In order to strengthen ties to your church, you might consider speaking to your pastor or other clergy about your transgender family member in order to get some support for your family.  You could speak to your pastor or other clergy member privately if that would help.  Before speaking with your pastor, it might help to read about the effect of gender transition on communities of faith.

 

Here are some potential questions to help guide your conversation [Not all questions may apply to your situation; consider asking them if they apply to your transgender family member].  To some degree these questions assume that you are already aware of your church's views on transgender identity:

• What has your (the pastor's) experience been with families with a transgender member?

• Is a transgender individual’s salvation in jeopardy if s/he was a born-again Christian before the transition?

• How can I maintain my faith and my relationship with my transgender family member? (1*)

• Can a transgender person serve in positions of church authority (e.g., pastor, deacon)? (2)

 

• Disclose your family's situation with the transgender family member (if you feel comfortable)

• What support can the church offer the family?

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*The citations on this page come from the research literature and other publications and are available upon request.

1. Whitley, 2013

2. Leland, 2017