FRUITFUL
Day conferences for LGBTQ+ inclusive Christians and allies
The Journey So Far
Up and down the country many evangelical and charismatic churches have already fully welcomed and integrated the ministries and gifts of LGBTQ+ people. Many more are on a journey to doing so.
Fruitful is a day conference for everyone who is on that journey, and an invitation to come and see the good fruit of what God has been doing in our churches.
Who we’re for
Everyone is invited, whether you’re joyfully LGBTQ+ yourself, or simply wanting to see our churches become more welcoming, whether you’ve been in a church that embraced LGBTQ+ folks for decades, or you’re at the very beginning of your journey towards inclusion and you still have lots of questions.
We bring together voices from across the evangelical spectrum, including Baptist, Anglican, Pentecostal, and Black majority churches.
25th April 2026
Fruitful in the Spring:
Birmingham
Our Hosts
Fruitful’s Spring Conference will be hosted by Chester Road Baptist Church in Sutton Coldfield. Chester Road Baptist Church is one of the most diverse churches in North Birmingham.
Their minister, Danny Brierley, is the author of
“To inclusion and Beyond: Evangelical and affirming LGBTQ+ relationships and equal marriage”
For information about travelling to Chester Road Baptist Church, click here.
Speakers in Birmingham
Danny Brierley
Chester Road Baptist ChurchDanny Brierley is Minister of Chester Road Baptist Church, one of the most diverse churches in Birmingham, and author of To Inclusion and Beyond: Evangelical and affirming LGBTQ+ relationships and equal marriage.
A qualified social worker and a United Reformed Church Minister, Anji has spent the last 30 years living in poor urban communities in Australia, Thailand and the UK. She is passionate about social justice and grassroots transformation. Her stories will make you laugh and cry, inspire and encourage you. Since 2014, the Barkers have been based in Winson Green, inner city Birmingham, UK where they founded Newbigin House.
Newbigin HouseAnji Barker
Carlton Turner
Queens FoundationCarlton is a Caribbean Contextual and Practical Theologian and Anglican priest with ministerial experience both in the UK and the Caribbean. He is passionate about theological research and how it informs the practices of the Church. He is also passionate about training and mentoring people into ministry and helping them to discover their gifts within the Kingdom of God. He also enjoys sports and fitness, and of course, salsa dancing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!
Rachel is one of the ministers of Bonny Downs Baptist Church, a part time primary school teacher and is preparing for a PhD in safeguarding in the context of charismatic worship. She is on the leadership team of Fruitful and is married to Pippa.
Bonny Downs BaptistRachel Humphrey
Book here for Birmingham
Tickets for 25th April are available at the following prices:
General admission - £30
Concessions - £15
If you are able to subsidise someone else coming along, you can pay our supporter rate of £45
If you’d struggle to pay anything at all, just let us know at hello@fruitfulconference.com
12th September 2026
Fruitful in the Autumn:
Whitstable
Our Hosts
Fruitful’s Autumn Conference will be hosted by Riverside Church in Whitstable. Riverside is a charismatic affirming church in Whitstable, Kent, who believe that we need each other, with all our diversity and difference, to reflect the creativity, image, and joy of God. Their lead pastors Simon and Keely Bateson are great supporters of Fruitful and are looking forward to welcoming us.
You can hear a range of talks exploring their journey towards inclusion here.
For information about how to get to Riverside Church and where to park, click here.
Speakers in Whitstable
Simon & Keely Bateson
Riverside Church WhitstableSimon & Keely are the Lead Pastors of Riverside Church in Whitstable. After ministering and raising four children in Birmingham they felt a call to a new adventure which led them to help Riverside transition into a new building and a new future. They love family, food, a good box set and exploring Kent in their little green MGF.
