Generous Faith 2 - Turning Up the Tuned Out

The rise of dominant silencing voices and of nationalist and racist politics is posing urgent challenges. The church still has a long way to go, as is shown by the C of E's recent moves on Prayers of Love and Faith, the continuing inequality of women in the church and the marginalisation of Black people, disabled people and poor people.

This conference is for those who embrace a Christianity which is both prophetic and inclusive. We will hear from people on the front line of resistance, working for a church which is truly for everyone.

The aim of the conference is to inspire and encourage, and offer resources for collective and individual resilience in these uncertain times.

Presented by St John's, Waterloo in partnership with Together for the Church of England, Inclusive Church and WATCH.

£45/£15 concessions, including lunch and refreshments.

Generous Faith 2 - Turning Up the Tuned Out – will

• bring together Christians working for a church where no one is excluded
• offer a chance to learn from and be challenged by the stories of people who have experienced hostility and discrimination
• reflect on how we can discern and respond to powerful voices within and outside the church at the moment.
• ask how we can work together for a generous faith
• discern how can we speak better, as a church, into the immensely challenging world around us

Turning Up the Tuned Out will hear from people who have experienced marginalisation or exclusion and have reflected deeply on their journeys, bringing liberation and profound insight into the ways God’s love has brought them hope and strength.

A prophetic dimension opens up. Generous Faith 2 will build on the reflections of the first Generous Faith conference held in March 2025.

Keynote speakers:

Naomi Jacobs. Naomi is an activist social researcher in disability. Her book At The Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches, with Emily Richardson, was longlisted for the Michael Ramsay Prize. She brings years of experience of working on disability, neurodiversity and equal access within church communities.

Invited speakers:

Judith Maltby - Reformations From Below - Learning From Our Past

Selina Stone

Panel speakers: tbc

Host:

Canon Giles Goddard. Giles is Vicar of St John's, Waterloo and Chair of Faith for the Climate. He is a former Chair of Inclusive Church and has many years working to make the church more prophetic and inclusive. His book Generous Faith inspired the conference and his third book Exploring Spirit is to be published in January 2026.

Workshops planned: Titles and leaders tbc

Queer redemption: Rev'd Charlie Bell is a non-stipendiary priest in the Diocese of Southwark and a forensic psychiatrist. Charlie is a member of General Synod and a leading activist in the Church of England for the full equality of queer and LGBTI+ people.

From migration to the centre: Fr Simon Cuff is currently Vicar of St. Peter de Beauvoir Town in the Diocese of London. He was formerly Lecturer in Theology at St Mellitus College, Fellow of the Centre for Theology and Community, and Contributing Editor to the S. Mary Magdalen School of Theology. He is a trustee of the refugee charity Migrants Organise and Vice Chair of a charity concerned with financial justice, the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility.

Creating inclusive spaces: mental health in church. Rev'd Mary Kells is at St Martin and St Paul's Church, Canterbury in 2025 having previously served as Chaplain to King’s College Cambridge since September 2021. Before holy orders she spent much of her career working in the voluntary sector – particularly in the areas of mental health and advocacy. She is a a member of the National Executive Committee of Women and the Church (WATCH) and holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics.

Is God Colour Blind?: Professor Anthony G. Reddie is the Director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture in Regent’s Park College, in the University of Oxford. He is also an Extraordinary Professor of Theological Ethics and a Research Fellow with the University of South Africa. His latest book is the republished Is God Colour Blind? First published in 2009 by SPCK.

Prayer and resistance: Sister Gemma Simmons is a sister of the Congregation of Jesus and an ecumenical canon of the Church in Wales in the diocese of St. Asaph. An honorary fellow of Durham University and past president of the Catholic Theological Association of Great Britain, she has studied at the universities of Paris, London, Rio de Janeiro and Cambridge, where she undertook a doctorate in theology.

Creativity, resilience and justice: Rev’d Jon Swales heads up Lighthouse, a fresh expression of church for adults battered and bruised by the storms of life. Alongside this Jon is involved in theological education and is currently a tutor with Leeds School of Theology, St Hild and Niagara School of Missional Leadership. Jon is passionate about peacemaking & climate justice and seeks through prayer and activism to be a prophetic witness to the church.

Chaplain to the conference and panellist: Revd Sue Parfitt

£45/£15 concessions, including lunch and refreshments.

Support for travel costs, and overnight accomodation in St John's crypt is available.

Access information

Access and travel details for St John's Church are available at AccessAble.

BSL interpretation will be available in plenary sessions and one workshop. If you need BSL interpretation please let us know.

We are committed to being as accessible as possible. If you need further info please contact admin@stjohnswaterloo.org

The book Generous Faith has received very positive responses. In particular many have been moved by the story of St John’s, Waterloo as a place which offers a welcome to many people on the edge of society, whether LGBTQI+, people who have experience of racial or sexual discrimination, people from post-colonial nations, disabled people, homeless people and those who are prophetically active in campaigns for greater social justice.