On Sunday 12 March 2023, Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal, the lead person of the Church of Sanctuary movement, presented Church of Sanctuary awards to five Methodist Churches in the Brighton and Hove Circuit at a service in the seaside city of Brighton and Hove. He also had the pleasure of welcoming the entire Brighton and Hove Circuit as a ‘Circuit of Sanctuary’.
Dr Bhogal, a former President of the Methodist Conference, travelled to the south coast of England, to present Church of Sanctuary awards to the first Methodist churches to become ‘Churches of Sanctuary’, with the support from the Sanctuary-on-Sea team. Equally, it was a historic moment for the Church of Sanctuary programme when he welcomed the whole of the Brighton and Hove Circuit as a ‘Circuit of Sanctuary’.
The congregation of over 150 people included the Superintendent Minister, the Revd Andrew Lowe; the Revd Deborah Cornish, who is also the Assistant District Chair of the Methodist South East District; the Lord Mayor of Brighton and Hove; members of Sanctuary on Sea (Brighton & Hove City of Sanctuary); and staff members of the University of Sussex, which is a University of Sanctuary. It was noted that the process for this great achievement was developed from the work undertaken by lay-leaders, Deeptima Massey and Sue Harrington. Inderjit, who has supported the Brighton and Hove Methodist Districts and Circuits throughout this process, also preached at the service, at which the ceremony took place.
The Church of Sanctuary programme is a Churches Together in Britain and Ireland initiative that works in partnership with City and Sanctuary to encourage churches in Britain and Ireland to show greater hospitality to those in need of sanctuary and a warm welcome. This is particularly important given the increasing hostility that many asylum seekers and refugees currently face in Britain and Ireland.