Sometimes, we glimpse some of the other work I do. On Twitter, I'm well known for academic autism thoughts and some lively threads.
But a fair bit of my background is in faith work, and has been for some decades now. Examples?
Writing the guidelines that inform national work in the Church of England, which can be found at https://www.oxford.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Autism-Guidelines-2019.pdf for example.
Being a guest preacher at St Martin in the Fields in London for the disability conference weekend.
Being part of the planning processes, and occasionally a speaker, at the events held there in collaboration with Inclusive Church.
Helping Dioceses (church areas) to pick Vicars.
And, being a 'fairly regular' for Radio 4's Prayer for the Day series, etc.
I work with fabulous people, and many very inclusive and generous leaders.
But I'm also a very controversial figure in some of our churches. Various senior Clergy will be nodding, about now, probably mopping their brow with a page torn from 'What Clergy Vestments, Autumn Edition'.
I have the nerve to ask that we enable people to belong to church. Examples:
Autistic people.
People with mental health conditions.
People from other neurodivergent groups, e.g. Tourette's, ADHD, dyslexia.
People with intellectual disabilities.
People who are LGB+
People from ethnic minority communities.
People of different genders, e.g. Trans, Non-Binary.
Notice the word I used.
Belong.
Not 'welcome'.
Belong.
Anyone can 'welcome' someone, but it doesn't necessarily lead to belonging. I might be 'welcome' as a very divergent person to sit on a pew by myself whilst the rest of the congregation pretends they can't see me, for example. I might be 'welcome' to donate money, and the 'welcome' disappears the moment the cash dries up. I might be 'welcome' to attend, in the hope of curing me of my gender, sexuality and neurodiversity, so that the occasional church leader can earn a nice award for Being Kind To the Different People. I might be 'welcome' to listen to churches saying derogatory things about me from the front, and showcasing people who think I should be in hell. I tell you this; I don't feel welcome when that happens. I feel humiliated and othered.
There lots of ways that 'welcome' means anything but actually welcome.
I'm interested in belonging.
Where do you belong? Where are you comfortable enough to relax, to close your eyes, to just 'be' alongside others, totally trusting and enjoying their company? Where are people on your side, wanting you to thrive as your authentic self? Where is your story a thing that people yearn to hear, or read... to affirm, to listen to, without turning you into a DIY project for them to fix? Or for God to fix...without your consent.
Where would you be missed, if you didn't turn up?
Churches do a lot of 'welcome'. But some fall far short of offering belonging.
I don't get that. I really don't. Mine is a simple faith. I follow Jesus. Others don't, and that's their business, not mine - I am not leaping about trying to convert anyone else. Jesus said we were to love one another. He really didn't say, '...except that lot over there - perhaps we'll just offer them a lukewarm half-smile to go with their lukewarm half a cup of tea, whilst hoping they go somewhere else for a church service'.
I'm thankful for artists like Naked Pastor, whose work includes this:
Which invisible lines keep divergent people out of groups?
Who decides who belongs?
This week, I'll be one of the speakers at an event. It's called Shut In, Shut Out, Shut Up: Neurodiversity and Church, and is part of the HeartEdge series. We'll be talking about some of this.
But a fair bit of my background is in faith work, and has been for some decades now. Examples?
Writing the guidelines that inform national work in the Church of England, which can be found at https://www.oxford.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Autism-Guidelines-2019.pdf for example.
Being a guest preacher at St Martin in the Fields in London for the disability conference weekend.
Being part of the planning processes, and occasionally a speaker, at the events held there in collaboration with Inclusive Church.
Helping Dioceses (church areas) to pick Vicars.
And, being a 'fairly regular' for Radio 4's Prayer for the Day series, etc.
I work with fabulous people, and many very inclusive and generous leaders.
But I'm also a very controversial figure in some of our churches. Various senior Clergy will be nodding, about now, probably mopping their brow with a page torn from 'What Clergy Vestments, Autumn Edition'.
I have the nerve to ask that we enable people to belong to church. Examples:
Autistic people.
People with mental health conditions.
People from other neurodivergent groups, e.g. Tourette's, ADHD, dyslexia.
People with intellectual disabilities.
People who are LGB+
People from ethnic minority communities.
People of different genders, e.g. Trans, Non-Binary.
Notice the word I used.
Belong.
Not 'welcome'.
Belong.
Anyone can 'welcome' someone, but it doesn't necessarily lead to belonging. I might be 'welcome' as a very divergent person to sit on a pew by myself whilst the rest of the congregation pretends they can't see me, for example. I might be 'welcome' to donate money, and the 'welcome' disappears the moment the cash dries up. I might be 'welcome' to attend, in the hope of curing me of my gender, sexuality and neurodiversity, so that the occasional church leader can earn a nice award for Being Kind To the Different People. I might be 'welcome' to listen to churches saying derogatory things about me from the front, and showcasing people who think I should be in hell. I tell you this; I don't feel welcome when that happens. I feel humiliated and othered.
There lots of ways that 'welcome' means anything but actually welcome.
I'm interested in belonging.
Where do you belong? Where are you comfortable enough to relax, to close your eyes, to just 'be' alongside others, totally trusting and enjoying their company? Where are people on your side, wanting you to thrive as your authentic self? Where is your story a thing that people yearn to hear, or read... to affirm, to listen to, without turning you into a DIY project for them to fix? Or for God to fix...without your consent.
Where would you be missed, if you didn't turn up?
Churches do a lot of 'welcome'. But some fall far short of offering belonging.
I don't get that. I really don't. Mine is a simple faith. I follow Jesus. Others don't, and that's their business, not mine - I am not leaping about trying to convert anyone else. Jesus said we were to love one another. He really didn't say, '...except that lot over there - perhaps we'll just offer them a lukewarm half-smile to go with their lukewarm half a cup of tea, whilst hoping they go somewhere else for a church service'.
I'm thankful for artists like Naked Pastor, whose work includes this:
Which invisible lines keep divergent people out of groups?
Who decides who belongs?
This week, I'll be one of the speakers at an event. It's called Shut In, Shut Out, Shut Up: Neurodiversity and Church, and is part of the HeartEdge series. We'll be talking about some of this.
As we approach a bracing winter of Covid-19 anxiety, money worries, job losses and worsening mental health crises for so many, our welcome as a church needs to be the most sincere it's ever been.
All belong.
Nothing else will do.
Thank you for reading.