Iain’s journey is one shaped by faith, identify, and perseverance amid exclusion. Raised in a Christian family, he studied music, worked in London, and gradually embraced his sexuality while deepening his vocation.
As a gay man facing institutional hostility, he encountered repeated rejection despite an acknowledged call to ministry. Central to the story is his 50-year partnership with Ken, their activism, and fostering of vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth, which brought public attention in the 1990s.
Iain will recount his struggle within the United Reformed Church, culminating in his ordination. His inclusive ministry emphasises justice, resilience, hope and the church’s transformative potential.
Iain MdDonald is a retired United Reformed Church minister cho continues to lead services most Sundays in churches across Devon and beyond. Baptised in the Church of Scotland, he later belonged to the Presbyterian Church of England. He was the first openly gay ordinand in the URC and was minister of Southernhay Church in Exeter city centre until he retired in 2014.
Iain was founder of the URCCaucus of the then Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement and played an active role in campaigns for LGBTQ+ acceptance within the denomination. He is a longstanding member of SoF.