I’m delighted to report that the starting venue for my pilgrimage of repentance for homophobia has been confirmed. I will begin with a talk at Carr’s Lane Church in central Birmingham on the evening of Wednesday 15 June. I will then begin walking from there the next day.

I will then pass through towns and cities including Coventry, Leamington Spa and Oxford before arriving in London on 1 July, the evening before Pride.

I am very grateful to Carr’s Lane for their hosting offer, and to my friend John Cooper for his help with arranging it. I’m very pleased, partly because it’s great to have another venue confirmed, but also because the starting venue is particularly significant. A number of individuals, churches and groups in the Birmingham area have been really supportive and encouraging, so are likely to help in promoting the event.

I admit that on the whole I have found it harder than I hoped, or even expected, to find churches willing to host talks in some of the places I am visting. In a few places, there have been supportive individuals who have told their church about my pilgrimage and found that there has been more oppositon than they had hoped.

By confirming the talk at Carr’s Lane, I am of course announcing not only the starting venue but also the starting date. It’s just over two weeks before I’ll arrive in London, meaning my initial estimate that the walk would take around three weeks has turned out to be a bit inaccurate.  I hope the slightly shorter time won’t lead anyone to conlude that the walk is less meaingful!

There are now three events confirmed for my pilgrimage, all in city centre churches. The other two are in Oxford (Sunday 26 June) and London (Friday 1 July).  I am very close to confirming with one other church, and still talking with a few others. I am also pleased to have received an offer from a church that may not be close enough to the likely route. I am working out whether it will be feasible to vary the route in order to visit them.

For more news on my pilgrimage, please visit http://www.repenting.wordpress.com.