‘Oh God, the Church are here!’

For many years, the Wesley Church Centre in the heart of Chester has been committed to opening its doors to the city and blessed by the active participation of several LGBT+ members as the Revd Neil Stacey explains.

We were already members of the Inclusive Church network when, in 2016, our journey took a more public turn when we decided to take part in Chester Pride. At an event where religious voices are often associated with exclusion, we wanted to offer a visible sign of Christian welcome. We were greeted with a warmth that revealed a deep, unmet hunger: the need for the church to be a genuinely safe sacred space for those marginalized by organized religion.

The pain of growth

This experience led us to explore hosting an Open Table community - a monthly Holy Communion service designed by and for LGBT+ people, their families, and allies. However, when our Church Council considered the proposal in 2018, it was initially met with what we now recognize as the ‘pain of growth’. A popular hymn at Wesley is ‘All Are Welcome’, and some members, believing our doors were already open to everyone, questioned the need for a separate ‘safe’ community.

Church member Kate Matthews, who served as a steward at the time, recalls the personal toll of this debate. The discussions were difficult and emotionally costly so, to protect herself, Kate had to excuse herself from the meeting before a decision was made. However, Kate’s influence was not diminished by her absence. She wrote an open letter to the Church Council - which I read on her behalf. It prompted members to reflect on the discussions and express remorse for not listening better to her, and other LGBT+ people who have been abused or excluded in churches. This moment taught us that ‘safety’ is not a default setting; it must be intentionally created.

Beyond ‘ticking boxes’

Kate, who now serves as our Centre Coordinator, reminds us that ‘being inclusive is not just something we do, but who we are. It’s understanding that this space belongs to everyone’. She observed that for many LGBT+ Christians, the church has not historically been a place of safety, and to change this, we must be visible. At Wesley, this ethos is reflected in practical actions:

• Visibility: Ministers and staff wear Progress Pride lanyards. Our external noticeboard and welcome tables clearly display our inclusive pledge. Kate explained: ‘Even when these signs are torn down or we face abuse, we press on, knowing that our visibility is a lighthouse for those seeking sanctuary.’
• Vetting: We make our values clear to any organization seeking to lease our building; if their values do not align with dignity and equality, they are unlikely to find a home here.

This ethos must be embedded in every part of our church’s life, so we strive to consider the barriers to every activity we offer. In 2025, we joined the Church of Sanctuary movement, recognizing that the struggle for LGBT+ inclusion is part of a broader divine call to support people fleeing persecution, or with mental health struggles, or facing financial hardship, or living with visual impairment.

A porous community

The impact is most vivid during the Chester Pride parade, which passes right by our building. Each year, more of our members gather on the ramp at the front of the church to celebrate our city’s diversity Mark Gant, a leader of our Open Table community, notes how ‘the boundaries between Open Table and other parts of the church’s life have become porous’, helping people find their way back to faith. Many who first connect with us in the Pride Wellbeing Zone are initially too anxious to step inside for a morning service. Open Table provides a ‘narrower,’ safer entrance. Once trust is built, Open Table members often become integral to our wider church family; one person met at Pride was even baptized and confirmed at Easter last year.

A daily challenge

Revd Dr Christine Dutton, who was a minister at Wesley when we began this journey, suggested that when we create ‘safer, braver space’ - whether through the monthly Open Table service or a Bible study looking at scripture through the experience of LGBT+ people - we allow people to flourish in ways that a general welcome cannot, by celebrating the diversity of human identity rather than merely tolerating it.

As we walked in the parade at Chester Pride last year, I overheard a teenager at the shout to her friends, ‘Oh God, the church are here!’. Later, an older woman remarked, ‘That’s the kind of church I would like to belong to’. These moments are proof of the need for this vital witness.

Being an inclusive church is a daily challenge to embody God’s indiscriminate grace. We must avoid complacency, as the vulnerable quickly detect insincerity. Our prayer is that our discipleship shows the world we believe in a God whose love knows no bounds - a God who invites everyone to the table, just as they are.

Revd Neil Stacey, Minister, Wesley Church Centre, Chester

Find out more about how your church might host an Open Table community visit www.opentable.lgbt