A church without Walls
5/1/202626 min
Pastor Jane Codrington grew up in a conservative faith environment before leaving the institutional church to found We Are Church - a community for those excluded by traditional structures. Set within a quiet, gated Johannesburg neighbourhood reflecting the city’s wealth and social divides, the church brings people together to connect, belong, and celebrate community. Jane emphasises this is not a ‘queer church’- though LGBTQ members are welcome, but a space for anyone pushed to society’s edges. Some consider what she is doing blasphemous. She has faced accusations of “harbouring sin” or “leading people to hell,” alongside hostility for her radical inclusivity. Jane reflects on the personal cost of leaving the institutional church and the heartbreak she has experienced in her family. She speaks candidly about grief, doubt, and how her faith has been reshaped by both loss and radical inclusivity.
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First 90 secondsJohn Offord· Host0:00
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Speaker 10:35
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Jane Codrington· Guest0:51
The suburb is on one side of the M1, kind of like the main motorway that takes you from Johannesburg to Pretoria.
John Offord· Host1:06
It's a Monday morning in Johannesburg, South Africa. I'm with Jane Codrington, and we're heading to a place where a church founded by Jane meets a couple of times a month.
Jane Codrington· Guest1:18
So we're heading into a school called Bella Vista School, which is a primary school, a remedial primary school.