Evangelical Lutheran Church of America selects first transgender person as Bishop

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In the first such move by any major US Christian denomination, the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) has elected a transgender person to serve as Bishop, Christian Headlines reports.

Rev. Megan Rohrer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Francisco and community chaplain coordinator for the San Francisco Police Department, was officially chosen to be Bishop in the ELCA denomination on Saturday.

Raised in South Dakota, 41-year-old Rohrer has a Master of Divinity and completed postgraduate work in Christian education at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, Christian Headlines reports. Rohrer was also the first transgender person to be ordained in the ELCA in 2006.

In a statement to Religion News Service, Rohrer said; “It’s an honor to be called to serve the Sierra Pacific Synod. During this time when some imagine trans people at their worst, Lutherans have once again declared that transgender people are beautiful children of God. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me and my family as I accept this call.”

However, the selection of Rohrer as Bishop has caused deep consternation among many other Evangelical leaders who see the ECLA decision as the endorsement of a lifestyle that the Bible explicitly states is sinful. In an article for Desiring God, John Piper called on the ECLA to: “Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform left and right-wing sinners.”

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