‘To be included, you just need to be present. To belong, you need to be missed’ [1] Belonging is a fundamental human need[2]. Churches and other religious groups can nourish the need for belonging by providing community and a place where relationships can flourish[3] [4]. However, some marginalised groups face what Krysia Waldock and Precious Sango[5] describe as ‘barriers to belonging in church’[6]. Theologies can shape how we ‘do church’, and therefore what we may perceive as correct in church spaces. We will explore how people’s operant theology (what they do – their theology in practice) can differ significantly from the normative theology of their churches (the authoritative teachings, such…