When the Judicial Council upheld the bishop’s decision that a transgender pastor (Rev. Ann Gordon of Baltimore-Washington Conference who became Rev. Drew Phoenix) remains eligible to serve a church, it presented United Methodism with a new challenge: what does the Bible say and what does the church say about gender and sex change? While “transgenderism” is a category often associated with gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual matters, theologically it should be discussed differently.   The concerns around persons considering themselves gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual are primarily behavioral and have to do with practice; the concerns around gender change have to do with identity.   The Bible does speak directly about homosexual practice; it speaks indirectly but not directly about transsexuality. 

It has been assumed that the 2008 General Conference will in some way address the matter of transgenderism.    Of the several evangelical renewal groups, Transforming Congregations, whose ministry is to minister and speak to sexual brokenness, has taken the lead in submitted petitions addressing gender change.   One petition would reinforce para. 161G (Human Sexuality) on the matter of homosexuality.  It would also add these words:

Persons who identify as transgender or transsexual are also persons of sacred worth with the same need for the church.  Nonetheless, Scripture and Christian tradition both recognize that…(transsexualism)…would deny the integrity of God’s good creation by attempting to blur or mar the sacred image of maleness or femaleness that was established by God….

The following is a petition that would appear not in the Social Principles but as a resolution:

Therefore, be it resolved, that in faithfulness to Scripture and Christian/Jewish tradition about God’s gift of male and female, and out of deep compassion for persons struggling with gender and sexual identity issues, we do not recognize transgenderism or transsexuality as part of God’s good intentions for humankind and we oppose sex reassignment therapy (hormonal or surgical) as a solutition. to these conditions.  We urge the church to offer God’s grace, counseling and sound teaching to all persons who self-identify as transgender or transsesxual, including those who have already undergone sex reassignment therapy. 

The full text of the petitions can be seen at www.transformingcong.org

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