Gerard Swan – Chair
A member since about 1996 I found a home for my spirituality and sexuality in Quest.
Inspired by the passion and involvement of members at the 1998 conference (my first), at which the basis of the current constitution was vigorously discussed and later adopted by the membership, I have been an active member since, both locally and nationally.
A group convenor in 1999 I later joined the national committee for a period of about six years and held the post of Secretary for about five of those. More recently I held the positions of Deputy Chair in 2018 and Chair from 2019 to 2023 stepping down to become the Archivist and IT Manager. Locally I am part of the Quest in the Midlands steering group.
I think that we live in exciting times as LGBT+ Catholics both within the church and within society. But our place at the Table, gifted at Baptism, isn’t yet fully recognised when we cross the threshold of all of our churches and the spaces into which Christ invites us. In some places we are blocked or actively discouraged and the gifts we offer, the part we are asked to play, are rejected. Quest continues to have a role supporting LGBT+ people of faith to integrate faith with the expression of their God given identities, to realise their place at the Table. As an organisation we have a duty to work with and support the hierarchical church to meet us there in the fullness of our Baptism. We break bread together.
Professionally I have been a facilitative senior manager in both the education and social care sector. These opportunities have gifted me a broad skill set encompassing people development, high level IT skills and project development / implementation.