Inclusion of all
At Mutley Baptist Church our aim is to be inclusive of everyone
We are members of the Inclusive Church Network, and seek to be a church which celebrates and affirms every person and challenges discrimination. We will continue to challenge the church where it continues to discriminate against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality.
We believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.
This is the Inclusive Church Network Statement that we have affirmed.
"We write to you as the eldership of Mutley Baptist Church to apologise.
The events of the past four years have touched and damaged everyone in our church fellowship but none more so than those of you who belonged to the fellowship and LGBT.
The leaders and elders of the church have changed over this period and we realise that, although it is long overdue, we need to say something. We are so sorry that this happened and that we let you down; we apologise for the ways you have been hurt, and bullied by some, for being just who you are. We admit that we haven't got it right; we are still working towards making Mutley Baptist Church a place that loves, is inclusive and is affirming of all: a safe place no matter who you are.
We ask for forgiveness for the years that you have had to hide who you are or were afraid to be yourselves; when your mental health might have suffered, or you were not treated properly
Our prayer is that you are not just welcome but embraced in this church fellowship, whether single or married, although equally we understand that we need to rebuild trust to make this sound more than just words.
We pray that God's blessing will be upon you.
With love and prayers from the MBC Eldership"
Dated 2019
Our commitment to the LGBTQ+ community
We recognise that in the past our church (alongside many others) has hurt and treated many LGBTQ+ people unfairly. In 2015, the church began a process of trying to understand what we believed about same sex relationships. Many people left when the we discerned that we should be affirming. It was a difficult time for everyone in the church.
Following this, the Elders (leaders) wrote a letter to all the LGBTQ+ people who were in the church during those four years. The letter is below and this remains our acknowledgement and commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.
Mutley Baptist Church is now part of the inclusive Church Network and aims to be a community where LGBTQ+ people are included and celebrated alongside everyone else.