A forum to support neurodiverse church leaders has been launched by the Diocese of Oxford. 

Announced to mark the beginning of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, the group aims to provide a space for lay and ordained ministers to connect with each other.

Rev Jane Hemmings, area director of ordinands for Dorchester, told Premier Christian News the forum was “there to encourage, to support and to share wisdom.”

She said between 20% to 25% of ministers in the diocese identified as neurodiverse.

The diocese has also encouraged churches to be welcoming and supportive for those with differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Examples include providing sensory calm spaces and visual timetables, as well as creating cultures where people feel comfortable to share their needs.

Rev Hemmings said that “if everybody is truly welcome and welcome in all their diversity, then people tend to feel more accepted.”

“We're all made in the image of God. God has chosen each one of us in our uniqueness, and I think as a church, we need to celebrate that more,” she added.

Rt Rev Dave Bull, Bishop of Buckingham, said: “Every person we ever meet is precious to God, and they have the potential to make a one-of-a-kind contribution to the life of the church. Our prejudice stops us from seeing this potential and our EDI work is about helping us learn to see all people as Jesus sees them.

“Many of us have friends and loved ones who are neurodiverse and we see them encountering misunderstanding and prejudice. Neurodiversity Celebration Week gives us an opportunity to change the culture of our churches so they become places where it feels safe for them to disclose their differences.

"Where people feel they can be fully themselves and freely use the gifts that they bring – often because of their different way of thinking – our churches become more like the communities God designed them to be.”