Canterbury Episcopal Campus Ministry is located at 2407 16th St. Photo by Avery Mendoza.
By Avery Mendoza
Looking to reform a local church, one religious leader has created an inclusive place for students and Lubbock residents seeking a place to worship.
After being ordained in 2019, Mother Leann Wigner took on the mission of leading Canterbury Episcopal Church into a new era with an “inviting space” to welcome all walks of life, not just those committed to Christ.
According to Gallup polling, religion significantly influences the lives of many Americans, as approximately three out of four identify with a particular religious faith. This trend extends to a notable minority of LGBTQ+ adults, with approximately one-fifth of them expressing the significance of religion in their lives, as revealed by polling data from the Pew Research Center.
Many LGBTQ+ people feel ostracized from church with three out of four LGBTQ+ adults, surveyed by Pew in 2013, saying they feel evangelical churches were “unfriendly” to them. With Over 7% of Americans identifying as LGBTQ+, according to Gallup and Pew, half of this group has no religious affiliation, leaving some to feel conflicted between themselves and their religion, with up to 30% of LGBTQ+ adults feeling “unwelcome” within a “church or religious organization,” according to Pew.
Mother Leann Wigner holds a firm rule that all that those enter the church must be affirming or else they will be denied entry. Photo courtesy of Leann Wigner.
Canterbury stayed true to Wigner’s vision of an inviting space by transforming the nave into a common area with games, movies and couches, so that there isn’t an overwhelming religious presence. Instead, one can find a warm community presence regardless of their faith. Wigner holds a firm rule that all that those enter the church must be affirming or else they will not be allowed entry.
“’I’ll give you as much money as you need to rebuild Canterbury,’” Wigner said her superiors told her when she first started and has backed her claims of reforming the space by allowing those of other faiths, like Judaism and Islam, to come into the church and worship. While they are mainly comprised of Christians, Wigner vows that no one will be turned away from the church because of their gender, race, sexual orientation, or religion.
By transforming the nave into a common area with games, movies, and couches, so that there isn’t an overwhelming religious presence, Canterbury has stayed true to Wigner’s vision that anyone can find a warm community presence regardless of their faith. Wigner holds a firm rule that all those who enter the church must be affirming or else they will not be allowed entry.
Canterbury offers a wide variety of resources for all its patrons. In addition to holding Sunday masses, its “We Aren’t Strangers” events every Thursday are meant to introduce new members to the church while also allowing anyone who is less religious a chance to get to know the church without pressure.
Canterbury offers access to the church 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week to those who have been affirming and recurring regulars. Access to their assortment of prayer rooms, kitchen and common area, is allowed anytime. With a large presence for students since its inception, many LGBTQ+ students who attend Canterbury regularly have discussed that their experience with the church has helped them heal from religious trauma while gaining insight into their own faith.
Canterbury’s coffee bistro and dining room. Photo by Avery Mendoza.
Austin Sedtal, a sophomore psychology major from Anson, described Canterbury as comfortable and affirming, stating, “I still don’t like when people pray for me, but I feel okay going into a church now.”
The Episcopal Church has been supportive of the gay community for decades, dating back to its 1976 General Convention passing resolutions accepting “homosexual persons” into its congregations. A year later, it ordained Ellen Barnett, the church’s first out lesbian, to the priesthood and approved of the ordination of all women into its dioceses. In 2015, the Episcopal Church approved changes to allow same-sex marriages under its tenets.
Canterbury Campus Ministry ties its 806 roots all the back to 1932 when its doors opened for the first time. Canterbury originally shared its walls with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra as the building served as both an opera house and a place of worship. Canterbury has been a Lubbock community figure for decades, and it has partnered with Texas Tech to offer a wide array of options for students to practice their faith within a safe place.
Canterbury’s nave and common room. Photo by Avery Mendoza.
Outside of weekly mass, Canterbury provides an assortment of different events for both regulars and outsiders of the church. These events include holiday parties for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, along with Pride Month celebrations.
The group holds game and movie nights as well to help reinforce its community-based aspects. Canterbury is also home to a coffee bistro where patrons can not only relax and get their morning cup of joe but host date nights where the church is transformed into a restaurant.
Marc Burdis, a sophomore art major from Lubbock, said he feels so welcome at Canterbury.
“It’s one of the most important things in my life,” he said. “Hearing sermons about how [being transgender] is beautiful, about how being gay isn’t a sin – it’s affirming, it’s welcoming.”
A room of worship inside Canterbury Campus Ministry. Photo by Avery Mendoza.
Canterbury works to allow LGBTQ+ people of faith who have looked for a place to safely worship and where their religion and identity aren’t in constant conflict in hopes that they find the home they have been searching for.
For those looking to visit, Canterbury Episcopal Church is located at 2407 16th St. and can find worship and visitation times on its website.
About Reece Nations
