Monthly Archives: May 2025

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Marching together!!!!

Dear Friends,

This week we signal our support for the gay and trans members of All Saints and the wider LGBTQ community.  Things may be going dark in many parts of the world, but we have the light of Christ to lighten our darkness.

In my sermon this Sunday I will be looking at the hidden LGBT people in the Bible: they’re actually hiding in plain sight if you know where to look, but the English translations throw them into a scriptural closet.  Queer people occur throughout the scriptures – some are approved of, others not so, just like any other people.  All can serve God, and sometimes fail, just as we can!

Join us in our special Pride Worship Service at All Saints at our usual time of 10:30 am, and then march with us or come and sit at our booth at the Thapae Gate!  More details below!

Our scripture readings for this Pride Sunday will be 1 Samuel 18, 20, 2 Samuel 1; 1 John 4:7-21; and  Matthew 8:5-10,13; and we will be singing the hymns Stand up Stand Up for Jesus; Lord, We make this Cry for freedom; Beauty for Brokenness; and Let Us Build a House!

Use this link to join on Zoom on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 548 801 501

Last Week’s Service!

Video of last Sunday’s service is available on the All Saints YouTube channel! 

Pride in Chiang Mai – Why?

All Saints is a church.  So why do we march in Pride?  Isn’t pride a sin?  Well, it’s not that sort of pride.  The word pride as in gay pride first came into use in black pride.  African Americans were taught to work hard and keep their heads down – being “uppity” was not only discouraged, it was down-right dangerous.  The only response when being racially abused was not to retaliate, to walk away, otherwise you would end up the loser.  Black Pride arose in opposition to this – it was about standing up to be counted, about saying I am not ashamed to be who I am.  In this context pride is the opposite of shame!  

And so, in 1970 in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the first Gay Pride marches took place.  LGBT people were saying I am not ashamed to be who I am!  Father Gene marched in New York in those early days and he will tell how people were abused and spat upon as they walked.

Fifty years later, Pride parades have become colourful family affairs with lavish corporate sponsorship and cross-party political support, but maybe not for much longer.  Many big companies have withdrawn their support and political parties have turned hostile.  Some countries, such as Hungary, have banned Pride altogether, while in others, such as the US, you can be sure that faces are being filmed and identities logged for future sanctions.  In the UK, the big three parades, Manchester, Brighton, and London, have banned all political parties from taking part because of their active hostility and denial of rights and healthcare for trans people.  Once again, it takes courage to stand up and be counted!

(If you doubt how bad the situation is in America, then read this long but insightful article: “Why I am leaving the US”!)

That is why All Saints will be marching in Chiang Mai Pride – to show that, gay or straight, cis or trans, we love one another as Jesus commanded us!  Please join us if you can!

This year Chiang Mai Pride takes place this Sunday, 25th May.  All Saints will have a special service at 10:30 a.m. that morning, and then will take part in the parade, which begins at 5 p.m., marching behind our “Christians at Pride” banner.  We will also have our campervan-booth at the Thapae Gate where the march will end.

 Chiang Mai Pride 2025, May 25, 2025 , 1 PM–9:30 PM

 Start: Buddhist Center → End: Thapae Gate

13:00 Registration Opens
16:30 Line-up
17:20 Flash mob
17:30 Parade starts
19:30 Stage activities:
Cabaret show, Community speeches, Sex worker performance, Network launch, Equal marriage ceremony, Candlelight memorial, and Open-air cinema & booths!

Maejo Pride is on 29th June and All Saints will be involved there too!

All Saints Pride T-Shirts

Adam and Sarah have designed these fantastic T-shirts for Chiang Mai Pride.  They will be available in white, blue, or pink, in sizes S, M, L, and XL.  (I am wearing a white M and pink S above.)

The cost will be THB 250 with profits helping to support All Saints.  You can collect your order this Sunday and they will also be on sale after church and at our booth at Chiang Mai Pride!

