fruitful
2024
A day conference for LGBTQ+
inclusive evangelicals and allies
at St Mary’s, Bryanston Square
Saturday 11th May 2024 10am - 5pm
Up and down the country many evangelical and charismatic churches have already fully welcomed and integrated the ministries and gifts of LGBTQ+ people. Many more are on a journey to doing so.
This is a day conference for everyone who is on that journey, and an invitation to come and see the good fruit of what God has been doing in our churches.
Everyone is invited, whether you’re joyfully LGBTQ+ yourself, or simply wanting to see our churches become more welcoming, whether you’ve been in a church that embraced LGBTQ+ folks for decades, or you’re at the very beginning of your journey towards inclusion and you still have lots of questions.
who are we?
The conference is a collaboration between St Mary’s London, a large charismatic Anglican church in Marylebone, and Two:23, an LGBTQ+ inclusive worship gathering which meets at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church.
We bring together voices from across the evangelical spectrum, including Baptist, Anglican, Pentecostal, and Black majority churches.
You can email us at hello@fruitful2024.com or click here to book.
the day
09.45 Doors Open
10.00 Coffee
10.30 Opening Worship with Talk
11.20 Coffee
11.45 Seminars
12.45 Lunch* featuring movie premiere
14.00 Seminars
15.00 Coffee
15.30 Worship with teaching & prayer ministry
Scroll down for details of seminars or click here.
*Lunch is not provided, but there are many lunch options on Baker Street, or bring a packed lunch.
location
Fruitful 2024 will take place at St Mary’s, Bryanston Square, which is located in Marylebone in central London, nearest tubes Marylebone and Baker Street. Find it on Google maps here.
St Mary’s Church
Wyndham Place, York Street
London
W1H 1PQ
St Mary’s has step-free access throughout, for more information click here.
Click here to book.
booking
Ticket costs are as follows:
Regular ticket - £35
Concession ticket - £25
We are really keen that nobody stays away because of money, so if you like to come but can’t manage the concession price, just let us know.
Alternatively, if you’re in a position to subsidise someone else, you can pay the supporter rate of £50.
Coffee, tea and pastries provided. Feel free to bring lunch or there are lots of lunch places on Baker Street.
Click here to book.
seminars
Seminar
leading your church into inclusivity
Come and join a discussion with evangelical church leaders who have made the journey towards LGBTQ+ inclusion in their church.
With
John Peters, St Mary’s London
Paul & Maureen Bailey, Regeneration Project
Simon & Keely Bateson, Riverside Church Whitstable
Seminar
post-traumatic growth - finding our voice through worship
Charismatic worship can be an environment where we experience control and abuse. But it can also be a place where we can meet with God again, experience healing from the effects of our trauma and rediscover who God made us to be.
With
Seminar
how to be a good christian ally to LGBTQ+ people
I’m not gay or transgender myself, but I want to support people who are. How can I do that well?
The Student Christian Movement work with students across the country to support them in their faith including integrating their faith and identity. They have developed a series of resources to help individuals (and churches) be supportive and safe to LGBTQ+ people.
With
Naomi Nixon, CEO of SCM
Tom Packer-Stucki, SCM & St Mary’s London
Seminar
supporting Lgbtq+ youth - an interactive workshop
If you have young people under 18 in your family or church, you will have noticed that their understanding and approach to gender and sexuality can be very different to those of us over 30. Will has decades of experience working with young people, and in helping other youth organisations work in a way that is inclusive and most importantly, safe.
With
Will Willmott, Frontier Youth Trust
Seminar
jesus and justice
Stories of radical Christian living from around the UK as featured in Red Letter Christians’ new book “Jesus and Justice”. Be inspired by ideas of what God can do through all of us, LGBTQ+ or straight/cisgender, when we focus on the kin-dom of God and follow Jesus with all our hearts and minds.
With
Sally Mann, Anji Baker, Cathy Chapman, Faith van Horne, Danielle Wilson
Film
fruits of the spirit
Fruits of the Spirit is a short 16 minute movie telling the story of Maddy and Carys, two women on the worship band of their local church who fall in love with one another.
It was written and directed by Georgia Day, LGBTQ+ Community Link Worker at the The Gathering, an LGBTQ+ church in Cardiff. Released in January 2024, we’ll be showing the film on the big screen in the lunch break.
Producer Georgia Day will show the film and answer questions about how and why it was made, and how it could be used.
