Former Co-Chair begins new LGBTQIA+ chaplaincy role
Revd Andrew Howorth at his licensing service in June with Right Revd Toby Howarth, Bishop of Leeds.
OPEN TABLE NETWORK congratulates Revd Andrew Howorth on his licensing as LGBTQIA+ Chaplain for the Diocese of Leeds.
Andrew, who stepped down as Co-Chair and trustee of Open Table Network at the charity's Annual General Meeting in April after three years of service, was licensed in June to his new role by the Rt Revd Toby Howarth.
The appointment comes alongside his continuing ministry leading the Open Table Bradford community.
As Diocesan LGBTQIA+ Chaplain, Andrew will provide a safe and encouraging listening space and help ensure appropriate pastoral and spiritual care for LGBTQIA+ people across the Diocese of Leeds. The chaplaincy is intended to support both lay and ordained people and strengthen the church's welcome and care for LGBTQIA+ communities.
“Through this role we rejoice in the fact that God welcomes everyone, and the Church is committed to caring and supporting where we’ve made mistakes in the past.”
During his time as OTN Co-Chair, Andrew helped guide the charity through a period of continued growth, supporting the development of new Open Table communities and strengthening the network's vision of creating safe worshipping communities for LGBTQIA+ people across the UK.
Speaking after the AGM, Andrew said:
‘Serving as Co-Chair of the Open Table Network has been a privilege. I am grateful to the trustees, coordinators and community members who make this network what it is. Guided by the Holy Spirit, OTN continues to grow, creating safe worshipping communities for LGBTQIA+ people. While we pray for the day when every church embraces God's inclusive love, it is encouraging to see our network going from strength to strength.’
Reflecting on his new ministry, Andrew has described the chaplaincy as a developing service that seeks to offer support, pastoral care and a welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ people within the life of the Church.
He added:
‘I am so grateful to be able to serve God and the diocese in this way. Often the media creates such a negative message about both the Church and the LGBT+ community - through this role we rejoice in the fact that God welcomes everyone, and the Church is committed to caring and supporting where we’ve made mistakes in the past. Prayers appreciated for all this work.’
Rt Revd Toby Howarth, Bishop of Leeds, said:
‘It is with great joy that Andrew Howorth has become our new LGBTQIA+ Chaplain for the Anglican Diocese of Leeds. Andrew's ministry right across the Diocese, and particularly in setting up Open Table in Bradford, has been marked by wisdom, grace, kindness and determination. He is ideally placed to begin this new ministry in a time for our LGBTQIA+ communities of fragility and vulnerability but also joy and hope.’
In 2023, when he was Bishop of Bradford, Toby Howarth celebrated an Open Table communion service at General Synod, the Church of England’s governing body, in which he reflected on his journey with Open Table, from his visit to the first community in Liverpool in 2019, to the launch of Open Table Bradford that year. Read Bishop Toby’s reflection here.
