Join the Church Urban Fund, the Iona Community, and Reconciliation Initiatives with Coventry Cathedral for a conference tackling pressing issues facing the church today:
- Challenges: Impact and obstacles
- Change: Church evolution
- Reconciliation: Community healing
We sat down with Prof. Robert Beckford, renowned scholar-activist and broadcaster, and Revd Canon Dr Gale Richards, Regional Minister with the Eastern Baptist Association, two of the 22 speakers, to hear what their session will explore.
Challenging the status quo on reparations
Robert Beckford argues that what churches are doing today is not true reparations but a form of social justice that centres the perpetrators rather than the victims. True reparations, he insists, must be led by those who have suffered injustice. He will challenge us to think critically about whether current efforts serve justice—or simply maintain existing power structures.
Decolonising mission
Mission has long been tied to colonialism and oppression. Should we redefine, reclaim, or replace it? Robert Beckford and Gale Richards will unpack this question, exploring how churches can engage in justice-driven, ethical practices that reflect true inclusivity. Their seminar is entitled Reparations: On Whose Terms? And, How to Avoid 3 Deadly Sins. Using a case study, they will explore 3 deadly sins to overcome in the church-based reparations movement, and how this movement can potentially realise more of God’s realm today
Why this conference matters
This conference is a space for bold conversations and fresh perspectives.
Expect provocative discussions, challenging insights, and a diverse range of voices tackling the pressing issues of justice, mission, and faith today.
Robert said: “I see this conference as an attempt to re-establish and reaffirm the best of the Christian liberal traditions within Britain that seek to foreground the justice at the heart of the gospel, as a way of engaging with the world in which we live.”
Gale said: “For me, the Being Missional Today conference is a unique opportunity to hear from people who are willing to really interrogate our understanding of mission. I think for me, there’s a diversity in the speakers, the people that will be there. There’s going to be different lenses that are brought to the space, to the conversation. I think it’s going to be provocative.”
Join us at Coventry Cathedral on 10 June for this important conversation.
Register now: https://reconciliation-initiatives.org/being-missional-today/