Kate is a psychologist with a particular interest in the way our emotions affect us. She's passionate about helping people keep emotionally healthy in spite of what life throws at them, and helping people thrive even through life's challenging times. She's also an ordained Anglican priest, currently based in Brighton, a speaker and author. Kate also led the team behind Headstrong, an online wellbeing space for teenagers and young people in partnership with Youthscape
Mind & Soul FoundationKate Middleton
Seth Pinnock
Symphony CollectiveSeth Pinnock is a singer and songwriter, and the founder and leader of the Symphony Collective. He has collaborated with organizations such as the Tony Blair Foundation, the Church of England and Tearfund. In 2024, Seth publicly came out as queer, which sparked important conversations about inclusion within the Black Christian community. This has deepened Seth’s commitment to creating inclusive spaces that
celebrate diversity and empower individuals to be their authentic selves.
Aileen Mkanawire-Mogues
Aileen comes from a richly diverse, multi-racial and multicultural background. Aileen leads the Jigsaw team at St Mary’s London, where she helps guide the church in its ongoing journey to become truly intercultural. She believes deeply in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring true freedom, enabling all people to live as they were intentionally designed by God.
St Mary's, London
Rose & Claire Jones
Emmanuel, WoodleyRose and Clare lead Emmanuel Church in Woodley. Before Rose was ordained, she worked in the music industry and can often be found strumming guitar or behind a drum kit. Originally from Cornwall, she loves the coast, pasties, and curling up by a fire with a pint or a good book. Claire has a particular heart for welcoming those who aren’t sure that church (or Jesus) is for them. She’s passionate about preaching, parenting, pancakes, and making three points that start with the same letter.
Dave Pickett
The Hub Church, HitchinDave is on the leadership team of the Hub Church in Hitchin. He is a worship leader and has a passion for reaching out through sport.
Book here for Whitstable
Tickets for our autumn conference on 12th September are available at the following prices:
General admission - £30
Concessions - £15
If you are able to subsidise someone else coming along, you can pay our supporter rate of £45
If you’d struggle to pay anything at all, just let us know at hello@fruitfulconference.com
About Fruitful?
Fruitful began as a collaboration between St Mary’s London, a large charismatic Anglican church in Marylebone, and Two:23, an LGBTQ+ inclusive worship gathering.
We called it ‘Fruitful’ because the Bible tells us one of the best ways of discerning what the Holy Spirit is doing is to look where the fruit is. So many of us can testify to the fruit of LGBTQ+ inclusion, in terms of faithful, loving relationships, stable families and beautiful vocations realised within and beyond the church.
The first two Fruitful conferences, in 2024 and 2025, were held at St Mary’s, and drew together LGBTQ+ charismatic, Pentecostal and evangelical Christians looking for a welcoming worship space, with allies including church leaders exploring issues around sexuality and gender identity in their contexts.
Whilst Fruitful has been born out of a particular need to address issues of LGBTQ+ inclusion in charismatic, Pentecostal and evangelical churches, we are committed to a vision of church that represents the full diversity of the Body of Christ, and strive to ensure racial, cultural and gender diversity in our contributors and worship leaders.
Our core team members are supported by a wider advisory group featuring charismatic and pentecostal church leaders from diverse backgrounds.
Click here to book one of our 2026 conferences.
Rachel Humphrey
Fruitful & Bonny Downs Baptist ChurchRachel is one of the ministers of Bonny Downs Baptist Church, a part time primary school teacher and is preparing for a PhD in safeguarding in the context of charismatic worship. She is married to Pippa.
Alex Huzzey
Fruitful & St Luke's, St Albans
Peter Russell
Fruitful & St Mary's LondonPeter Russell is part of St Mary’s London, where he helps look after the LGBTQ+ community and leads worship as well as being a member of the PCC. With Chris Hassell he has developed ‘’Faithful’, a 6 week course looking at the Biblical case for inclusion which is currently being developed for use outside of St Mary’s. Peter is a keen musician, enjoys walking in the countryside, and is a solicitor by profession.
Testimonials
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“Coming from a church which is not inclusive it made me realise how much God loves everyone and that all are blessed by our love for God and from God.”
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“Honesty, openness, Hope-filled worship, feeling like what is on my heart is shared with others who feel the same.”
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“It felt as if I had found a spiritual home and connecting with others. Breaking down a sense of isolation. The worship was powerful and healing.”