With
Georgia Day, Writer, Director & Producer
Del Liddell, the Gathering Cardiff
Seminar
refocusing faithfulness
Refocusing Faithfulness is a six week course which explores the Biblical basis for LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Written by Peter Russell and Chris Hassell of St Mary’s London, the course has drawn many back to faith and is currently being piloted in different church contexts around the country.
Join Peter and Chris for a taster of the course followed by a Q&A on scripture and inclusion.
With
Peter Russell, St Mary’s London
Chris Hassell, St Mary’s London
people
JOHN PETERS
St Mary’s London
John is the leader of St Mary’s, Bryanston Square - a charismatic Anglican church in central London. In more recent times, the church took the decision to become inclusive with the result that LGBTQ+ people are involved in all areas of ministry - and literally nobody has died. It has been a privilege to see many previously rejected people from within this tradition find a home and start to engage their gifts whilst being true to their identity.
STEVE CHALKE
Oasis
Steve Chalke is a social entrepreneur, justice campaigner, author, motivational speaker, broadcaster, church leader and former UN Special Advisor on Human Trafficking. Steve trained in theology and in 1985 founded the Oasis Trust – which has now grown into a large group of charities – which he still leads.
CARRIE & DAVID GRANT
The Space
The Space Church has been running for fourteen years and is a community of diverse and multi-hyphenate people who together explore inclusive faith, recovery from trauma caused by high control religion, how to remain authentic to oneself whilst holding a Christian faith and how that might work in community. Worship is central to that exploration. The church is set in David and Carrie Grant’s home.
SIMON & KEELY BATESON
Riverside Church Whitstable
Simon & Keely are the Lead Pastors of Riverside Church in Whitstable. After ministering and raising four children in Birmingham they felt a call to a new adventure which led them to help Riverside transition into a new building and a new future. They love family, food, a good box set and exploring Kent in their little green MGF.
MAUREEN BAILEY
Regeneration Project
Maureen Bailey is an award-winning experienced equalities coach. mentor, trainer providing
one-to-one support for women and girls and their families, including professionals. She co-leads Regeneration Project, a community of disciples of Jesus based in Mitcham, south London, who actively work to be radically inclusive.
PAUL BAILEY
Regeneration Project
Paul is currently the Business and Development Manager of an outstanding Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and the Joint Director of The Regeneration Project, a radically inclusive faith community.
ROSE JONES
Emmanuel Woodley
Rose is the vicar of Emmanuel Woodley, which she leads with her civil partner Claire. She is passionate about the church’s call to be a reconciled and reconciling community in a divided world, and works particularly in the area of human sexuality and church conflict. A former worship pastor, she can often be found behind an instrument, writing songs or talking theology down the pub.
WILL WILLMOTT
Frontier Youth Trust
I have been involved with youth most of my adult life, in church and secular environments. I started in LGBTQ+ youth over 12 years ago, spending my time supporting young people and the adults involved in their lives. I also work with youth and faith organisations to help them continually work on improving inclusion, currently for Frontier Youth Trust.
JEREMY MARKS
Post-Courage
Since September 1987 Jeremy has been working full time to provide pastoral care for LGBTQ+ Christians, most of that time under the ministry name of ‘Courage’. Jeremy led Courage from being ex-gay to become an LGBTQ-affirming ministry. Find out more about Jeremy’s journey here.
TOM PACKER_STUCKI
SCM
Tom served as the Chair of Trustees for the Student Christian Movement from 2019-2023 and is also a member of St Mary’s London. Tom is now a PhD student in Linguistics at Queen Mary University of London. From a Pentecostal background, he is particularly interested in inclusion in the charismatic church and building relationships between affirming Christians of different denominations.
NAOMI NIXON
SCM
Naomi is CEO of the Student Christian Movement which has been at the forefront of putting progressive theology into action for over a century. As an Anglican priest, in addition to parish ministry, she has worked in clergy training, college chaplaincy and is currently assistant pioneer minister at St Clare’s at Coventry Cathedral.
CHRIS HASSELL
St Mary’s London
Chris is ordained in the Church of England and currently serves at St Mary’s Church, Bryanston Square (PTO). Chris helps to look after the LGBTQ+ community at St Mary’s, including co-writing and leading a course exploring the Biblical basis for LGBTQ+ inclusion, Refocusing Faithfulness. Chris is passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ Christians reconcile their faith and their sexuality and to stand tall as the people God created them to be.
