WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH

Scene: A vicarage. A lesbian couple, Lyn and Emma, who are open and honest about their sexuality in all areas of their lives, ask a female minister if they can become members of her congregation.

LYN: Good afternoon, thank you for having this meeting with me. We've attended your services a couple of times and have a good feeling about the church. we've decided we'd like to join, and wondered what we'd have to do to achieve this.

MINISTER: I think we'll be able to accommodate you but I must stipulate that church attendance is my main priority right now; unfortunately we, at St. Albans have a large congregation but members do not always attend services as frequently as they should. So I would have to request that you try to attend as often as possible. It's no use being a member in name only; faith without works is dead, as the good book says. Don't you agree?

EMMA & LYN: (nodding in agreement) Oh, absolutely.

LYN: And I'm asking - because you're a woman minister - and this was something that attracted us to your church. We thought that you'd be quite open to er... to us.

MINISTER: Us? You mean your family? Your husband?

LYN: No, not my husband - I'm not married.

MINISTER: Oh, (looking uneasy) your partner you mean?

LYN: Yes, but it's not a man.

MINISTER: (after a stunned silence) Oh.

LYN: This is my partner. (turning to Emma). We've been together for some time and thought
you might be open to accepting us as a couple within the church.

MINISTER: Well, I think I'll have to look into this a little more deeply. Personally my view is that anybody should be able to live their lives the way they want if no harm is done to others, but the church decrees that its members adhere to a strict moral code, and I, as a minister have to enforce that code and have to answer to the church hierarchy.

LYN: Surely YOU represent the church?

MINISTER: Well yes, but really I'm just one rung on the ladder and I have to bow to my superiors on this.

LYN: And are these superiors all men?

MINISTER: Most of them are, yes. And although I'm more or less my own boss in this diocese I'm still not allowed to condone anything which is in direct conflict with church policy. If someone higher up in the church doesn't agree with something I do then I will have to change it.

LYN: Well, we have to know from you that you can support us as new members...

EMMA: ...because in our last congregation the minister didn't think it

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