Humans of the Uniting Church

What’s your Uniting Church story?

I grew up Catholic and then when I was in high school joined a Pentecostal church, which became a bit of a second home during that time. So I had experienced a few other traditions before the UCA. At the end of high school, as I was coming to terms with my queerness and trying to tell people at church about it, it became clear it wasn’t a safe place for me to be any more.

I had so many questions about faith and spirituality, so I went to theological college for a year and had my mind opened to some of the diversity of belief in the church. The next year I moved to Sydney, primarily for university, but also seeking more diverse and affirming communities than the bubble I was in at Newcastle. I was looking for a queer affirming church with a focus on social justice and a number of people pointed me to Leichhardt Uniting Church. I found my tribe. I feel so at home here and have fallen in love with the Uniting Church, beyond my congregation as well.

What enlivens your faith?

I love how rich the liturgy and imagery is that we use to share our faith. Spirituality can be reduced so much by language, having creative ways to express my spiritual life has helped me to share it with my community in a way that feels meaningful, not reductive. The Uniting Church holds space for so many images and ideas  to represent the Divine.

As a songwriter I feel that I’ve found a creative freedom here that I haven’t had in previous communities. I also get to be part of a community of creatives who are sharing this journey of trying to express our experience of God in fresh ways. Having my community support my music, and then support me to have an EP produced, has been the most immensely encouraging gift.

What’s one thing happening in your community that’s really exciting for you?

Leichhardt has always been very liturgical and led by lay members. I think recently, lay members of the congregation have been invited to have a larger role in preaching and writing liturgy than before. It has been the most beautiful thing to be part of. We have people at our church who have come from many traditions and have diverse stories of faith. The diversity of ideas and imagery is beautiful. I learn a new way of thinking about the Divine every time I am at church. It’s been especially exciting seeing liturgy that reflects who we are as a faith community, with imagery that speaks of protest and ecology.

What’s one thing you love telling people about the UCA?

I think people are generally surprised to hear I go to church. As a trans person, people tend to assume I don’t have a good relationship with religion. My faith community is the most affirming and supporting of any space I go into and it’s a joy telling people that. I love to tell people that the Uniting Church has a place for me and for communities who welcome LGBTQIA+ people.

What’s one thing you’d like to change, or something you hope for?

I hope the church can support forms of spiritual community that meet the needs of people today, people who don’t find nourishment in a conventional church but have a deep sense of the sacred. There are many people in the UCA already doing this work and I hope we can listen to their experiences and give them the freedom and resources to do something new.

Alongside fellow congregants of Leichhardt Uniting Church, Mikali has released an EP of worship music under the Moniker “Marion St”. Listen to their music here: https://linktr.ee/marionst