Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Why should churches care about our transgender folks? Molly Carnes, Episcopalian, vocational evangelist, and LGBTQ+ advocate in the State of Texas, offers a poignant answer in her article in the Texas Observer. She writes, “The God that I know represents love, and that’s what God has meant to my family. Before she officially came out as trans to the congregation, Ruby struggled with suicidal ideation, and having the care and support of her church helped her pull through. Without the divine compass of her faith, my daughter might not be with us today.”

In this video presentation, Bishop Deon Johnson calls us as followers of Christ to be visible, intentional, and unequivocal in our support and love of all beloved children of God, and to always widen the circle of who is invited and included. This video is available with English and Spanish subtitles.

In this 2019 webinar, David Patiño and Atticus Zavaletta share their experiences as young trans people of faith and the gifts of Trans/Queer leadership. They both actively work in ministry and focus on forming leaders and disciples from the margins. In their work, they try to reach the younger and marginalized segment in faith communities that is often overlooked and invite those on the outside to come in.

Episcopalians and others gathered in a 12-week virtual education and formation series designed to inform and equip advocates for gender justice. The series, grounded in Scripture, theology, prayer, arts, and culture, included discussions with organizers, clergy, and other leaders on topics including defending reproductive justice, supporting LGBTQ+ youth and families, preventing gender-based violence, and more.

If learning about the experiences of transgender people is new for you, you may want to browse a glossary first for any words that might be unfamiliar. PFLAG’s “Guide to Being an Ally to Trans and Nonbinary People” includes a comprehensive list of associated terminology and how the extensive vocabulary fits together to help us talk about sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Finally, the guide discusses what good allyship looks like and explores how we can identify barriers to our solidarity and overcome those barriers.

Our LGBTQ+ siblings are present in every single community. It is essential that every congregation, regardless of size, age demographics, location, or local politics, lives into their baptismal vow to love all and respect the dignity of every human being. The Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes offers congregations a comprehensive guide that includes definitions, LGBTQ+ and Episcopal history, and general FAQs.

This list, curated by the AuSable Inclusion Center of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes, offers resources that your small group can use to have conversations around justice, inclusion, and faith. Whether you're exploring LGBTQ+ allyship, racial equity, or scriptural reflection, each book can be used to facilitate meaningful group discussion.

Is your congregation seeking ways to grow in its welcome and inclusion of transgender, nonbinary, and two-spirit people? Taking the first step can feel daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Throughout the year, there are meaningful observances that offer opportunities to learn, reflect, and show visible support. Consider how your community might engage with the following dates as part of a journey toward deeper inclusion and belonging.

The Office of Government Relations of The Episcopal Church invites you to pray their weekly prayers for the vulnerable among us who face challenges, fears, and threats. The OGR writes, “These prayers are not a replacement for action; they offer grounding and space to discern what actions each of us feel compelled to take. We may feel called to meet with or contact our elected officials, participate in community organizing, provide services to those in our communities, or join in protests or acts of civil disobedience.” We invite you to incorporate these prayers in your individual and communal prayers.

Claiming one’s name can be both an empowering and vulnerable experience during one’s transition. A congregation can express its full solidarity with its trans, non-binary, and two-spirit members by offering a Service of Renaming. This would give individuals a chance to present themselves, their true selves, to God and to their loving parish community.

Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) foregrounds trans joy and flourishing, celebrating the stories of trans lives in everyday as well as extraordinary circumstances. As the name suggests, the day creates space for trans people to be visible as they wish and are able to, emphasizing their agency in that process. This invitation is in stark contrast to how trans people can be made visible in stigmatizing ways. This resource is a collaboration between members of TransEpiscopal and Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission (APLM).

A Litany is an intercessory prayer that lists the needs and concerns of a community. It’s an opportunity to lay before God all those things that are beyond our control. On the 20th or 21st of each month, you are invited to join Deacon Beck Leclaire from the AuSable Inclusion Center of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes online to pray “A Litany from the Margins,” a reimagining of the medieval Great Litany from the perspective of modern people, especially those living at the margins of society. You can stream the service on Youtube, Facebook, or Twitch.

Created by the Trans and Non-Binary Task Force of the Diocese of California, this assessment tool helps churches and communities reflect on their welcome to trans and non-binary people. With both tangible and intangible measures, the checklist invites congregational leaders to prayerfully discern, as a group, where gaps in accessibility and inclusion may exist—and how to grow toward deeper belonging.

This guide was created by the Religion & Faith Program & Project One America at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to support Christians in building safe and inclusive faith communities for all God’s children including people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT).

Non-binary people are very much present and active, bringing their gifts into Episcopal church life in various capacities-- serving on vestries, as lectors, as youth group and young adult leaders, as ordained clergy, and more. At the same time, the church is not yet fully supportive, understanding, and fully embracing of non-binary people. Read this guide to learn more about the steps your congregation can take to radically embrace its non-binary siblings.

Cultivating an environment of inclusion may take time. Consider taking small steps, such as encouraging your congregation to use pronoun buttons to ensure queer and non-binary individuals feel welcome. In her VP blog post, Lisa Fischbeck describes her congregation’s process to start using pronoun buttons, and the honest discussions and education that happened as a result of that decision.

In Fall 2024, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas, began reimagining its mission through new formation and outreach efforts. In a region dominated by white Evangelical Christianity, the church is actively resisting Christian nationalism and offering a Gospel-rooted alternative. Through public witness, online engagement, and a new podcast called Aux Arcs Maquis, the congregation is amplifying Jesus’ teachings of justice, compassion, and radical welcome.

TransEpiscopal is a group of transgender, non-binary, and allied Episcopalians dedicated to fostering the full embrace of trans and non-binary people, and our loved ones within the Episcopal Church and to inspiring faith-based advocacy for trans and non-binary justice in the wider world.

The Staff Officer for Gender Justice position was created by the 80th General Convention. The role focuses on justice, advocacy, and inclusion for women and LGBTQ+ people.

The AuSable Inclusion Center is a faith-based community resource center in the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes providing education, advocacy, and support to people that are marginalized based on gender, sexuality, and/or socio-economic status through social, emotional, material, and spiritual help.

The Task Force for LGBTQIA+ Inclusion was created and funded by the 80th General Convention to initiate a churchwide audit of how The Episcopal Church has lived into its 1976 commitment to provide full and equal claim to the love, acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church to its LGBTQ+ members. The task force was also tasked with creating an archive of the history of the work for LGBTQ+ inclusion in The Episcopal Church. The link above will direct you to the report submitted by the task force to the 81st General Convention.

The National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund builds political power, takes action, and creates change to achieve freedom and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people and their families. It provides resources and support to its constituents, who affirm the need for equity for all LGBTQ people as an inherent value of their faith or secular beliefs.

The Human Rights Campaign has spent more than 40 years leading the movement for LGBTQ+ equality in the United States. Despite this progress, our most marginalized are still suffering from violence, discrimination, and fear. HRC’s goal is to ensure that all LGBTQ+ people, and particularly those of us who are trans, people of color, and HIV+, are treated as full and equal citizens within our movement, across our country, and around the world.

Episcopalians across the Diocese of Los Angeles are mobilizing networks of Sacred Resistance to support vulnerable communities targeted by the new federal administration’s threats of mass deportations and rollback of other rights. Their site includes resources for those who may face discrimination, deportation, or marginalization. They also lead training for those standing in support of those threatened.