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FOLLOWING the success of our Q&As with our Patrons in 2020-21 (still available on our YouTube channel), new Patron of the Open Table Network Alex Clare-Young, theologian, writer, campaigner and pioneer minister, was in conversation with OTN Co-Chair Sarah Hobbs in the first of a new series of webinars.

FEBRUARY is LGBT+ History Month,an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary history. The Methodist Church in Britain has published resources for LGBT+ History Month since 2022. This year they asked the Director of the Open Table Network to share the story of how Open Table began and has grown from one to many communities.

FEBRUARY is LGBT+ History Month, an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary history. The ‘plus’ sign after LGBT indicates that our identities are more diverse than labels can represent, so all are included. This year, the Methodist Church asked the Director of the Open Table Network to write a prayer which will be shared with churches for the month.

IT'S THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY. This year marks 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian church. At the heart of many Christian worship services is the Nicene Creed, which begins ‘We believe in one God…’ Reflecting this, the scripture readings chosen for this year focus on belief. OTN Trustee Neil Rees reflects on how we define ourselves by what we believe.

ON SUNDAY 15th DECEMBER the first Open Table community in Liverpool hosted the parish and the city’s LGBTQIA+ community for its largest gathering yet! Open Table member Sue Say gave this reflection for her favourite service of the year, inspired by John 1:1-5.

The Open Table Network (OTN) is celebrating a record-breaking fundraising milestone thanks to the Big Give Christmas Challenge. OTN raised an incredible £11,075 in just seven days, exceeding its £10,000 target and doubling the impact each donation will have in 2025.

THANKS to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, OTNhas received a grant from the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust. OTN’s grant of £14,610, equal to one third of the charity’s income in 2023, will enable the charity to open more doors for LGBTQIA+ people in 2025.

WHILE DISCUSSION of sexuality, gender, and faith remains prominent in Christian denominations nationally, rarely does this engagement pay attention to the spaces where sexuality, gender, and faith already co-exist creatively. Now Open Table Network trustee Dr Peter Jones has completed academic research focusing on just that, including Open Table members and communities as a case study.

In November 2020 our former Co-Chair Alex Clare-Young interviewed Anglican priest, poet, writer and broadcaster Rachel Mann as she bacame a patron of our charity. Now Rachel, who became Archdeacon of Bolton and of Salford in 2023, is stepping down as a Patron to focus on her duties as an Archdeacon and her prolific writing career.

DURING our online vigil for Trans Day of Remembrance [TDoR] on 20th November, OTN Co-Chair Sarah Hobbs shared this reflection in memory of the trans people who lost their lives because of transphobia in the past year. At the time of writing, the number of reports from 1st October 2023 to 30th September 2024 was 427 from more than 40 countries.