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AS PART of our 15th birthday celebrations, representatives from across the Open Table Network attended a meeting of the Church of England General Synod Gender and Sexuality Group on Friday 7th July. Bishop of Bradford Toby Howarth led an Open Table communion service to close the meeting, and shared this reflection

EQUAL: the Campaign for Equal Marriage in the Church of England, has renewed a call to action for LGBTQIA+ Anglicans and allies to write an encouraging card to their bishops to let them know that there are members of their dioceses who support the proposals of the Living In Love And Faith process on identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage, and want them to continue.

The Open Table Network (OTN) has a proud history of supporting LGBTQIA+ people. This year, the charity celebrates 15 years since its first community began in Liverpool in 2008. In our newly published 2022 annual report, you’ll discover the words of more than 250 people explaining what Open Table means to them, and much more.

ON SUNDAY 18th June, the first Open Table community in Liverpool hosted a celebration and thanksgiving communion service to mark fifteen years of creating safer sacred spaces for LGBTQIA+ Christians. The celebration was led Revd Cate Jacobs, who was ordained priest at Liverpool Cathedral the previous weekend. This is her reflection.

AT our national gathering in Cambridge on Saturday 10th June, our guest speaker was Revd Dr Jonathan Tallon, author of Affirmative: Why You Can Say Yes to the Bible and Yes to People Who Are LGBTQI+ and the website bibleandhomosexuality.org. He spoke about the understanding of ‘pride’ in the New Testament, with reference to Acts 4:1-31.

‘The phrase ‘Come as you are’ resonates loudly in our monthly worship. I needed to hear it and experience it for myself.’

LAST YEAR OTN saw a large rise in requests for support from around the world, particularly from Uganda, where the President passed a harsh Anti-Homosexuality Act last month. In the closing communion service at our national gathering on Saturday 10th June, OTN trustee Neil Rees shared prayers of solidarity and a call to action for our LGBTQIA+ siblings.

TWO PATRONS of the Open Table Network (OTN) sent messages of support, encouragement and hope for the charity’s national gathering on Saturday 10th June.

JUNE 1st-7th is Volunteers’ Week - a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you. The Open Table Network wouldn’t - and couldn’t - exist without the volunteers who give energy, time and talents.