LGBT people find home in interfaith spirituality

Since 1997 a ground-breaking UK Seminary has trained and ordained more than 600 ministers — among them, high numbers of LGBT people — who are not aligned to any specific religion, and are determined not to start another one.

They are part of the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation, which, according to its website, is part of “the awakening of an inclusive global spirituality, in ourselves and in the world, through training and enabling open-hearted men and women to serve people of all faiths and none in our diverse communities”.

OneSpirit interfaith ministers are independent ‘freelance’ ministers, without churches or temples or mosques. Many work leading ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, others take their work to volunteering in police services, prisons, or hospitals.

The Foundation particularly appeals to many LGBT people, who have felt disillusioned with their own religion, whatever that may be.

One interfaith minister is Ade Adeniji, who found OneSpirit after the end of a significant relationship made him question everything he thought he knew about his identity.

“Religion was always in the background of my childhood. My parents came from a Muslim household, although my mother converted to Christianity. I drifted away from Christianity in my 20’s, as I struggled to reconcile being gay with what I was hearing in church,” says Ade Adeniji.

He felt restricted by the life he’d created for himself, so resigned from his corporate job and became ordained. He now works freelance as a coach, facilitator and consultant.

“I consider how I show up in my life as my ministry,” Adeniji said. “When manifesting this in my work, my core intention is to be a catalyst for healing and awakening. In every moment, every interaction.”

Amy Firth is an Interfaith minister in London, and co-leads the OneLight Gathering, billed as ‘London’s monthly interfaith ceremony.’