An Interview with Jenny Sinclair
We are delighted to welcome Jenny Sinclair, Founder and Director of Together for the Common Good, as this year’s keynote speaker for the 12th Annual Micah Lecture at Liverpool Cathedral. Taking place on Thursday 19 June 2025, her lecture, titled From Charity to Solidarity: A Radical Return to True Christian Justice – will challenge and inspire those working across church and community life.
We sat down with Jenny Sinclair to talk to her about hot topics across church life not just in the Diocese of Liverpool but across the country. Here’s what Jenny had to say on five key topics…
Jenny began by reflecting on the 40th anniversary of Faith in the City, the landmark report that highlighted the Church’s responsibility to communities experiencing deprivation. She acknowledged the impact it had in waking people up to the needs of urban Britain. “It opened up a debate – not just for the Church, but for the country,” she said. “It was a critique that comfortable Britain didn’t want to hear.”
Since then, she believes the Church has learned just how deep the need really is – but also how limited the current models of response can be. “Volunteers are exhausted. There’s never enough money. Many brilliant Christian charities are under strain. And yet, there’s still this huge reservoir of goodwill.” But good intentions aren’t enough, she added. “The Church has too often acted like a service provider. Social action has become a project, when really what is needed is a relational way of being.”
She sees this as a call to return to the Church’s core vocation: to reveal the sacred and to build communities of hope. “We’ve lost sight of the fact that we’re called to live out our faith, not just to provide a service. That means living in solidarity, not just offering charity.”
When asked what this shift from charity to solidarity looks like, Jenny spoke passionately about the need for mutuality. “It’s not just about giving someone a food parcel. It’s about building relationships. People should be welcomed into the heart of the community, not treated as passive recipients.” Drawing on the late Pope Francis’ language of a “culture of encounter,” she described a vision of reciprocity where those in need also contribute, lead, and shape their own lives.
She also pointed to the need for the Church to confront its class dynamic with poor communities. “The Church doesn’t like facing up to the class divide. There’s a tendency among middle-class congregations to assume that giving to the poor is enough. But real justice is about power, participation, and decent jobs, not just handouts.” She stressed that a just society won’t be built through charity alone. “We’ve got to move from service to solidarity, from welfare to work. We need to be with people – not just do things for them.”
As the anniversary of Faith in the City invites reflection, Jenny was clear that it should also prompt some hard truths. “This isn’t just a moment to celebrate the good the Church has done. We need to tell the truth about what’s happened over the past 40 years. The neoliberal economy, supported by every government since 1979, has hollowed out many of our communities. It’s a system that produces poverty in all its forms.” In this period of instability where so much seems to unravelling, she believes that the Church must step up. “We need to demand economic reform and stand with the communities that have been abandoned.”
Despite the challenges, Jenny sees many signs of hope. “God is definitely at work. I see people quietly starting new initiatives, responding to what the Spirit is saying. This isn’t about big projects, but small, local acts of faith. That’s where I see the Church being renewed.” She believes that this moment calls for deep spiritual confidence. “We need to stop being shy about being Christian. Young people, especially, are attracted to a Church that’s authentic, rooted, and unapologetically faithful.”
Turning to what secular institutions and government might learn from the Church, Jenny drew from Catholic Social Teaching, particularly the principle of subsidiarity, which emphasises that decisions should be taken as close to the people affected as possible. “Government can’t fix everything,” she said. “We all have responsibility, whether as neighbours, families, community members or leaders.”
She highlighted how our culture has increasingly regarded people as isolated individuals, rather than as relational beings. “We’ve become disconnected. We order things online instead of talking to our neighbours. That’s not how we’re meant to live. It’s no coincidence we have a mental health crisis and a loneliness epidemic.” For Jenny, the Christian vision of the person – as fundamentally relational – offers something desperately needed. “Even people who aren’t religious can see the truth in that.”
As the conversation turned to Liverpool itself, Jenny shared her vision of what a just city might look like. “Liverpool has justice in its DNA – but the benefits of prosperity haven’t reached everyone. We need a serious economy that works not just for the city centre, but for the outer estates too.” She raised concerns about the types of jobs on offer to young people – often insecure roles in hospitality or night-time industries – and called for better, more dignified work. “We need civic leaders who can engage major investors and attract industries that offer real progression, so that young people can be confident of building a life.”
She added that the people of the Church could take the lead in this. “We don’t have to wait for the council, or for the bishop. Each parish could gather people together – business owners, neighbours, community organisers – and discern what they can do for the common good, particular to their place. That’s what solidarity looks like: everyone contributing according to their gifts.”
Jenny also spoke of the importance of sustainability and resilience at the local level. “As global systems become more fragile, we’ll need shorter supply chains, stronger local economies, and deeper relationships. Being relational won’t just be a nice-to-have, it will be essential for survival.”
Her message is clear: The Church has a crucial role to play in this new era. Not as a distant institution, but as a faithful, active presence in local communities – rooted in prayer, rich in relationship, and bold in its hope.
Join us for the Micah Lecture
You can hear more from Jenny Sinclair at the 12th Annual Micah Lecture at Liverpool Cathedral:
You can hear more from Jenny Sinclair at the 12th Annual Micah Lecture at Liverpool Cathedral:
Thursday 19 June 2025
7:00–9:00pm (doors open at 6:45pm)
Liverpool Cathedral
Free entry – all welcome
The evening will include a keynote talk followed by a Q&A, with opportunities to connect with others who are passionate about faith-based social justice.
The Micah Lecture is hosted by Liverpool Cathedral on behalf of Micah Liverpool, in partnership with the Diocese of Liverpool and Together Liverpool.
To learn more about Jenny’s work, visit: www.togetherforthecommongood.co.uk
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