All Saints’ First Intern

Tomorrow night, All Saints will welcome Clay Wackerman – a student from Harvard Divinity School – who will be joining us as a summer intern.  He will be shadowing Gene, Mark, Christa, and I, as he explores his calling into Christian ministry.  You will be able to meet him this Sunday!

Clay Wackerman is an aspiring Episcopal priest from the United States. Upon graduating college, he spent a year teaching elementary school English in Chanthaburi, Thailand, where he gained a deep appreciation for Thai culture and cuisine.

After his time in Thailand, he spent the following year at an Episcopal Benedictine Monastery in New York, immersing himself in the monastic life of work and prayer. After these two transformative experiences, he now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he is pursuing his Masters of Divinity degree at the Harvard Divinity School.

In his spare time, he enjoys reading, hiking, playing guitar, and trying to keep up his Thai language skills. He’s incredibly excited to return to Thailand this summer to serve as an intern All Saints Chiang Mai. He’s looking forward to meeting you all soon.

Pray for Annah and Aneesh

Annah’s baby is due to be delivered by caesarian section on Sunday, but her mum is seriously ill with cancer and may not make it until then.

Please hold the whole family in your prayers!

Pray for Penny!

Many of you will know Penny from the Lannacapella Choir, Women in the Word, and Chili Night.  Last Wednesday she had a fall and on Monday she had her shoulder replaced in Ram Hospital.  All went well and she returned home on Wednesday!

Please continue to hold her in your prayers!

Inclusive Church Conference

At the end of May, Christa and I will be attending this first international event gathering community leaders and allies in East and Southeast Asia.  It will focus on building an ongoing support network for communities, exploring opportunities to facilitate resources sharing, learning from stories and ministry experiences, and witnessing God’s love and unity in Christ.  This will give us the opportunity to reach out to other inclusive Christians and churches in Asia, and perhaps help to raise support for some of All Saint’s work in Chiang Mai

We have obtained the Thai resident discount so it is costing THB 2,000 each rather than $150, and we are also sponsoring a Thai pastor’s conference fee.  Flights are also around THB 2,000 return. If anyone would like to contribute to the costs of our participation, please see Christa or me, or speak to Adam, who is our new church treasurer!

Chili Night!

See you again next Tuesday for the final Chili Night until July!  

Once again everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided.  Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!)  All are welcome.  Food is served at 6 p.m.

Please make a donation on THB 100 per person!

Weekly Offering to All Saints

You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!.  Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together.  God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
God bless you,

Vicar Iain _{^{(he/they/she)}}

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…

Dear Friends,

Our Gospel reading this week reminds us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that we are safe in his arms- even if we’re going through tough times!  This message of love is the heart of the gospel and we have good news to share!

Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, and John 10:22-30, and we will be singing the hymns Jesus Christ is Risen Today; The Lord’s my shepherd (And I will trust in You alone), The Lord’s my shepherd, and The King of love my Shepherd is!

Use this link to join on Zoom on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 548 801 501

Last Week’s Service!

Video of last Sunday’s service is available on the All Saints YouTube channel! 

Pride in Chiang Mai

This year Chiang Mai Pride takes place on Sunday 25th May.  All Saints will have a special service at 10:30 a.m. that morning and then will take part in the parade, which begins at 4 p.m., marching behind our “Christians at Pride” banner.  We will also have our campervan-booth at the Thapae Gate where the march will end.

Maejo Pride is on 29th June and All Saints will be involved there too!

Inclusive Church Conference

At the end of May, Christa and I will be attending this first international event gathering community leaders and allies in East and Southeast Asia.  It will focus on building an ongoing support network for communities, exploring opportunities to facilitate resources sharing, learning from stories and ministry experiences, and witnessing God’s love and unity in Christ.  This will give us the opportunity to reach out to other inclusive Christians and churches in Asia, and perhaps help to raise support for some of All Saint’s work in Chiang Mai

We have obtained the Thai resident discount so it is costing THB 2,000 each rather than $150, and we are also sponsoring a Thai pastors conference fee.  Flights are also around THB 2,000 return. If anyone would like to contribute to the costs of our participation, please see Christa or me, or speak to Adam, who is our new church treasurer!

