Vital life-saving work - Read OTN’s 2024 Annual Report

Feedback from a new Open Table community member on Instagram in 2024.

OUR NEWLY PUBLISHED 2024 Annual Report tells the story of how OTN continues to be a life-line for LGBTQIA+ people seeking a spiritual home.

Since our very first Open Table community began in Liverpool in 2008, we have grown into a nationwide partnership of communities across England and Wales.

Together these communities offer a genuinely inclusive, affirming space for LGBTQIA+ people, their families and friends to ‘come as you are’, as OTN’s slogan says.

In 2024 we:

• launched seven new Open Table communities, bringing our national total to 37 communities by the end of the year.

• supported 33 other churches to explore how to be more welcoming, inclusive, affirming and empowering for LGBTQIA+ people.

Through our community gatherings, training and online resources, we saw thousands of people engage with OTN each month - many for the first time - finding friendships, hope and a sense of worth they had long been denied. One member put it simply:

‘The more people that know about this safe place, the better. It’s a wonderful thing.’

In short, Open Table remains a life-saving, life-changing ministry for people left wounded or lonely by other faith communities.

In our newly published 2024 Annual Report, you’ll discover:

• Impact in words and numbers:

  Stories and feedback from community members describing what OTN means to them, for example:

  ‘After worrying about walking into places of worship many times…
  for the first time I felt safe and at home in my faith.’

  The average monthly attendance across all our communities rose by 9% since 2023, reflecting growing demand for our ministry.

• Beyond church services:

  Open Table is much more than another church service. We resource local leaders and churches with training, peer support, and other events. Last year we provided hospitality training to volunteers through our ‘Well-being Through Welcome’ workshops, plus online seminars on Facilitating Safer Braver Communities, and Shaping Inclusive & Expansive Worship.
  One participant said they were:

  ‘thought-provoking, useful, safe’.

  Another shared,

  It was so vital to hear there are others like me…
  [I] want to reach out to others who might feel alone too…
  OTN is doing vital life-saving work.’

• Digital and media reach:

  Our outreach beyond in-person communities kept growing in 2024. We produced seven new episodes of our ‘This Is My Story’ podcast of short devotions, based around the Bible, the experiences of Open Table members, reflection and prayer. In March 2024 it was ranked third on FeedSpot’s list of Queer Bible Podcasts. We also joined Bluesky and saw strong engagement online - Facebook post reach grew 45% and Instagram by 14%. All of this means that even someone searching online for an affirming community can now find Open Table more easily.

• Key partnerships & advocacy:

  We deepened partnerships with other faith-based LGBTQIA+ affirming organisations, contributed to campaigns, and took part in research to raise awareness of the issues our members experience. PhD research by one of OTN’s trustees showed that

  ‘Queer sacred spaces provide an invaluable space that allows LGBTQIA+ Christians to just be,
  beyond reconciliation and “debate”, and we should therefore be safeguarding these spaces.’

• Solid finances:

  OTN’s financial health strengthened in 2024. Total income rose by nearly 50%, thanks to generous donations and grants, and our expenditure supported the network’s growth. We finished the year with a healthy surplus to reinvest in new communities and resources.

  As a charity, we file our full accounts with the Charity Commission each year – see our full annual return and accounts here.

Above all, OTN’s 2024 Annual Report celebrates real people and real change.

OTN’s community volunteers and leaders gave hundreds of hours each month to support isolated LGBTQIA+ people and sustain this movement. As one community member and regular donor said, even a small gift can make a big difference:

‘OTN has been a blessing to me, so I hope with my widow’s mite I can be a blessing to others as well.’

Open Table’s story really is about life-saving welcome. We thank everyone who has supported us - the churches which host us, the funders and donors who keep us going, and above all the LGBTQIA+ people and allies who bring our communities to life.

For more details and inspiring stories, download and read our full 2024 Annual Report.

Your support makes a real difference:

If you’ve been moved by these stories, please take action:

• Share this report far and wide.

• Join an Open Table community - Find us here.

• Contact us to explore how to start an Open Table community in your area.

• Donate to support our work (even the smallest regular donations add up!)

• Volunteer to help us reach more isolated LGBTQIA+ people in faith communities.

Visit our Support Us page to learn more. Together we can ensure more LGBTQIA+ people find belonging in a loving church home.

Open Table Network (OTN) is a growing partnership of communities across England & Wales which genuinely welcome and affirm people who are LGBTQIA+, their families, friends, and anyone who wants to belong in an accepting, loving community. READ MORE at opentable.lgbt.