In the quiet of our sanctuaries and the noise of our daily commutes, a question often lingers: Does my faith end at the church door, or does it follow me into the workplace?
For those of us navigating life with dyslexia or other disabilities, the workplace is often a battlefield of “reasonable adjustments” and invisible hurdles. But there is a broader, systemic issue that requires our urgent discernment as people of faith: The fight for pay equality.
Whether it is based on sex, disability, race, or neurodivergence, pay inequality is not just a policy failure—it is a mission failure.
A Mission-Rooted Mandate
From a mission point of view, the Church is called to be a “herald of the Kingdom.” If the Kingdom of God is a place where the last are first and the humble are exalted, then our earthly missions must reflect that radical equity.
Scripture is unapologetic about the sanctity of labor and the sin of withholding fair wages. In James 5:4, the warning is stark:
“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”
When a woman is paid less than a man for the same value of work, or when a disabled employee’s expertise is “discounted” because of their support needs, the “cries of the harvesters” are still rising. Our mission is not just to save souls, but to honor the Imago Dei—the Image of God—in every worker. That image is tarnished when we assign a lower price tag to a human being based on their identity.
A Modern Parable
As we write this in May 2026, we see these tensions boiling over in the AQA strike. Staff at England’s largest exam board—the very people responsible for the credentials that shape our children’s futures—have walked out in a dispute over pay.
While AQA operates as a charity, the UNISON-led strike highlights a profound disconnect: real-term pay cuts of 10% since 2021 for the frontline workers, while high-level reserves remain untouched.
For the person of faith, this strike is a “sign of the times.” It asks us:
Do we value the “low-paid” staff who do the essential, heavy lifting of our society?
Does our “charitable” status excuse us from the obligation of a Living Wage?
Supporting fair pay isn’t just about the numbers on a payslip; it’s about dignity. For those with dyslexia or disabilities at AQA and beyond, the struggle is doubled. We aren’t just fighting for the same pay; we are fighting to prove our “equal value” in a system that often equates “speed” or “standardised processing” with worth.
And of course, AQA staff aren’t the only ones who are lifting their voices to be heard over inequalities and to be treated fairly. Over the past year we’ve seen university staff strike, nhs strikes, bin men striking and many others. This is a growing issue that unfortunately, isn’t being tackled.
Equality as an Act of Worship
Fighting for equality—especially the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill currently moving through Parliament—is an act of worship. It is a way of saying that we refuse to accept a world where some are “more equal” than others.
As readers know, our brains work differently. We know that “fair” does not always mean “the same,” but it always means “just.”
How the Church Can Fight:
Transparency: Churches and charities should lead by example, publishing their own pay gap data across all equality matters(even if below the 250-employee threshold).
Advocacy: Using the pulpit and the community square to support workers like those at AQA, recognising that “fair pay for fair work” is a biblical principle.
Theology of Worth: Reminding employers that a person’s value is inherent, not a variable of their gender, skin colour, or the way their brain processes text.
Our mission is to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. But we cannot walk humbly if we are walking over the rights of our neighbours to earn a dignified living.
This May, as the exam season begins and the picket lines form, let’s discern what it truly means to be a person of faith in 2026. Let’s fight for a world where every worker is paid what they are worth: a price that reflects their infinite value in the eyes of the Creator.
What do you think? Does your faith influence how you view your paycheck—or your colleague’s? Can you do more to support equality?
Join the conversation in the comments.