Urgent – Church Finances!



All Saints now has a working Foundation, which is a firm footing for the future, and we came through the flood due to the generous giving of members and friends.  But… we have a problem: we need a weekly collection each Sunday of around THB 10,000 to cover our regular outgoings, but the regular offering is usually around THB 3,000 – and half of that comes from two people!  Last week’s offering was THB 4,340  

Generally, we need each adult present to give an average of THB 500 per week.  Of course, some people have very little money, so others need to give more!

There is a biblical tradition of giving a tithe – 10% of your income to God!  Jesus calls us to give all!  Please consider your weekly income – work out how much a tenth is, and then reflect on what you are giving to All Saints.  We are not asking for 10%, but are you giving only 1%, 2%, or 3% – do you spend more on a meal out, than you give to support all the good things that All Saints is doing?

I’m sure we have been at fault in failing to share the needs of All Saints clearly – but our bank balance has been falling steadily since Covid.  We will struggle to pay the rent and salary bill next month unless our income increases.  Most of our offering goes to cover the salaries of our Congregational Pastor, our Organist, our Administrator, and our Cleaner – they are all part-time, but each one provides a vital function in the life of our church!

Please consider your giving – you can give more beginning next Sunday, or you can give each week and right now in the following ways:

You can donate via the All Saints Foundation:

Bank:                      Kasikorn Bank
Account Name:      All Saints Foundation
Account Number:  170-3-79007-7
SWIFT code:          KASITHBK

You can use the QR code for the church account in my name.



If you have a UK bank account, you can donate via the All Saints Chiang Mai Mission UK account:

Bank: Coop Bank
Account Name:  All Saints Chiang Mai Mission
Account Number: 65877142
Sort Code:  08-92-99

Or other international donors can give via PayPal to the IainBaxterMinistry UK account using a debit or credit card.

One-off donations will be gratefully received, but most of all we need you to consider your regular weekly giving.

Thanks and God bless you!


Chili Night is Back!

See you again next Tuesday!  Once again everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided.  Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!)  All are welcome.  Food is served at 6 p.m.

Please make a donation on THB 100 per person!

Weekly Offering to All Saints

You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!.  Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together.  God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
God bless you,

Vicar Iain ^{_{(he/they/she)}}

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Feed – all – my Sheep

Dear Friends,

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus says to Peter “Feed my sheep!”  Jesus was a carpenter, not a shepherd.  He wasn’t talking about actual sheep, but the people entrusted to his care. 

We all have sheep to feed – some are part of our natural families, some friends – both new and old, and some are those who are part of our church family!  

Elsewhere, Jesus described himself as the Good Shepherd and talks about having “other sheep, not of this sheepfold”.  He was probably talking about the Gentiles, but we also have “other sheep” to watch over – those who are marginalised and on the edge of our society.  One group are migrants, another are trans people.  At All Saints we are reaching out to both!

Pastor Mark, and others, continue to take assistance to the Myanmar border, while others assist within that war-torn country.  Christa and I, and others, are heading-up transACTIONrefuge, seeking to share a safe-space for trans people fleeing persecution in the US and elsewhere.  These are all sheep we are called upon to feed!

On the 25th May – only just over three weeks away – we will take part in Chiang Mai Pride.  Pride marches have become fun events, a time of celebration for all the family supported by large corporate sponsors and government agencies, but they began as protest marches where participants were spat-upon by passersby and harassed by the police.  With the rolling-back of LGBTQ rights in many parts of the world, this need to protest has returned just as many of the corporate sponsors have departed and governments have turned hostile.  LGBTQ people are “sheep” strongly in need of feeding with acceptance, affirmation, and solidarity.

