A POEM on the occasion of evangelist Franklin Graham coming to Liverpool with a message of condemnation for LGBT+ people. By Steven Shakespeare, author of several books including Prayers For An Inclusive Church, and long-term supporter of our first Open Table community in the city.

LAST MONTH, our Co-Chair Alex Clare-Young and their wife Jo, who is also a minister, led a week’s retreat for LGBTQ+ people and allies on Iona, a small island off the west coast of Scotland. On their return from the retreat, Alex compiled this photo story about the week.

A YEAR AGO, on Maundy Thursday, the priest who leads our Open Table community in north London received news of a Clergy Disciplinary Measure following his advocacy for a young woman in her claim of homophobic abuse in another parish. Here he reflects on the impact of that experience, and how that young woman’s story is not an isolated case.

OTN CO-CHAIR Alex Clare-Young is among church leaders calling on the Prime Minister to remove the exclusion of trans people from the proposed ‘conversion therapy’ ban which was announced last week. Here Alex reflects on the response to the Government’s announcement.

ON TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY, OTN Co-Chair Sarah Hobbs recalls the day that changed her life, and why it matters that the Church of England engages widely and well with conversations around identity.

THE FOURTH SUNDAY in Lent has been celebrated as Mothering Sunday in the UK for many years, and some claim it has a long history in our churches. Andi from Open Table Warrington takes a closer look and argues for a more inclusive understanding of the celebration.

IN THIS challenging reflection on the story of Abraham and Isaac, Peter, a queer trans masculine academic researcher, reflects on how forgiveness can be, and often is, a very loaded topic, especially within a faith and church context.

OTN TRUSTEE Augustine Tanner-Ihm reflects on the experience of being uninvited to a student ministry outreach event because of his involvement with the Open Table Network, and being targeted with a racial slur at a gay club.

ON ASH WEDNESDAY, one of the Bible readings recommended for the day is the story of Jesus forgiving the woman ‘caught in adultery’ [John 8:1-11]. Warren from Open Table Liverpool shared this reflection on the story after sharing Glitter Ash, a practice intending to capture the relationship between Ash Wednesday and Easter, between death and new life.

AS LGBT+ History Month draws to a close, our Patron Cherry Vann, Bishop of Monmouth, the first lesbian bishop in the Church in Wales, and in a civil partnership, shares her reflection on being able to bless same-sex couples in the Church In Wales.

FOR LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH 2022, OTN co-hosted an affirming online story-telling event sharing true LGBTQIA+ Christian stories from members of OTN, plus our partners Diverse Church, House of Rainbow, OneBodyOneFaith, Quest and Two:23 Network. Here is Grace’s story for OTN.

FEBRUARY is LGBT+ History Month. We’ve asked our Trustees to share a reflection. Here our Trustee Neil Rees reflects on the theme of this year’s festival, Politics In Art.

A poem by an award winning trans Christian performance poet, speaker and educator, Jay Hulme, which was included in the Open Table Network celebration for LGBT+ History Month

ON SUNDAY 6th February, Open Table Cambridge held a celebratory service to mark the start of LGBT+ History Month, featuring songs by local LGBT+ community choir Sing Out Cambridge. The Open Table Cambridge community, which meets twice a month on Sunday evenings, hosted the Sunday morning congregation for a creative Communion service.

IN JANUARY 2022, the new Open Table Birmingham community launched, with more than 50 people present, the largest launch of any Open Table community in the history of the network. Pianist Gary Hopkins, a Ministry Development Officer in the Methodist Church, was there to accompany the hymns chosen for the occasion. Here is his reflection.

FOR LGBT+ History Month, Pam Gold, former Co-Convenor of the Evangelical Fellowship of Lesbian & Gay Christians (EFLGC), and founder of two Open Table communities, shares her story of coming out and being an Evangelical gay Christian.

AT AN LGBT+ History Month event at the Museum of Liverpool on 'Christianity and LGBT+ Lives'. Bishop Paul Bayes, who is also a Patron of the Open Table Network, shared this message on his last day in the role.

Revd Canon Sarah Jones, the first person to be ordained after having made a gender transition in the UK, has written a special prayer on behalf of the Church In Wales Diocese of Llandaff for LGBT+ History Month.

As we celebrate LGBT+ History Month, Revd Rose Hill, a priest in the Church In Wales Diocese of Llandaff, introduces us to Queer Theology and recommends three books to explore this subject further.

FEBRUARY is LGBT+ History Month. We’ve asked our Patrons to share a reflection. Here our Patron John Bell shares a moment of appreciation, affirmation and gratitude to God.