It all started with an email about a donkey.
Last Christmas, a member of Animal Aid reached out to Revd Lee Higson at Oldhams Church to voice their concerns about the use of a live animal in a nativity service. Reassurances were given that the animal was well cared for, lived at the farm next door to the church, and was comfortable with young children. The conversation could have ended there.
Instead, Revd Lee continued the dialogue with the team at Animal Aid – a charity that seeks to promote cruelty-free living – and found that they share an interest in the environment and animal welfare. Oldhams Church, based in a housing estate in Bolton, has been involved in eco work for some time, having received a Silver Award from A Rocha UK in recognition of their efforts to care for God’s creation.
This week, the church welcomed Nina, Jessamy and Gary from Animal Aid to spend some time after the Sunday service together. They cooked meat-free bolognese and chilli before handing out recipe packs so that everyone could go home and cook the meals for their families during the week.
The church is now taking its next steps towards cruelty-free living and plans to move to solely vegetarian food and make other switches to plant-based alternatives. Such a fantastic example of working closely with other organisations and bringing them into the life of our churches.
