Over a hundred Citizens UK church leaders attend 'Organising for Hope' with Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullay
Over a hundred Citizens UK church leaders attend 'Organising for Hope' with Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullay
On 28th October, Citizens UK church leaders from across London gathered at Christ Church Southwark for Organising for Hope; a powerful conversation between over a hundred London Citizens church leaders and the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullay and Professor Luke Bretherton.
The event was filled with prayer, songs, and conversations about organising and community-led solutions that build hope.
At the event, Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullay said: “Defiance, is the stubborn belief that God’s light is still shining, even when shadows seem to cover everything... That is where community organising comes in and the work of Citizens UK, who I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside to make a real difference with Londoners.”
Professor Luke Bretherton shared that community organising is a hopeful and faithful expression of democracy: people building power with others, not over others, keeping love and justice alive in public life. He also reflected on how democracy itself can be understood as “the political form of neighbour-love.”
Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullay, closed with words that beautifully captured the spirit of the afternoon, a reminder of the power of people coming together, united by hope can find a common ground and win change.
“Let us be a Church that not only sees the light but builds light, in our neighbourhoods, our city and our world. Because when we act together in faith, when we organise in love, the darkness does not stand a chance."
This event captured the essence of community organising and what can happen when we bring people together despite their differences to make change.