By Hayley Beckett on 29th November 2022
One facet of contemporary life in the UK is the growing diversity of the people we meet in our ministry and mission contexts. Some aspects of human diversity like gender and disability are equally common in all settings. Some on the other hand are more strongly represented in some places than in others, such as ethnic diversity, differing economic circumstances, or the prevalence of migrants or refugees.
Added to this is the growing awareness in society of the range of lived experience with respect to sexuality and gender identity, family and marriage, mental health, neurodivergence, and more.
Accredited ministers are commended to the whole of Baptists Together to pastor churches or act as chaplains, pioneers, evangelists or children’s, youth and families’ workers. This means all ministers, regardless of their present setting, should be able to reflect on and respond to diversity, encourage equality of opportunity, and challenge discrimination.
I Am Because You Are is an introductory training resource, launched in autumn 2022, that explores equality and diversity. Engaging with the resource is mandatory for the majority of accredited ministers.
More information can be found on the Baptists Together website
The EBA is providing opportunities for its ministers and leaders to come together to discuss and reflect on the training resource. to book for these please contact EBA Secretary, each day will run the same arrival from 9.30am for a 10am start aiming to finish at 4pm
23 January Springfield Park Baptist Church
8 February Grace Fellowship, Little Stukeley
20 February Witard Road Baptist Church, Norwich
In addition to these association facilitated events a couple of local minister cluster groups will be running a similar session and are happy for others to join them if the dates work
9 February – Cambridge Cluster (Zion Baptist Church) contact stuart@barnwellbaptistchurch.org.uk for more details
10 March – North Norfolk
28 March – Clacton area Cluster (Frinton Free Church)
7 September- Southend Area Baptist Network (STBBC) contact nicky.snoad@stbbc.org.uk for more details
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