for the Gathering Voices conference in October 2022.
Other speakers included:
Revd Charity Nzegwu, Co-Chair of the Methodist Church’s Justice, Dignity and Solidarity Committee, which aims to pomote equality, diversity and inclusion across the church
Revd Dr Karl Rutlidge, a trans minister who spoke about conversion therapy, the misuse of scripture to target LGBT+ people, and appropriate and inclusive Christian pastoral responses to someone coming out or questioning
Sarah Hagger-Holt, author of Living It Out: A survival guide for lesbian, gay and bi Christians, their friends, families and churches, who shared stories of lived experience from LGBT+ people in local churches and reflecting on what the church did / could have done to make those people feel more welcome
Revd Ashley Cooper, Principal of Cliff College, who acknowledged that traditionalists have hurt LGBT+ people and explored the distinction between theological conviction and homophobia, how Methodists who believe that marriage can only be between a man and a woman can continue to live alongside Methodists who believe that marriage can be between two people of any gender
Revd Delyth Liddell, Coordinating Chaplain at Cardiff University and leader of The Gathering, an LGBT+-affirming ministry, who spoke of the toll taken on LGBT+ people’s mental health by coming to church, living with contradictory convictions, and how people who believe that marriage can be between two people of any gender ‘have not arrived lightly at their ideas that traditional teaching needs to change’ [Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby].
Methodist Church LGBT+ Safeguarding Webinar - 24 January 2023. Watch here [1hr 40 mins] OR click Watch on YouTube above to search the video for particular speakers.