Church of England to hold Transgender services - BBC News

Church of England Clergy are being encouraged to hold "celebratory" services for transgender worshippers wanting to have their transition recognized within the Church of England.

Ceremonies should allow transgender people to renew the commitment they made during their baptism service - prior to their gender transition - the guidance released on Tuesday said.

Dr Rev Tina Beardsley, a transgender vicar who was consulted on the document, expressed hope churches would implement the guidance.

Beardsley is a retired healthcare chaplain and one of three trans clergy who were consulted on the guidelines.

"She" said while "herself" and many other trans Christians had already taken part in such services informally, for them to be given official endorsement by the Church was significant.

"She" told BBC News: "For me the most important thing was actually having this certificate to say that I had renewed my baptism vows and it had my chosen name on it."

"She" said the new guidance would also remove any doubt for clergy leading services.

But Christian Concern's chief executive Andrea Minichiello Williams, who is a lay member of the Church of England's General Synod, has responded to new Church of England guidance, saying:
"The Church of England is continuing its "devastating trajectory towards an outright denial of God and his word" by turning its back on what God has said in the Bible. She continued: "There is no need for Christians to sacrifice truth in a misguided attempt to be loving. It is not loving to mislead people - and wider society - into the falsehoods and myths of transgender ideology."

Read more here...
https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Church-of-England-brings-in-transgender-celebration-services

https://www.christianconcern.com/press-release/new-cofe-guidance-on-gender-transition-services-follows-devastating-trajectory

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46516299

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