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 Many big companies have withdrawn their support and political parties have turned hostile.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)
All Saints' Chiang Mai 