The Importance of being Inclusive

“All are welcome”.

A statement I have heard too often from far too many churches. It gives a false sense of security. Is my whole body welcome here? Is my gender and sexuality welcome here? Is my theology welcome here? Would my atheist partner be welcome here?

And as the service goes on, without fail, these words of welcome are quickly dismissed, as the ones who are truly welcome are the white, married folk who have unconsciously benefited from the patriarchy their whole lives. How is it we still live in an age where ‘He’ and ‘Him’ are the pronouns still used for God? Where is the divine feminine? Or why even use pronouns at all? Do they literally believe in a male God? What does that say about my ‘un-male’ body? How is it we still live in an age where the church still promotes words at marriage such as, ’til death do us part’, as a healthy way to pronounce a relationship of love (as if that is the reality of most marriages)? And why do most sermons in these protestant churches have no heart, no singular message and no grounding in the transforming work of the Spirit? And where the fuck is the heartfelt music, the heartfelt singing, the heartfelt Spirit in ‘Worship’? It is called ‘worship’ after all, isn’t it?

If I didn’t feel called to become a Minister I would never go to church myself. But alas, as a candidate for ministry, I have to do placements in these damn settings. This is in no way to say I have all the answers or I would be perfect in any way as a minister (that is if I actually make it to ordination without being kicked out beforehand) but the threshold for transformative ministry, contextualized theology and pastoral care is particularly low.

The Church asks: Why is there no young people coming to church anymore?

I ask: When will the church stop traumatizing and re-traumatizing people who step into a church who don’t fit their cookie cutter mold, their outdated theology and (let’s be honest) their outdated societal expectations of people? When will the church listen to the Spirit in their time and place and make room for others (even other leaders) to reveal what the church needs to grow into? When will white leaders see how they are perpetuating systems of oppression not only in their theology, intelligence and practice, but in how they ‘make room’ for others, claiming a church of equality where all voices are heard when, in reality, only a few are actually accepted? When will the church take down the barriers they are so protective of in order to hear the voices, hearts and actions of people in their community?

I am livid with the Church. I am livid with ministers who abuse their power to protect and perpetuate their own vulnerable egos. I am livid with its status quo and cannot wait for some of these churches to go up in smoke and die the death they should have years ago. I make no apologies and will not stick around and support such abhorrent communities claiming to follow a Jesus who was literally born from an unmarried Jewish teenager’s womb. A Jesus who brought up the oppressed and actually saw them as equals. A Jesus who turned the whole pride-shame dichotomy on its head. A Jesus who transformed hearts. And a Jesus who died by the hands of those who were threatened by how radically inclusive he was.

What the fuck has the Church become?