TWO PATRONS of the Open Table Network (OTN) sent messages of support, encouragement and hope for the charity’s national gathering on Saturday 10th June.

As OTN prepared to become a charity in 2020, we asked several notable Christians who identify as LGBTQIA+, or as allies, to become our patrons. They are advocates for OTN, speaking about us and supporting us in the public eye. We are proud that they believe in what we’re doing and want to have their names associated with us.

The first message was from Revd Dr John Bradbury, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church, who was also a minister of the church which hosted the national gathering, and co-founder of the Open Table community in Cambridge.

John shared a brief reflection on the theme of our event - More Than Equal. He said:

'I'm delighted that Open Table in Cambridge, and so many other places, is continuing to grow and thrive. It's a particular joy to me at this moment that the United Reformed Church has been able to fund the Open Table Network with £50,000 pounds to continue to develop its work and help us realize our hope that there will be at least one Open Table community in each of our 13 Synods. This is one of the key ways in which, as a church, we are seeking to allow the true and genuine flourishing of LGBTQIA+ folk throughout the life of the church.’

He added:

‘to be more than equal is to be called to live with the discomfort of people not like us - who it turns out are our sisters, brothers and siblings - and that's never easy. But Jesus does not promise easy. Jesus promises fullness of life - something I believe we find as we revel in our diversity.’

The outspoken allyship of former Bishop of Liverpool Right Revd Paul Bayes was one of the catalysts for the growth of Open Table from one to many communities since 2015. In his message to the OTN national gathering, he offered greetings and encouragement ‘in a darkening time’ of rising victimisation, especially for our trans siblings:

'It's in such a dark context that I want to encourage you in the Network to sustain your common life. Advocacy is great and very important but, more than anything, what will make us more than equal is this - is the sight of a community of people who, in the face of fear and marginalization and attack, are living lives of mutual delight, and lives of courage.’

He prayed that ‘courage and delight… will be sustained as the skies darken’. His words seemed prophetic as the UK Government debated the definition of ‘sex’ in the 2010 Equality Act on Monday 12th June, in which MPs shared nagative stereotypes and misinformation about trans people.

Bishop Paul continued:

The reason all this opposition is coming is because the world is changing, and you, friends, are at the cutting edge of that change within the church and within the world. The kind of shrill, increasingly shrill voices of opposition to any change within my own Church of England indicate how frightened people are by the fact that the world is changing. But the world IS changing, and you are at the edge of that. So may God bless you in that, and in all you do. Thank you.'

You can see the messages to OTN from all our Patrons on our website and YouTube channel.