ESTB
2011
THE GATHERING - CARDIFF
A SAFE PLACE FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY TO EXPLORE THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
A B O U T U S
Hi! We're The Gathering, an inclusive church for all. We are a gathering of people from the LGBTQ+ community (and their allies) who love to talk about and share our Christian faith.
We run lots of events throughout the year, including the Faith Tent at Pride Cymru, and are passionate about cultivating our ever growing community. Our favourite thing to do is meet with our community each Sunday evening in Cardiff. Here we take time to talk, drink tea, worship God and just be together. We'd love to see you there!
If you'd like to know more about The Gathering and what we get up to, or if you'd like to join us on a Sunday evening you can messages us via the contact form or head to our Facebook page and send us a Direct Message.
O U R B E L I E F S
THE
LEADERS
N I C I
Hi, I'm Nici and I'm a founding member of The Gathering. I identify as queer/gay and am gender non-binary using they and them. I'm also an elder at City United Reformed Church (URC) (where The Gathering currently meet) and was instrumental in creating an open and affirming policy in 2001 allowing all to be welcomed through the doors. I am passionate about equality and believe church is for everyone who wants it.
I enjoy singing, scuba diving (sometimes at the same time!) and am also a karate instructor.
I A I N
Hi, I'm Iain, one of the Pastoral Leaders of The Gathering and an Elder of the United Reformed Church I have experienced various religions and I have a background in social change activism particularly around LGBTQ+ rights. The services I lead both at my home church and at The Gathering tend to reflect my activist roots and encourage folk to be a change for good in the world. My pastoral support style is one of mentoring and coaching. In my downtime I read fantasy literature and play Dungeons and Dragons.
Hi, I'm G, I have done quite a bit of engagement work with the trans community, and take a particular interest in how we can make The Gathering inclusive particularly for our trans siblings. I’ve been proud to have been a part of The Gathering since it’s formation, and have really enjoyed arranging guest speakers, setting up some of our social media, and helping with the arrangements for the Faith Tent at Pride Cymru! I love meeting new people and can’t wait to meet you.
G
Hi, I’m Delyth, I’m a Methodist minister (a Rev) and Coordinating Chaplain at Cardiff University. I’m passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion. My work with the LGBTQ+ community has involved working with Pride Cymru and being listed on the Wales Online Pinc List 2019. God’s love and grace is there for each one of us, whomever we love and whatever our gender. In The Gathering I focus on emotionally supporting and caring for LGBTQ+ folks and enabling conversations about our faith in God in relation to our sexuality or gender.
D E L
S A M
Hi, I'm Sam! I grew up in an independent, evangelical church and now worship both at The Gathering and in my parish, Anglican Church. I joined the Pastoral Leadership Team in September 2018. I am passionate about contemplation and reflection, and about using a lot of worship music in my services. I am also currently studying a Bachelor of Theology in St Padarn’s Institute, Cardiff.
The Gathering is a Christian church of folks coming together in community to explore our faith, worship God and experience fellowship and support.
Our beliefs are Christian, as outlined in the Nicene Creed below, and we believe that everyone has a right to worship God regardless of sexual orientation or gender. We believe that we are called to create a safe space for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex and Allies to meet and worship, and that we all have a right to express our sexuality and gender identity without being censored or being barred from worship.
We believe that those with whom we disagree should be treated with respect and grace and shown the love of Christ through our words and actions. We believe that we should be treated with respect and that we have a right to protect ourselves and others from harmful behaviour or comment.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen
L G B T Q + A N D
C H R I S T I A N
Can you be LGBTQ+ and Christian?
We're asked this question a lot, and in short, our answer is a very big and clear ‘YES!’.
However we know that many of you will want to understand how we have come to that conclusion.
Click the button below to find useful resources on being LGBTQ+ and Christian.
