This is the first of our Q&A webinars with our new Patrons.
“May we know that we too are children of God’s delight, and that through the Open Table Network God’s love is known felt and heard. ”
The Open Table Network is becoming a charity, so we have asked several notable Christians who identify as LGBTQIA+, or as allies, to become our patrons. They will be advocates for our Network, speaking about us and supporting us in the public eye. We are proud that these people believe in what we're doing and want to have their names associated with us.
Rachel Mann is an Anglican Priest, poet, writer and broadcaster based in south Manchester. Her first book, the critically-acclaimed Dazzling Darkness: Gender, sexuality, illness and God (Glasgow: Wild Goose), a memoir of growing up transgender in the 1970s and ‘80s, has just received a second, revised edition. Since then she has published ten books which include the Michael Ramsey Prize-nominated Fierce Imaginings (London: DLT), the Forward Prizes commended A Kingdom of Love (Manchester: Carcanet), and, in October 2020, a novel The Gospel of Eve (London: DLT).
She has also written comment pieces for The Church Times, The Times, and The Guardian. She also contributes to radio programmes on BBC Radio, including Sunday Worship, in which she recently incorporated a reflection on the ministry of the Open Table Network.
Rachel will be in conversation with Alex Clare-Young, Co-Chair of the Open Table Network. Alex is a minister in the United Reformed Church, currently ministering to an online community called Churspacious, and with the trans community. Alex's first book, Transgender. Christian. Human. was published in 2019 by Wild Goose.