A Place at the Table: Allison Abuloc

“The United Church of Canada actively fights to make things better.”

Diversity is at the heart of Allison Abuloc’s spirituality. As a person who is Autistic and has ADHD, she admires the United Church’s commitment to include individuals from a variety of backgrounds, believing that this diversity is a source of strength. The sense of inclusivity and belonging makes the United Church unique and vital to her as a neurodiverse person training to be a diaconal minister.

Allison believes in confronting the challenges of the present and learning from the past to inspire future communities. The church, in her view, is not a place for passive reassurance but an active force for positive change. “We actively fight to make things better,” she says, embodying the church’s ministry of social justice.

She envisions a community where everyone is welcome at the table, much like Jesus welcomed those on the margins. This inclusive vision is powerful for those who are marginalized, offering them a place of honor and deep engagement.

For Allison, the United Church is a place where people can be their true selves, free from judgment. She often reflects on how many individuals feel they can’t be authentic in other situations, but find a welcoming home here.

Allison smiling, with long curly brown hair and wearing headphones

Allison Abuloc lives in British Columbia and attends the Vancouver School of Theology, where she is a candidate to become a diaconal minister in The United Church of Canada. Her passion is to support neurodiverse people in their spiritual journeys and their inclusion as key members of the church.