Nothing speaks more truthfully than personal stories. We want to thank all our contributors for sharing theirs. The headlines tell you a lot. But read on for some real witness and encouragement.

Personal stories

If you want to share a story about your journey, or the welcome you have received at an Open Table community, please do let us know.

  • Beth getting ready for Pride, wearing glitter face paint and a rainbow striped tshirt.

    Beth: ‘the courage to be my authentic self’

    For me, Open Table has been like the good soil in a parable of the sower - I’ve not just found community, I’ve found somewhere I have been able to [...]

  • Suzanne at Chester Pride, August 2022

    Suzanne: ‘Accepted, respected and protected’

    We came to Open Table as allies, to express our support and love and respect. And we still come to do all of those things and more. I instinctively knew [...]

  • David (right) with Open Table Network Coordinator Kieran, meeting for the first time in person at the launch of the Open Table Fareham community in June 2022.

    David: ‘loved, accepted, welcomed and part of the family’

    I FINALLY got the courage to accept my sexuality and come out as gay while working as an NHS Covid-19 responder. After growing up in a Nigerian conservative Christian household, [...]

  • LEFT TO RIGHT: Warren from Open Table Liverpool, Lou, Lou’s cousin Zoe, and vicar Laura who baptised Lou.

    Lou: ‘I felt so at home that I thought nothing could be better’

    As I grew up in a fundamentalist religious sect, I was taught to be afraid of everything: myself, family, God, death, life. The Jehovah’s Witnesses taught me that the end [...]

  • An extract from Zoey’s poem

    Zoey: ‘Yes! You can do this!’

    I’ve been coming to Open Table since the end of 2015. I was attracted by the warm, welcoming community. As I came in, I could just feel and see the [...]

  • James and his husband Vin at Pride in Liverpool, July 2017

    James: ‘Not so much coming out, as coming in to a supportive church family’

    When I was a very young man I was aware of my attraction towards men, although I assumed it was a phase. In any case the possibility of being gay [...]

  • Gail today

    Gail: ‘Who I am needs no excuse’

    Sometimes it feels as if I am a creation of the Japanese art-form, kintsugi, where broken pottery is glued back together with gold, silver, or platinum. On the outside it [...]

  • Matt (right) with his wife Danielle & Bobby the dog.

    Matt: ‘My comfort place, where I feel very safe’

    I was brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness since the day I was born. I found the religion tough and strict. Some of the rules I was not happy about. [...]

  • The Open Table and St Bride’s group marching at Liverpool Pride in 2017

    Moon: ‘God created me. So God loved me. It was that simple’.

    This city may have two cathedrals on a street called ‘Hope’, but I never expected to find God in Liverpool. I don’t mean that Liverpool is Godless - far from [...]