RAISING UP REPRESENTATION

Raising Up Representation Mike, Kerry and Sadiya from this year’s Peter Stream cohort

RAISING UP REPRESENTATION LEADERSHIP PIPELINES

The Peter Stream is a year–long discernment process which helps those from under-represented demographics explore the call to ordained ministry in the Church of England. We spoke with three members of this year’s cohort to find out what it has meant for them and why representation in the Church is key.

MIKE

When did you find out that you were dyslexic and how has it impacted you?

I struggled at school and always knew I had dyslexia. I can see how dyslexic people might feel that training for church leadership wasn’t for them because it involves writing talks and essays. But it hasn’t stopped me. If I want to do something, I’ll always do my best to find a way of doing it if I think it’s right.

Tell me why you felt the Peter Stream was right for you?

I’ve felt called to get ordained for a long time, but last year, I started having dreams about church leadership and wanted to pursue it further. I was recommended the Peter Stream through a friend who was ordained through St Mellitus. The Peter Stream has been amazing. It has guided me and broken down the ordination process for me. It’s made it feel manageable.

How will being a leader with dyslexia help people in the congregation?

I joke that being dyslexic is my superpower – It allows me to see the world with a unique perspective, which I can offer when I preach. Lots of people struggle in different ways, and representing those struggles is important and helps people identify with you and be encouraged in their own struggles. Different perspectives are really important.

SADIYA

Why has the Peter Stream been important for you?

I grew up as a Muslim, and later, when I became a Christian and felt drawn to leadership, I didn’t know where to position myself. I felt afraid to answer God’s call, because I didn’t fit the stereotypical image that I’d seen before. I’m a woman in my early 30s, Asian and a single mum. I felt like Moses, questioning if God had got this right. The Peter Stream has given me so much support and encouraged me that the idea of ordination might not be so wrong after all!

Why is representation important?

It’s important to have people leading churches from different every ‘walk of life’, because in turn, it will allow the Church to reach every corner of the world.

KERRY

How has living with a disability affected your experience of church?

I began using a wheelchair in 2013, because of a neurological illness. I spent a year and a half in hospital, and – although it was hard, my faith was strengthened because I used all that time laying in a hospital bed to talk to God. When I went back to church, there were physical, practical barriers, and I found it hard living with the perception that I was someone who ‘needed to be helped’.

How has the Peter Stream supported you?

I wanted to explore ordination, but I wondered if I could do it from a wheelchair. You don’t see many disabled vicars! I heard that the Peter Stream was seeking to represent underrepresented leaders in church, so that really appealed to me. I’ve been supported as I have somewhere I can charge my wheelchair; the teaching rooms are accessible and proper space is created for me during worship. The Peter Stream is a great community of diverse people, which continues to be an invaluable experience for me.

Why is representation in the Church of England important?

I think that so many people are putting off this call to church leadership because they feel they don’t look a certain way or don’t fit in. But if we look at the Bible, God calls the least likely people. God doesn’t limit us. I hope I will inspire other disabled people who may have felt the call to see that they can do it too and encourage them to try it.