All Saints stands firmly in solidarity with those on the margins – we will feed these sheep!

Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be Acts 9:1-20, Revelation 5:11-14, and John 21:1-19, and we will be singing the hymns Jesus Christ is Risen Today; Alleluia, Alleluia, Give Thanks; In Christ alone my hope is Found; and All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!

Use this link to join on Zoom on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 548 801 501

Last Week’s Service!

Video of last Sunday’s service is available on the All Saints YouTube channel! 

Pride in Chiang Mai

This year Chiang Mai Pride takes place on Sunday 25th May.  All Saints will have a special service that morning and then will take part in the parade, marching behind our “Christians at Pride” banner.  We will also have our campervan-booth at the Thapae Gate where the march will end.

Maejo Pride is on 29th June and All Saints will be involved there too!

Inclusive Church Conference

At the end of May, Christa and I will be attending this first international event gathering community leaders and allies in East and Southeast Asia.  It will focus on building an ongoing support network for communities, exploring opportunities to facilitate resources sharing, learning from stories and ministry experiences, and witnessing God’s love and unity in Christ.  This will give us the opportunity to reach out to other inclusive Christians and churches in Asia, and perhaps help to raise support for some of All Saint’s work in Chiang Mai

We have obtained the Thai resident discount so it is costing THB 2,000 each rather than $150, and we are also sponsoring a Thai pastors conference fee.  Flights are also around THB 2,000 return. If anyone would like to contribute to the costs of our participation, please see Christa or me, or speak to Adam, who is our new church treasurer!

Urgent – Church Finances!



All Saints now has a working Foundation, which is a firm footing for the future, and we came through the flood due to the generous giving of members and friends.  But… we have a problem: we need a weekly collection each Sunday of around THB 10,000 to cover our regular outgoings, but the regular offering is usually around THB 3,000 – and half of that comes from two people!  Last week’s offering was THB 4,231.  

Generally, we need each adult present to give an average of THB 500 per week.  Of course, some people have very little money, so others need to give more!

There is a biblical tradition of giving a tithe – 10% of your income to God!  Jesus calls us to give all!  Please consider your weekly income – work out how much a tenth is, and then reflect on what you are giving to All Saints.  We are not asking for 10%, but are you giving only 1%, 2%, or 3% – do you spend more on a meal out, than you give to support all the good things that All Saints is doing?

I’m sure we have been at fault in failing to share the needs of All Saints clearly – but our bank balance has been falling steadily since Covid.  We will struggle to pay the rent and salary bill next month unless our income increases.  Most of our offering goes to cover the salaries of our Congregational Pastor, our Organist, our Administrator, and our Cleaner – they are all part-time, but each one provides a vital function in the life of our church!

Please consider your giving – you can give more beginning next Sunday, or you can give each week and right now in the following ways:

You can donate via the All Saints Foundation:

Bank:                      Kasikorn Bank
Account Name:      All Saints Foundation
Account Number:  170-3-79007-7
SWIFT code:          KASITHBK

You can use the QR code for the church account in my name.



If you have a UK bank account, you can donate via the All Saints Chiang Mai Mission UK account:

Bank: Coop Bank
Account Name:  All Saints Chiang Mai Mission
Account Number: 65877142
Sort Code:  08-92-99

Or other international donors can give via PayPal to the IainBaxterMinistry UK account using a debit or credit card.

One-off donations will be gratefully received, but most of all we need you to consider your regular weekly giving.

Thanks and God bless you!


Chili Night is Back!

See you again next Tuesday, 6th May!  Once again everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided.  Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!)  All are welcome.  Food is served at 6 p.m.

Please make a donation on THB 100 per person!

Weekly Offering to All Saints

You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!.  Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together.  God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
God bless you and Happy Easter,

Vicar Iain _{^{(he/they/she)}}