Leeds Church Institute

30/10/2026

Our friends at the Urban Theology Union invite you to their AGM!

With guest speaker Chine McDonald, Director of Theos and author of God is Not a White Man, who will bring her insights to the world of urban theology.

📅 Saturday 7th November
⏰ 2.00pm– 4.45pm
📍 35 Chapel Walk, S1 2PD
🎥 and on interactive Zoom

Don't forget to book your place at the 2026 UTU AGM! Chine Mcdonald is giving the annual lecture. Author of God is not a White Man and Unmaking Mary she will be challenging us to step up in our own urban contexts.

From the blurb of her book God is not a white man:

What does it mean when God is presented as male?
What does it mean when - from our internal assumptions to our shared cultural imaginings - God is presented as white?

These are the urgent questions Chine McDonald asks in a searing look at her experience of being a Black woman in the white-majority space that is the UK church - a church that is being abandoned by Black women no longer able to grin and bear its casual racism, colonialist narratives and lack of urgency on issues of racial justice.

Part memoir, part social and theological commentary, God Is Not a White Man is a must-read for anyone troubled by a culture that insists everyone is equal in God's sight, yet fails to confront white supremacy; a lament about the state of race and faith, and a clarion call for us all to do better.

29/10/2026

Watch the Hook Lecture 2026 now on YouTube ▶️

If you missed Dr Naomi Lawson Jacobs' talk, or if you want to listen again, the full recording is now available.

Find it here: https://youtu.be/3u4pEeF72KY

20/10/2026

📸 The Hook Lecture 2026

Last week we gathered to hear Naomi Lawson Jacobs' wonderful exploration of disability theology - from the barriers to belonging for disabled people, who is host and who is hosted, where power lies in our church communities, to how we imagine the church of the future liberated from oppression in all its forms.

If you missed it, the recording will be available very soon. Join our mailing list for the link straight to your inbox - sign up at leedschurchinstitute.org.uk

06/10/2026

One week to go!

Don't miss this year's Hook Lecture on Tuesday 13th October at Holy Trinity Boar Lane

In this year’s lecture, Dr Naomi Lawson Jacobs will invite churches, theologians and disability scholars to share disabled Christians’ visions of disabled futures in a more just world

Book your free tickets at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-hook-lecture-2026-just-belonging-tickets-1992626777331

02/10/2026

Will your church be celebrating Black History Month?

We believe anti-racism is part of our calling all year round, but during October we can take more time to celebrate the stories and gifts of Black people in Britain.

If you're not sure where to start, here are some resources you can use...

Our friends at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland have compiled prayers, songs, reflections and reading lists that you can share with your church: https://ctbi.org.uk/resources/black-history-month-2026-resources-for-churches/

The videos we developed with Testament Homecut, produced by the Church of England, are still available. These powerful films creatively tell the stories of Black people who have felt othered by white-majority churches. They are a vital watch for all church communities seeking to offer a real welcome to everyone.

Visitor: https://youtu.be/nVPuCLWxPqs?si=1GZbh1GsH-x-8-Ix

Chocolate Digestive: https://youtu.be/jrXiHsRTRfQ?si=4M6K1wA4zrj3V6Rk

30/09/2026

Meet the new Staff Team!

This week, Theo joins the team as Urban Churches' Theologian. Theo and Jessie will work together to journey with Leeds churches towards a just and compassionate city.

You can meet Jessie and Theo at the Hook Lecture next week - don't forget to sign up for your free ticket here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-hook-lecture-2026-just-belonging-tickets-1992626777331

30/09/2026

Today Jessie, Theo, and Emma have joined Christian Aid to hear from local churches countering polarisation.

Great to hear from Bishop Arun, Nicola from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, Israel Olofinjana, Graham Gordon, and Alex Evans from Larger Us, about the role of local churches in offering hope and reconciliation amongst division in our communities.

29/09/2026

This Thursday, our new Urban Churches' Theologian Jessie will speak at the University of Leeds on her new book, 'Navigating Disability, HIV, Relationships and Abuse for Christian Women in Nigeria'

This talk calls for a conversation between men and women towards dismantling patriarchal structures that promote and legitimise r**e culture.

Focusing on the context of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, it interrogates the role of patriarchy in gender-based violence, what gender-sensitive conversation looks like, and what it could achieve in spaces of mutual respect, theological reflection and genuine love.

The seminar is open to all. Find details on the Centre for Religion and Public Life website here: https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/centre-religion-public-life (scroll down to find details of the seminar series)

29/09/2026

Just two weeks to go!

Don't miss out on your tickets to the Hook Lecture - secure your place here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-hook-lecture-2026-just-belonging-tickets-1992626777331

24/09/2026

Meet the new Staff Team!

We are pleased to welcome the Rev'd Jessie Ini Fubara-Manuel as Urban Churches' Theologian at LCI.

Jessie will be getting to know local churches over the next few months, as we prepare to launch our new strategy.

Find out more about the new team, and our vision for the future of LCI https://www.leedschurchinstitute.org.uk/about