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Anglican

Anglicans form the family of Christians closely related to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Whilst tracing their inheritance back to Christ and the earliest Christians and to the ancient Roman Catholic church, the sixteenth century Reformation was a crucial moment for Anglicanism.

Bishop

‘Bishop’ comes from the Greek word for ‘overseer’. So a bishop is a senior Christian minister authorised to have oversight for God’s people. As well as duties given to deacons and priests, bishops confirm and ordain.

Diocese

‘Diocese’ refers to the geographical territory in which a bishop exercises oversight. The Church in Wales is divided into six dioceses each with its own cathedral in which is housed the cathedra (the bishop’s ‘chair’ or ‘throne’).

Ecumenical

The Christian Church is divided due to different interpretations of the faith and different religious practices. The ecumenical movement promotes dialogue and understanding between Christians and works for visible unity.

Eucharist

‘Eucharist’ comes from the Greek word for ‘thanksgiving’. At the Eucharist the Church remembers Jesus’ last supper where he gave bread and wine to be his body and blood, a sign of his saving love. See also Holy Communion.

Holy Communion

At Holy Communion blessed bread and wine is shared, by which we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The congregation gives thanks for Jesus’ life, his death and resurrection and his continuing presence. See also Eucharist.

Prayer

Prayer sustains our human relationship with God and may involve words (formal or informal) or be silent. Prayer can involve adoration (‘I love you’), confession (‘sorry’), thanksgiving and supplication (‘please’).

Home News Bishop celebrates 40 years of Pride in Wales

Bishop celebrates 40 years of Pride in Wales

Provincial news Posted: 26 June 2025

The Bishop of Llandaff and clergy and members of the Church in Wales have played a prominent part in the 40th anniversary celebrations of Pride in Wales.

Wales’ first Pride parade was held in 1985, and it was organised by just a handful of students from Cardiff University. Now, forty years on, Pride is a massive two-day event with thousands of marchers, spectators, and attendees who come from all over the country to celebrate in Cardiff.

As well as marking 40 years of Pride in Wales, this year is also the tenth anniversary of the Faith Space at Pride Cymru, organised and run in partnership with Llandaff Diocese and The Gathering Cardiff, a local ecumenical church for LGBTQ+ people and allies. The Faith Space is an area in the heart of Pride Cymru which provides a place for prayer, contemplation, community resources, and lots of art and craft. It is run by volunteers from many denominations and none – Anglican, Methodist, URC, Quaker – and has information and resources for LGBTQ+ people who come from other faiths, too. Occasionally there are speeches and panels; every year there is a Pride Eucharist.

The Bishop of Llandaff, Rt Revd Mary Stallard, who presided over this year’s Eucharist with two of The Gathering’s Pastoral Leaders, Revd Delyth Liddell (Methodist), and Revd Ruth Rowan (Church in Wales), says this about the event: “It has been so special to be here at the Pride Eucharist […] Pride is just such a wonderful, welcoming festival, and I feel a great sense of being welcomed myself, as well as having an opportunity as Christians together to offer a welcome to everyone who is here.” The sermon this year was delivered by G Tanswell, a lay leader of The Gathering, and was centred around Colossians 3, which describes God’s people as holy, chosen and loved: “It’s easy to let the world define us by its headlines, its hate, or even its silence. But God defines us by something deeper. God looks at us and says ‘You are mine. You are enough. Chosen, holy, loved.’”

Open Table East Cardiff Pride Cymru.jpeg

As well as the Faith Space, groups such as the Open Table East Cardiff (Diocese of Monmouth), joined in the parade. Revd Rosemary Hill says: “It was a joy and a privilege to be part of Pride in Cardiff this year! It was wonderful to be able to demonstrate how far the Church in Wales has come in terms of inclusion in the last 10 years, but also acknowledge how far is left to go and to be a hopeful presence for LGBTQ+ people, both within and outside the Church.”

Similarly, St John the Baptist in Cardiff (Diocese of Llandaff) is situated half-way down the usual parade route, and shows their appreciation each year with a stall outside the church. “With enthusiastic waving and cheering, handing out of water and sweets, we try to show God's love to the marchers - to show the LGBTQIA+ community that God loves them and cherishes them just as they are”.

The Archbishop of Wales, Most Revd Andrew John, adds: “The Church in Wales welcomes every person on the basis they are loved by God. Wherever we see discrimination we will speak for those who suffer injustices and argue for a world in which people accept and value one another because we are made in the image of God. We are glad to celebrate Pride Cymru and recognize the church has not always been a place of welcome. We wish to acknowledge this and learn from our mistakes. We pray our churches will become better and more inclusive spaces for everyone.”

Here are some links to all the churches and groups mentioned if you want to find out more about any of them:

The Gathering – Cardiff https://www.thegatheringcardiff.org/
The Gathering is a relaxed, ecumenical church for LGBTQ+ people and allies, which meets every Sunday evening at City URC church.
Open Table East Cardiff https://www.facebook.com/eastcardiffma
Part of the Open Table Network and based in Monmouth Diocese’s East Cardiff Ministry Area, this group meets on the first Sunday of each month at All Saints, Cyncoed.
St John the Baptist Church, Cardiff http://www.stjohnscardiff.wales/
St John’s is an inclusive Church in Wales church in the Diocese of Llandaff, led by Revd Canon Sarah Jones.