Rainbow List celebrates Open Table members on Merseyside
THREE Open Table members on Merseyside have been nominated by the public on a list celebrating the contributions of LGBTQ+ people to their community.
Leaving shame behind: A biblical Pride reflection
INSPIRED by guest speaker Jonathan Tallon’s reflection on Pride in the New Testament at our national gathering last month, OTN trustee Neil Rees shares his own response with a broader Biblical focus.
Life-changing support: National church affirms dignity of transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH (URC) has voted in support of a resolution to recognise the inherent worth of people with diverse gender identities, at the annual meeting of its governing body this month. Two of the three ministers who brought the proposal to the URC General Assembly support local Open Table communities.
Open Table t-shirts now in stock in new online store
WEAR A T-SHIRT that supports LGBTQIA+ inclusion in our churches! The Open Table Network (OTN) has just launched an e-shop where you can order merchandise to raise funds for the charity and the growing network of communities we support.
Inclusive groups call on bishops ‘to enable fuller welcome of LGBTQIA people in the Church of England’
AS GENERAL SYNOD, the Church of England's governing body, concluded on Tuesday, representatives of 18 inclusive Christian organisations published an open letter to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, in favour of ‘a Church of England in which it is possible for same-sex couples to marry in church’.
Valuing all that we are – Appreciating Open Table
Following the 2023 national gathering of the Open Table Network (OTN), Fiona Thomas, co-leader of the Open Table community in Blackheath, south London, and developmentalist for Appreciating Church, reflects on how simple questions can generate ideas and imagination.
Brokenness and joy – Open Table reflection at General Synod
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
Buck up a bishop: EQUAL campaign calls for Anglicans to encourage senior CofE leaders
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.
Life-saving since 2008 – Read our 2022 annual report
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.
Walking with integrity – Celebrating Open Table’s 15th birthday
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.