RACHEL HUMPHREY
Two:23
Rachel is one of the ministers of Bonny Downs Baptist Church, a part time primary school teacher and is preparing for a PhD in safeguarding in the context of charismatic worship. She is on the leadership team of Two:23 and is getting married to Pippa in May.
PETER RUSSELL
Two:23 & St Mary’s London
Peter Russell is part of St Mary’s London and also the 2:23 Team. At St Mary’s he helps look after the LGBTQ+ community and leads worship as well as being a member of the PCC. With Chris Hassell he has developed ‘Refocusing Faithfulness’, a 6 week course looking at the Biblical case for inclusion which is currently being developed for use outside of St Mary’s. Peter is a keen musician, enjoys walking in the countryside, and is a solicitor by profession.
ALEX HUZZEY
Two:23
Alex is a founder member of Two:23, an LGBTQ+ inclusive worship gathering in London. He’s been with his partner Dave for 21 years, has two daughters, and is vicar of an inclusive evangelical Anglican church in St Albans.
MATT CRISP
Two:23
Matt is a founder member of Two23. He enjoys church expressions online, in neighbourhood homes and among the LGBT+ community. In Portsmouth for over 30 years, he’s a GP, sings with Solent Gay Men’s Chorus and organises Christians at Pride at the local annual event.
THE GATHERING
Cardiff
The Gathering is an ecumenical LGBTQ+ church, based in Cardiff. They are proud to have produced a community short film in partnership with Iris Outreach. ‘Fruits of the Spirit’, which will be screened during the lunchbreak.
GUS TANNER-IHM
St James & Emmanuel
Augustine is a dynamic Afro-American educator, theologian, Archbishop Desmond Tutu Assistant Professor of Anglican Liberation Theology at the New Theology School, USA and Lead Minister of St Nic’s Kingsway in Manchester. Renowned for his work in inclusion, race, and spirituality. A prolific writer He is dedicated to empowering others towards self-betterment and is passionate about travelling and stand-up.
PRAISE JOURDAIN
St Mary’s London
Praise Jourdain is a member of St Mary's London, where they serve and lead in the worship and prayer ministries. While working in the field of sustainable fashion, Praise is also a performer, poet and Spoken Word artist, with work exploring the intersection of faith, the body, and trans non-binary identity.
DANIELLE WILSON
Inclusive Gathering Birmingham
Danielle Wilson (she/her) is a Methodist pioneer pastor who leads , an LGBTQ+ affirming, justice-seeking church in Birmingham’s Gay Village.
CATHY CHAPMAN
Red Letter Christians
Cathy is a Sustainability and Change student at the Centre for Alternative Technology. Part of Red Letter Christians and Christian Climate Action, she campaigns around action on climate, welcome for refugees, LGBTQ+ and women's rights. She loves pilgrimage, festivals, writing, adventure, and Manchester.
SALLY MANN
Red Letter Christians
Sally Mann has a PhD in Philosophy and Theology and lectures in Sociology. She is a minister at Bonny Downs Baptist Church where she is the 4th of 5 generations of her family to stay put and serve in that East-End community. Sally was on the original team who launched RLC UK and is proud to be a Red Letter Christian.
FAITH VAN HORNE
Red Letter Christians
Faith Van Horne has just completed her PhD in Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham. Her thesis explores how perceptions of selfhood and the body influence theological visions of redemption for survivors of sexual abuse. She also blogs for Pentecostals and Charismatics for Peace and Justice.
ANJI BARKER
Red Letter Christians
A qualified social worker and a United Reformed Church Minister, Anji has spent the last 30 years living in poor urban communities in Australia, Thailand and the UK. She is passionate about social justice and grassroots transformation. Her stories will make you laugh and cry, inspire and encourage you. Since 2014, the Barkers have been based in Winson Green, inner city Birmingham, UK where they founded Newbigin House.
Why “fruitful”?
Because the Bible tells us one of the best ways of discerning what the Holy Spirit is doing is to look where the fruit is. So many of us can testify to the fruit of LGBTQ+ inclusion, in terms of faithful, loving relationships, stable families and beautiful vocations realised within and beyond the church.
We know the word ‘fruit’ has had a chequered past for some of us, but we are proud to reclaim it here. 😉
Click to book.
Accessibility
St Mary’s has step-free access throughout, and accessible toilets. For more information including dimensions, please click here.
There is also a hearing loop.
If you have any questions about accessibility at all, please don’t hesitate to email us at hello@fruitful2024.com.
Click here to book.