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AS DEBATES over same-sex relationships continue in the Church of England, evangelicals are looking more and more out of touch, says OTN trustee Rev Dr Augustine Tanner-Ihm. He believes the focus should be put back on the issues Jesus and the early Church cared about.

IN MID-JANUARY the BBC leaked news that ‘Church of England bishops refuse to back gay marriage’, triggering much social media speculation and hand wringing, with many LGBTQIA+ people once again feeling deserted by the church. Nic Tall, a founding member of our Open Table Taunton community and member of General Syond, explains what happened next.

LAST SATURDAY, 16-year-old trans girl Brianna Ghey was found with stab wounds in a village park near Warrington, and sadly died. Two 15-year-olds have been charged with her murder. Our Open Table community leaders grieve for her loss and offer support to the town’s LGBTQIA+ community.

BRITAIN’S FOURTH LARGEST Christian denomination has hosted an online event to explore how to safely welcome LGBT+ people in its churches. Among the speakers was OTN trustee Revd Dr Augustine Tanner-Ihm, who spoke passionately about the intersection of being LGBT+ and from an ethnic minority background.

THERE WERE so many attempts at the Church of England’s General Synod to amend the House of Bishops’ motion on blessing same-gender relationships that not everyone got to speak in the main debate. One of those unheard speeches was from Andy Salmon, Rector of the church which hosts our Open Table community in Salford, who is grateful for what has been achieved.

IN RESPONSE to a proposal that prayers for blessing same-gender relationships ‘should not be contrary to… the doctrine of the Church of England’, Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Rector of the parish where the first Open Table community began, examined the assertion that the Church of England’s teaching on marriage has not changed, and should not change.

OTN PATRON Rachel Mann used elements of this text in her speech at General Synod in response to a proposed amendment which requested ‘further legal, theological, and practical consideration’ before introducing prayers for the blessing of same-gender relationships and pastoral guidance.

ON SUNDAY 5th February, Open Table Cambridge held a celebratory service to mark the start of LGBT+ History Month. OTN Co-Chair Alex Clare-Young led a creative Communion service, with OTN Patron, Bishop of Monmputh Cherry Vann, as the guest speaker. This is Bishop Cherry’s reflection on this year’s LGBT+ History Month theme: ‘Behind The Lens’.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND has published draft Prayers of Love and Faith ‘asking for God’s blessing on same-sex couples as they give thanks for their civil marriage or civil partnership’. Gareth Rayner-Williams compares them with Church In Wales liturgy & asks what do they mean by ‘blessing’?

FEBRUARY 1st is the feast of St Brigid of Kildare, a prophetic figure to whom the church where the first Open Table community began is dedicated. Today we are sharing the story of Brigid and her ‘soul friend’ and claiming them as patrons of our growing partnership of LGBTQIA-affirming Christian communities.