Liverpool church which hosts first Open Table community celebrates National Coming Out Day
National Coming Out Day logo by gay pop artist and AIDS awareness advocate Keith Haring
Revd Dr Ash Barker, who will celebrate a special communion service at St Bride’s Liverpool on Sunday 16th October and give a lecture on ‘Creating Inclusive Spaces: a Theology of Place’ on Monday 17th October.
THIS OCTOBER, St Bride’s Church in Liverpool is celebrating the contribution of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) communities past and present.
Celebrations kick off with a special communion service on Sunday 16th October at 6.30pm led by the Revd Dr Ash Barker. Ash, originally from Melbourne, Australia is a pioneering urban activist, leadership developer, writer and minister in Birmingham.
Ash is staying on to deliver a lecture as part of St Bride’s extremely popular and long running Public Theology lecture series at 6.30pm on Monday 17th October entitled ‘Creating Inclusive Spaces: a Theology of Place’. In this talk, Ash will explore how we make our neighbourhoods safe, inclusive and empowering so that everyone can thrive.
National Coming Out Day is an annual celebration, marked on October 11th every year since 1988, on the anniversary of the 1987 National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Washington, USA. It’s a day to honour the bravery of LGBT+ people who have decided to come out and be themselves, and the date is now marked across the globe. Since 1987 we’ve seen great strides in equality and yet we continue to see LGBT+ people suffer violent attacks and hate around the UK and abroad.
Revd Dr Ash Barker said:
To celebrate with gratitude the unique contributions of our LGBT+ friends is so important right now. There is momentum for change and growth, but we have a long way to go to see all gifts honoured, valued and released into fullness of life. I look forward to this special communion service, welcoming all and connecting together as only Jesus can.
Warren Hartley, LGBT+ Ministry Facilitator at St Bride’s Church, said:
Open Table aims to create a safe sacred space for you to explore your faith and what it means for you. Every year we mark National Coming Out Day to remember the bravery of those who have come before us and celebrate the beauty of the lives within our community. We also recommit ourselves to continue to work for a world free from all forms of violence and oppression.
St Bride’s hosts many social justice projects including Open Table Liverpool, a twice-monthly service open to all people, but particularly for the LGBT+ community of Merseyside and anyone who wants to belong in an accepting, loving community. The Liverpool community is part of the Open Table Network of communities across England and Wales whose vision is of a world where LGBT+ people are fully included within our church traditions and communities.
Visit stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia for more details about these events.