A CHURCH FOR ALL AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

Welcome and Inclusion

Oadby Trinity Methodist Church seeks to be welcoming and to include everybody in the life of the church irrespective of ability, physical or mental health, gender, sexuality, wealth or ethnicity.
We are seeking to learn more about how we do that more effectively and the resources we are using include:

Below you will find an indication of our current positions on the following issues:

For more information, please contact our minister, Rev Derek McLean at 0116 271 2404 or by email to minister@oadbymethodist.org.uk.

 

Ability and disability
We seek to include and welcome all irrespective of ability or disability.
 
Physical
  • The heating system works well so it is a comfortable place to gather for worship.
  • The toilets are a short level access from the worship space and include facilities for the disabled.
  • Our main worship space is a level area with chairs which can be arranged flexibly to fit in with people’s needs.
  • Whenever we have a wheelchair user present, we ensure that someone will move a chair/chairs so that wheelchair users can sit anywhere amongst the congregation.
  • We have a number of worshippers who need more space because they use walkers or who need supportive seating. Most frequently they use one of the chairs with arms next to the aisle.
  • Nobody is expected to stand if they can’t easily do so… we will normally have some people seated throughout the service and frequently have parts of the service where all are seated together.
  • We have members of the congregation and people in leadership roles with significant experience with disabilities and we seek to use those gifts to promote inclusion.
 
Sight
  • All hymn and prayer words are projected on a screen but also made available in paper versions for those who need them.
  • We have a braille copy of our hymn book (Singing the Faith).
  • We always produce extra-large copies of the worship resources for worshippers who need them, typically in 30pt font.
 
Hearing
  • There is a good sound system including a loop.
 
Online Worship
  • A number of our worshippers are unable to attend church in person. We are committed to continuing to webcast services to enable them to participate in worship from home. (This was one of the few positive things to emerge from the Covid pandemic.)
 
Holy Communion
  • All are welcome at the Lord’s Table.
  • When we share Holy Communion together it is normal for there to be some people present who receive Communion where they are seated.
  • The Holy Communion elements are always gluten-free bread and non-alcoholic wine.

 

Mental health
We seek to include and welcome all irrespective of mental health.
 
  • We recognise the invisible nature of many mental health conditions and that these conditions are more widespread and more serious than are often acknowledged.
  • We seek to provide a supportive atmosphere in which mental health issues are recognised and people will find a safe space for support.
  • We acknowledge that churches can be places where the process of "repentance" and "forgiveness" often causes pain for those with mental health conditions by imposing a sense of guilt. We seek to use words wisely so that they may give support rather than exacerbating pain.
 
A particular part of our ministry works together with people with dementia.
  • We have enabled people in many of the local businesses to become Dementia Friends.
  • Many of our congregation are Dementia Friends.
  • We have considerable experience of congregation members having dementia, Alzheimer’s and other conditions of this kind.

 

Gender and sexuality
We seek to include and welcome all irrespective of gender or sexuality.
 
  • All roles within the Methodist Church are open to all. There are Methodist ministers who are openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and we celebrate the way that experience enriches their ministry and that of the whole church.
  • If you worship with us, you may find that the service is led by somebody who identifies as LGBTQ+.
  • The national Methodist Church allows individual churches to register for same-sex marriages.
  • We believe in Equal Marriage and this church building is registered for same-sex marriages.
There is no implicit or explicit bar to women holding senior roles in Methodism.
  • The most senior Ordained role within the Methodist Church is that of President.
  • The most senior Lay role within the Methodist Church is that of Vice-President.
  • Both of these roles have frequently been undertaken by women.
  • We are part of the Leicester Trinity Circuit where Revd Paula Hunt is the Superintendent, and of the Northampton District where Revd Helen Cameron is the District Chair.

 

Wealth and poverty
We seek to include and welcome all irrespective of their financial circumstances. We do not believe in a 'prosperity Gospel'.
 
  • We host and coordinate the Oadby Food Bank.
  • Through that work we hear and share in the lived experience of those enduring poverty in our own community.
  • We are committed to campaigning to combat poverty.
  • Nobody is expected to give beyond their means. Any financial appeal will acknowledge that for some people they should not contribute.

 

Ethnicity
We seek to include and welcome all irrespective of their ethnicity.
 
  • If you worship with us, you may find that the service is led by somebody from a BAME background.
  • We are blessed that our team of Circuit Ministers and Local Preachers include people from diverse cultural heritages.
  • We don’t currently have anybody from a BAME heritage in a leadership role in this church but we would like that to change.
  • We are part of the Methodist Church in Great Britain which is actively seeking to increase the contribution of people from all ethnic backgrounds.
  • We rejoice that the most senior roles in Methodism (President and Vice President) have been held by people of diverse backgrounds.
  • We have regular worshippers from African, Asian and mixed heritage communities, but they are a minority.