An inclusive and liberal Church

We are committed to maintaining an open and inclusive attitude to all.  We do this because we believe such an attitude more closely reflects God’s generous love and compassion.

We believe in an inclusive Church – church which does not discriminate on any level, including: economic power, gender, gender identity, mental health, mental ability, physical ability, race or sexuality.

We believe in a Church which welcomes, accepts 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.

We do so because we are committed to a serious liberal approach to the Bible, tradition and theology.  This does not imply ‘anything goes’, On the contrary, as followers of the One who is the Truth, we are committed to the pursuit of truth in all things.  This means that for us the Christian faith is always about journeying towards God and with God.

We recognise not everyone at St John’s will hold these views and part of the task of our ministers is to lead the congregation so that all of us can live, grow and be of service together.

We have marked our approach by being a ‘Registered Inclusive Church’.

St John’s is also listed as a Visible Congregation with OneBodyOneFaith as LGBT+ Christians tell us of their need to look for churches with an explicit commitment to welcome to avoid pain and hurt, which we try to ensure. Whilst members of the congregation may hold a range of views on sexuality, some of our members - gay, straight, trans, married, single - have felt sufficiently comfortable to make this their regular place of worship.

A Church which seeks to sustain creation

St John’s understands the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be Good News for the whole of this planet. We are working towards the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, as a place of justice and peace for the whole of creation.

We do this

• by preaching that stewardship of God’s creation is essential to Christian discipleship;
• by teaching and practising sustainable and ethical purchasing in accordance with Biblical principles of justice for all;
• by using resources such as energy and water responsibly, and minimising waste; and
• by caring for the environment in and around our church building.