HI I AM

Fr. JP HEATH

"I have come that you may have life, life in abundance"

John 10:10

about me

I have a passion for life! I think of the joy which I get from every moment of every day. Yes, I am a person of faith who celebrates the richness of God’s blessings, and those blessings I find in my ministry, in my family and in the food I love to cook.

I was born into an Afrikaans family in Namibia. Faith and food were foundational to every day life. From my grandmother I learned that there must always be food for the unexpected guest. From my mother I learned that love can find expression at moments both great and small in every day family life. And from my father I learned that hard work and focus can overcome every obstacle.

In my last year of school at Potchefstroom High School for Boys in South Africa, I walked into an Anglican Church with a friend of mine. Suddenly in the rite and ritual I saw the Glory of God manifest in a worship service. I cannot remember a time in my life that I had no faith. Faith was given to me with my mother’s milk, and I joyfully confirmed it for myself.

In my early twenties I experienced God’s calling on my life, and with guidance from my parish priest at the time, Fr. Wilfred Pohl, I started my own journey to ordination. Ordained a deacon in 1994 and priest in 1995, I served my first years of ministry in the Diocese of Johannesburg. Having tested HIV positive in 2000, my ministerial focus evolved to address vulnerability within God’s children who find themselves at the margins of faith communities.

While working as the parish priest for Christ Church Mayfair, I founded the secretariat for what became the International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally affected by HIV and AIDS (INERELA+). While my passion for that work has not diminished it was time to move on after 10 years with that network, and that has brought me to Sweden where I now live and work with those I love.

But my life is not just about priesthood and ministry, it is also about family, friends and food. In this website I will share my many passions. I pray that you will find joy and insight as I share with you so much of what manifests in my life as LIFE IN ABUNDANCE.

PASSIONS

Faith

I am an Anglican priest and this identifies me Christian. But in the same way as Jesus the Christ was not Christian, and the Buddha was not Buddhist, my identification as Christian does not preclude my understanding that God is bigger than the boxes we create to contain God for OUR peace of mind. Click on the icon above to share my reflections which explore the love story that is God's relationship with us.

Flavours

For my mother, the gold standard was Cordon Bleu. Having moved to Australia from Namibia, she was suddenly confronted with hundreds of ingredients which she had no knowledge of. She educated herself by following the 72 week magazine Cordon Bleu course. But for me she was so much more than that - her "leftover" meals always left us longing for more! Click on the icon above to explore family favourites with my own passion for food.

Facilitation

Jesus taught with stories - I resonate with this. In my work , I have delighted in sharing stories to help people find their own truths. I find experiential learning a methodology which helps me connect at a deep level with people who journey with me as we explore themes of HIV, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Gender Based Violence and Sexuality Education. Click on the icon above to seek to share my learnings rather than "teachings."

PUBLICATIONS

Behold, I make all things new is an exciting window on how modern Judaic, Christian and Muslim theologians are unpacking the scripture verses most often used to condemn homosexuality.
Born out of a historic panel discussion on human sexuality at the Church of Sweden’s 2015 Festival of Theology, the book is meant for theologians, academics, LGBTIQ people, their families and friends. Our prayer is that it brings the world at large to a better understanding of our gracious God of Love.

“Faith cannot be separated from our sexuality and there are no aliens in the household of God. Working on an interfaith basis allows us to examine more deeply the things that bind us together in our One God. I strongly recommend this book which explores these issues and brings a deeper understanding of who we are in the God who first created us.”

-Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane

In 2015, a historic panel discussion took place at the global Festival of Theology held in Sweden. Its objective was to examine what the sacred texts of the Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – had to say about human sexuality.

By bringing in perspectives from the Karmic faiths of Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Hinduism, which together represent the beliefs of almost a third of the world’s population, I Am Divine. So Are You expands this conversation between world religions and human sexuality to a truly global level.

The theology of Karmic faiths is revealed at the intersection of scripture, culture, rituals and lived realities. And hence they are dynamic and amenable to a multiplicity of perspectives. They lend themselves more easily to a recognition and acceptance of fluidity in human sexuality.

This is a landmark book as it recasts religion – especially Karmic faiths – as an ally and not an adversary of queer emancipation and thus significantly informs the secular and legal movements for LGBTQ rights around the world.

Articles from partners & media

Sjömansprästen som sprider ljus i Malmö hamn

När lastfartyget TR Prince lämnar Malmö har sjömännen sett både Malmö och Ales stenar, ätit svensk julmat och fyllt på sina telefonabonnemang. Sjömansprästen JP Heath ägnar dagarna åt att hjälpa och stötta sjöfarare. Vi följde honom en av dagarna före jul.

Workshop in Philippines equips women religious leaders for ecumenical HIV response

“I came here to know the difference between HIV and AIDS, and to distinguish the role of women, especially women pastors, in educating, empowering, and enlightening people in her flock about their view on HIV,” said Rev. Mary Ann Kadile, a pastor from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

Pridefestival sätter migration i fokus

Kyrkorna är präglade av samhället runt omkring. Och det påverkar hur toleranta de är mot hbtq-personer. Det säger JP Mokgethi-Heath, en av föreläsarna vid pridefestivalen Welcome Out.