Gathered worship could be referred to as our ‘re-imagination station’ for faith, the time when we come together as Christians to uphold, equip and support each other, through the power of God, for whatever life may throw at us. For LGBT+ people, however, this vital element of discipleship development can often, still, be denied them. The Metropolitan Congregation of Wilbraham St Ninians’s United Reformed Church in Chorlton in South Manchester attracts people from far and wide, many of whom have experienced rejection in other churches both in the UK and beyond. Perhaps most interestingly, it does so not by offering something different to those churches, but precisely because it seeks to offer what they offer, with radical openness, generosity and compassion.
Meeting in a traditional church building, the first thing worshippers are greeted with apart from a warm, authentic welcome, is a hymn book and a folder with several orders of service in English and French used with the changing seasons of the liturgical year. You’d be forgiven, at first glance, for wondering what makes this congregation so special.
The thing which sets this folder aside from many others on offer, though, is the fact that each service merges words and traditions from across the theological spectrum. Material from the URC worship folder sits alongside liturgy from a variety of church traditions (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Iona etc.), together with contemporary poetry and newly written material - for worship in a Reformed setting, in a way that guides everyone through a journey of worship which connects with cultures and methods from around the globe. Many attenders are Francophone Africans, so French is printed alongside to ensure as much inclusivity as possible.
Elder and lay preacher Walt Johnson said, “Quite regularly, when someone opens up to their friends and family about their sexuality or gender identity, they are unable to continue worshipping in the place or tradition in which they feel closest to God. They miss the familiarity, the rituals, the words, the means of approaching and responding to God. It is very important for us to provide that for people who have faced rejection and neglect: we are Walking the Way of Jesus more closely here and in the rest of our lives, sourced in all the things we need from a worship experience.”
The congregation originally came into being through as part of Metropolitan Community Church, an LGBT+ denomination founded in the USA. In 2009, it needed a new space to meet. It found a loving welcome at Wilbraham St Ninian’s United Reformed Church in Chorlton and, over years of building relationships and supporting each other, eventually became an official congregation of that local church, fully involving itself in the life of the URC, which has been to the great benefit of both the congregation itself and the wider denomination, including four people on the road to becoming Ministers of Word and Sacrament.
Are there fellow believers in your community facing rejection? How might your church help them? Could you invite them to worship with you? Could you offer them a space to worship? Have a look at the Metropolitan Congregation’s website for inspiration.
