Five years on: From ‘Yes’ to ‘What’s Next?’
The first Open Table community in Liverpool celebrating its growth across the region and across the country
FIVE YEARS AGO, the Charity Commission said ‘yes’ to a partnership of LGBT+ affirming Christian communities.
For the Open Table Network, that moment in March 2021 marked the beginning of a new chapter.
What had already been growing organically - support for communities offering welcome, belonging and spirituality for LGBTQIA+ people - was given a new foundation, a new level of recognition, and new possibilities for the future.
Five years on, we’re taking a moment to pause, to give thanks, and to reflect on what that ‘yes’ has made possible.
From one table to many
Open Table began in Liverpool in 2008, as a small group of people gathering to share Communion and community in a space where they could be fully themselves.
At the point we became a registered charity in March 2021, there were 18 Open Table communities meeting across England and Wales.
Today, there are 39.
In five years, the network has more than doubled in size.
Each of these communities offers a regular, local space where LGBTQIA+ people, their families and friends can encounter a welcome that is real, honest and life-giving. Together, they form a growing network - supporting one another, sharing learning, and reminding each other that we are not alone.
A place to belong
Again and again, we hear the same thing from people who come to Open Table: that it changes something fundamental.
For many, church has been a place of exclusion, or silence, or uncertainty. For others, it has simply never felt like somewhere they could go.
Open Table communities offer something different: a safe, sacred space where people can explore faith and identity together, without fear of judgement. A place where relationships can grow, where stories can be shared, and where people can begin to rediscover a sense of belonging.
We know from those who journey with us that being part of an Open Table community can reduce isolation, improve wellbeing, and bring hope where it has been missing.
At its heart, Open Table is about wholeness - about people being able to bring all of who they are into a space of faith.
Or, as one community member shared in independent research published in 2021:
‘Being able to have my faith and sexuality co-exist has made me complete. I no longer have to hide who I am.’
Why charity status matters:
Becoming a charity didn’t change who we are - but it has enabled us to grow into that identity more fully.
It has allowed us to:
support more communities to begin and flourish
provide training and resources for leaders and volunteers
build relationships with churches and partners across denominations
begin developing the structures needed for long-term sustainability.
At its heart, the Open Table vision remains the same: creating safer, sacred spaces where everyone can encounter the unconditional love of God and know that they belong.
Looking ahead
As we look to the future, there is much to be hopeful for - and much still to do:
Demand for new Open Table communities continues.
Many LGBTQIA+ people are still searching for a place where they can belong in both their faith and their identity.
Churches are still learning how to offer genuine, unconditional welcome.
And the need for spaces that reduce isolation and support wellbeing remains as urgent as ever.
Our vision is simple, but bold:
a church where no one is excluded for who they are, and where every LGBTQIA+ person knows there is a place they can go and be truly welcomed.
Thank you!
None of this would be possible without the communities, volunteers, leaders, supporters and partners who have been part of the journey so far.
Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning, or have found Open Table more recently - thank you.
Be part of what comes next
As we look to the next five years, we know that this growth doesn’t happen on its own.
If you share our vision of safer, sacred spaces where LGBTQIA+ people can belong and thrive, we’d love you to be part of the journey.
Whether through giving, partnering, or simply helping to spread the word, your support helps new communities to begin and existing ones to flourish.
Together, we can ensure that even more people find a place at the table.
Five years on from that ‘yes’, the invitation remains the same:
