Recently one of our members gave us the white envelope with our name on it, asking us to write what/why we came to City URC.  Well, recently, I had the chance to write my story of how I came back to Christianity and it was because of City URC.

At The Gathering last year, we had a speaker from the United States. He’s a minister called Brandan Robertson, who had a bad experience with people, because of his sexuality. Brandan is a Christian thought-leader and commentator who works at the intersections of spirituality, sexuality and social renewal. He is the Lead Pastor of Missiongathering Christian Church in San Diego, USA, and the author of Nomad: A Spirituality For Travelling Light and True Inclusion: Becoming Communities That Embrace All.

When Brandan visited us, he shared his story as well as biblical talks and theology. A few months after he returned to the United States, there was an advert, asking LGBT+ people to share their unheard stories and the
struggles they had experienced as an LGBT Christian. Brandan was putting a book together called ‘Our Witness – The Unheard Stories of LGBT+ Christians.’

Brandan decided that it wasn’t fair to choose these stories, so, with some help from ministers and theologians, they went through the ones submitted…. mine was one of the chosen. This story has been printed in the UK version of the book (there is also a US one) which we have a few copies of. I felt humbled to share my story, knowing that there are other LGBT+ Christians in the World who don’t go to church because they believe or were taught that it is a sin to be gay and Christian. Well, reading my story will show them that there ARE accepting churches in the World and that it IS ok to be gay and Christian.

With blessings,

Ali

Copies of Our Witness are available from the Churches Together Bookshop, at City URC, Windsor Place, CF10 3BZ