Joane, a woman in the local community near your church, has been visiting the church and has requested to join the church. She presents a letter of recommendation from her previous church stating she is a member in good standing. Through some discussions with her, you determine her to be an orthodox, believing Christian and present her to the church for membership. After being voted in and attending faithfully for some time, she approaches the Minister to Children about working in the children's ministry. As is normal practice at your church, the staff performs a background check on Joane. Upon receiving the results of the background check, your staff immediately informs you that Joane was born Joe. You call Joane in for discussion and she informs you that the results are true and that she was born male. Joane said she felt like she was born in the wrong body and desperately wanted to become female. She traveled to Europe, had gender reassignment surgery, and is currently taking hormone therapy drugs to complete the physical transformation from male to female.
How would you counsel Joane? What would you suggest Joane do in light of Scripture? Make sure to include any relevant biblical passages in your answer.
My response when reading this for the first time:augh!
However, this is what my response was after the prayer, research, and asking others opinions on the topic:
I would tell ‘Joan’ that our discussion must take a rather intense turn, but that we would conduct it as respectfully and gently as possible. I would continue to call the individual Joan as that is the current legal name.
First I would inform “Joan” that the church cannot in any way accept ‘her’ application for any leadership roles while ‘she’ is a transgender. The church has a strong commitment to the belief that God is sovereign and knows each person He creates and has a purpose for them in the way He has created them – specifically male or female. Those who reject this belief and take matters into their own hands are in essence telling God that He does not know what He is doing, He is not in control, and the individual knows better. One’s gender is a fundamental part of one’s birthright. It is one of the few things we enter and leave the world with. The Bible clearly condemns those who reject God’s birthright to them (Hebrews 12:14-17).
Secondly, I would ask Joan to read with me 1 Corinthians 6:17-20. Even though intense surgery has been done upon Joan, in God’s eyes she is not a she but rather a he who has committed very intense atrocities against his body. Presenting oneself as a women when one is a man goes against God’s law (Deuteronomy 22:5). God loves ‘Joan’ but still sees Joe.
In light of this, any relationship ‘she’ pursues at this point would in essence be a homosexual relationship, which goes against 1 Corinthians 6:9. However, there is always hope in Christ, which is clearly pointed out in 1 Timothy 1:9-11.
Joan may not be willing to even consider stopping hormone treatments and seeking reversal surgery. However, I would still offer the services of the church and also inform Joan of www.pfox.org. Specifically the article found under http://pfox.org/Former_Transgender_Tells_His_Story.html.
If Joan wants to remain in the church, there must be some strict guidelines. First, as pointed out, it is the view of this church that by pursuing life as a female when God created ‘her’ as a male, ‘she’ is living in rebellion against God and His plan. Now, she will not be shunned from the community. However, ‘she’ will not be able to step into positions of leadership or teaching while remaining as ‘she’ is. Not unless Joan repents of these decisions, asks for God’s forgiveness, takes clear, obvious steps of reversing the process, and undergoes biblical counseling within the church will leadership be on the table.
Second, while the church at large will not be informed of Joan’s past, the church leadership will be. Joan’s private affairs will remain as such but the staff needs to know for future reference.
If any man in the church wishes to pursue a relationship, Joan is not to entertain the pursuit but to clearly forbid the man to continue. If he is persistent, she must tell him why. Failure to do this will result in the church stepping in and informing the man of her past and discipline on Joan. This is because the relationship would in effect be homosexual which the church can not in any way endorse.
The church will not offer Joan any recommendations to other churches without informing them of her past in case she is ever considered for positions of leadership.
The church will not take a position of ostracizing Joan. However by presenting the identity as female when Gods intent was male, this is a kind of deception to the church. It is difficult for trust to continue when this fundamental misrepresentation of identity occurs.
Having said all of this, I would ask Joan what ‘her’ response is. I would not wish to say any of this with an air of judgment, condemnation, or bigotry. Joan has professed faith in Jesus Christ and seems to be an orthodox Christian. Therefore, past actions do not make sense given a professed belief in the validity, accuracy and authority of Scripture. It is my hope that by explaining these things gently, if Joan is not repentant at the time of the meeting, future discussion will lead Joe to realize what he has done and repent, and allow the church to come alongside him in reconciling his physical and spiritual self with God’s plan and purpose for his life.
Thoughts? Comments? How would you have responded differently or the same?
~Princess Ouch~
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